Monday, January 29, 2018

Discussion: Are You A Seasonal Reader?

While this post is not exactly about winter, January's theme for the Blog All About It Challenge, it is borne from my initial thought of winter and a recent conversation I had with my 6 year old. Kind of like a stream of conscience . . . Which then lead to an idea for a Discussion Challenge post. 


My daughter was adamant her birthday was in the spring. That was until the bubble was burst, and she discovered she was really born in winter. I explained to her that this seemed to be a family pattern. She was born in winter but wished she was born in spring. Her dad wished he was born in summer, but was really born in spring. And I was born in the summer, but wished I was born in the fall. We were each born in season transition months, just too early to actually fall into our seasons of preference. I told Mouse we are all close enough—so we might as well say we were born in the spring, summer and fall, respectively. Why not? If people can say fall starts in August with the start of school . . .

This got me thinking about reading and the seasons. Christmas is about the only time of year I try to read seasonally-themed books. Even then, that is a fairly new practice of mine—or at least I am more consistent about it these days than I have been before. It all started when I began reading romance again. There is just something about the snow (which I do not get where I live), the high sucrose holiday spirit, and all those happy endings. It shouts Christmas, even if not winter exactly. More of an end of fall, early winter, really.

I know some readers gravitate toward summery books in the winter and snowy wintery books in the summer—maybe to compensate for the extreme weather at either end. Many of you who participate in the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril (R.I.P.) Challenge use fall as the opportunity to read more thrillers, horror, and fantasy. There are readers who like to read heavier or denser books during the winter months and lighter books in summer. I know one person who uses summer to read the classics—she has more time to concentrate on them with school being out.

I personally associate fall with cozies and spring with historical fiction. I cannot say I actually stick to those types of books during those times of year, but it’s what I think of when I think of books and seasons.

Tracking my reading over the years has given me a window into my own reading patterns. I do not feel like I read seasonally, other than around Christmas time. I cannot even say I read more quantity-wise in one season or another. My reading tends to fluctuate depending on what I have going on in my life. In high stress times, I may read lighter or fast paced reads, while at other times I delve into deeper and more emotional-charged reads.

This winter I find myself craving both thrillers and fantasy, and not necessarily together. I am not sure what the connection, if any, that has to the season, but it seems to be the direction my reading has gone as of late. I tend to think this has more to do with my general reading mood rather than the seasons themselves, however.

  • Do your reading moods swing with the seasons? 
  • Have you ever noticed a seasonal pattern in your reading? 
  • Are there certain types of books you associate with each season? 
  • What is your favorite season?




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57 comments:

  1. That's a great topic. I wish I've something more interesting to say but alas, my choice of books are all depending on my mood. Plus, we only have summer so it doesn't make any difference what I choose to read, ha, but I do like to read books which have a winter setting towards Christmas just for the feel of it. :)

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    1. Melody - I wonder if the weather does play a part in whether we are seasonal readers. Although I think my part of the world sees more of a season change than you do there, it's so slight compared to other parts of the world. It's something to think about . . .

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  2. I think I'm less of a seasonal reader and more of an emotional reader. If I grew up in a country with seasons (rather than just moving to one for a couple of years), I may have turned out to be a seasonal reader, but as it is my emotions play a bigger part in deciding what I want to read next.

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    1. Eustacia - I was just thinking that--that maybe I'd be more of a seasonal reader if I lived in a part of the world where seasons were more distinct. Emotions (or mood) plays a bigger part for me as well.

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  3. Something about the fall does increase my desire for spooky books, but other than that, I don't have a seasonal bias.

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    1. Jenclair - I wonder how much of that is because of Halloween's influence. It's just one day, but it's such a big part of the American culture.

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  4. I'm one of those 'read cold books in summer' people. I guess I flip it and do the same in winter (summer reads), but not really so much. I occasionally read Christmas themed books around the holidays, but not on purpose so much. My reading has slowed down because of being busy at that time or it did in the past. I do read spooky in the fall, but I read spooky/thriller/mystery all the time. I love spring in my part of the world with the wildflowers. It is my favorite season. And I was born in the fall - and we don't really have leaves that turn colors, which always disappointed me. LOL

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    1. Kay - It was probably you I was thinking of in terms of reading cold books in the summer. :-) It does seem like a common practice though.

      My daughter's favorite season is definitely spring. Our seasons aren't really that distinct though. We have green and brown. Hot and not so cold. LOL

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  5. I would absolutely read more themed books for holidays and seasons if I could get them at those times! My town has a really small library, so I basically read whatever I can get. I do still *try* to match books for some holidays, though, like Christmas and Halloween.

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    1. Bernadette - I think it helps that more Christmas books come my way around the holidays, and so it's a natural fit to red them then. Access to books can definitely play a factor in what we read when, doesn't it?

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  6. I love to read books that are themed to the season. I spent most of December reading only Christmas books. And I've checked out a few books from the library that are about Winter, but I haven't read them yet. I also love to get out seasonal books for my niece and nephew. I rotate them out every month.

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    1. Angela - I had completely forgotten about children's books! My daughter and I read seasonally when it comes to those. Thank you for the reminder!

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  7. I like to read books featuring cold and wintry scenes during the winter although I don't always read them then. I do read more scary and thriller type of reads in the fall. Winter makes me think of longer books for some reason that you just immerse yourself in. Ultimately though, I read what I want whenever as long as it fits the reading mood that I'm in :)

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    1. Samantha - I wonder what the tie in to longer books in winter is. Maybe for those of you who live in snowy places and want to stay in during the winter? That's what summer is for here with the triple digit heat. I love how different it is for so many of us!

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  8. Yep, I'm kind of a seasonal reader. I can really only read Christmas themed books from Thanksgiving until New Years and while horror/thrillers are one of my favorite genres, I HAVE to read even more around Halloween. Great thoughts!

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    1. Barb - Thank you! There's just something about reading a Christmas themed book in season. I was thinking this year of trying one in July, but I know it will feel weird.

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  9. I do tend to seek out more ghost stories and horror novels in the fall, and more heartwarming or romance-type books when it's winter and very cold and dark outside. In the spring is when I can read more challenging or more introspective/literary books. :)

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    1. Lark - That's interesting that you are drawn to more introspective/literary books in the spring!

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  10. I try to read seasonally though that's not always a success and publishing companies don't always help with that. I've had plenty of December published ARCs that set in summer. And then of course it seems like all the Christmas romances come out in September. My birthday is in May and I've always been happy with it. It's normally warm and the weather is typically good. Poor Mouse! Hopefully she'll be okay with her winter birthday. I do find that I tend to crave certain genres when it comes to seasons. When it's hot I mostly want romantic suspense. Winter is more cozy fiction or romance and I do better with historical fiction/mysteries or nonfiction in January/February. Not sure exactly why but it seems to always be the case. Great topic!

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    1. Katherine - You raise a good point about publishing companies playing a part in what we read when. Isn't it funny though how we sometimes associate certain genres with certain seasons? Sometimes it's obvious--like Halloween and the spooky or scary reads, but other times it is less obvious. And it's so personal at that. It's not always the same for every individual.

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  11. I am not a seasonal reader at all. The only reason I read horror books in October, and am now trying to read A Christmas Carol every year is because of blogging. I didn't have any idea people did this until I started blogging. It makes perfect sense to me though because I like to watch certain movies during certain times of the year. :)

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    1. La La - I am not sure I knew it was a thing until I began blogging either. You make a good point about the movies!

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  12. My favorite season is Fall. I am not a seasonal reader, I read mainly memoirs. I don't mind a cozy set at Christmas though.

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  13. It might play a part in my reading trends, but I'm more of a mood reader. If I do read seasonally, its more because that's when a book released than that I planned to read something for the holiday or season.

    Great topic. And hey, I was born in winter, but was actually due in spring. It doesn't worry me too much b/c I love winter more than spring. Glad your family could work out a way to get the most out of it. :)

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    1. Sophia Rose - That's maybe a part of the reason why I tend to read Christmas themed books when I do--the release date. :-)

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  14. I try to read Christmasy books near Christmas only because that is when I want the reviews on my blog. Before blogging, I would read Christmas books whenever I happened upon them. I am not a seasonal reader. Great discussion.

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    1. Carole - Thank you! I don't think I read many Christmas themed books before I began blogging, now that I think about it.

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  15. I used to think I was a bit of a seasonal reader, but now I know I'm not really. The only seasonal thing is Christmas-y books around Christmastime, and that's even rare for me.

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    1. Christy - I thought for sure I would find more of a pattern in my reading--the type of reading or even how much reading I do at any given time--but looking over my stats, nope.

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  16. I'm more of a mood reader than a seasonal reader, but I am occasionally drawn to beachy reads in the summer and snowy themed reads in the winter. Fall and spring are pretty much anything goes.

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  17. Not really but I do tend to read less in the early winter months because I live in FL and it's the time of year that I get to go outdoors. Then I hibernate and read more int he summer.

    http://www.fwiwreviews.net/2018/01/blog-all-about-it-winter.html#.WnHlTqinEuU

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    1. Karen - Summer in California is definitely meant for hibernation too so I can relate! :-)

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  18. My fav season is definitely Autumn. I don't think I have much of a pattern to my reading habits... I do try and read Christmas themed books at Christmas and I TRY to read a few 'summer' reads over summer but I'm a mood reader and I go on genre binges so if I'm not feeling it, I dont force it. :)

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    1. Nicola - I love autumn! It's definitely my favorite season. I'm much the same way. I read by mood with the occasional genre binge. I think it's good you don't force it. If I were to force it, I would go into a reading slump for sure.

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  19. I read seasonally around Halloween and Christmas but other than that not so much anymore. I used to really read more horror suspense in winter but lately I'm not feeling it.

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    1. Melissa - Horror suspense does seem to have a winter feel to it.

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  20. I do tend to read more in the winter. It is the best season especially here in Michigan to get cozy with hot coco and a good book

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    1. Carole Rae - I love hot cocoa! I can see why a Michigan winter would end itself to more reading. All that snow!

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  21. I typically read whatever I feel like reading all year round, but every December, I develop a craving for Christmas romances and cozies and end up reading a bunch in a row. I always tell myself I'm going to read more summer books during the summer, but that usually ends up happening in March/April when the weather starts to warm up and I start running out of patience waiting for summer. This was a great topic for a post!

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    1. Katie - Haha! I can see that happening. Wanting to put the cold weather behind you. :-)

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  22. Fall is definitely my favorite season. Used to be summer but the older I've gotten the less I tolerate our hot summers in Texas! I love the idea of season reads but other than spooky reads around Halloween I don't think I really follow the seasons with my reading. Great question!

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    1. Iliana - You do have hot summers. Hotter than ours often!

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  23. Great post!
    I don't know that my reading habits have a season, though I guess I do feel more inclined to read December holiday books in December.

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    1. J Lenni - Thank you! There's just something about winter holiday books that call to me that time of year.

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  24. I don't think I'm all that much of a season reader, excluding Christmas reads.

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    1. Charlie - Those seem to be the most obvious for me too.

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  25. A lot of people do seem to like the lighter "beach reads" during the summer. Maybe because of the vacation feel that summer holds for so many.

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  26. This is a fascinating topic. I often say that I will read seasonally. I kind of plan to read ghost stories or horror stories around Halloween, Dickens around Christmas, etc. But except for a few years, I have not carried out my plans. I should me more disciplined about doing so this year..

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    1. Brian - I have had that intention too--to read ghost or horror stories around Halloween--and yet I rarely do. I think I would have to be more organized to do so. Except for Christmas, I just haven't managed it yet.

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  27. I know I'm not a seasonal reader. When I get homesick for Montana I will read a blizzard book with a Montana setting. I think I read what I crave to read. I liked your post. This was a fun and different way to think of winter in abstract way.

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    1. Melody May - In a very abstract way. :-) Hopefully I will be more on the mark this month. A blizzard book would be good when you want to feel of Montana. I have never lived anywhere where it snows--only visited. So, my experience with that type of weather is mostly through books. Not the same, I know.

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  28. I'm not a seasonal reader at all. I totally agree with you that the seasons all seem to start earlier than they actually do, though. I always think the next season has started long before it has.

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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    1. Nicole - Yes! They do feel like the seasons start earlier than they do.

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  29. Oh how funny that you each that that feeling about your birthday. Come to think of it I would love to have been a Fall not a Summer. lol

    Interesting on your reading. I think that's probably somewhat same here. It depends on how busy or stressed I am in real life as to what I pick for my reading life :)

    Thanks for joining in on the challenge last month!

    http://www.herdingcats-burningsoup.com/search/label/blog%20all%20about%20it

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    1. Anna - I thought is was a funny coincidence too. :-) It sounds like mood plays more of a part for many of us when it comes to what we read when. Thanks for stopping by!

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