SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

Do you listen to music while reading, if so, what genre? If it's anything at all?

I can only listen to things which does not have lyrics, as they distract me too much. So I always listen to chillstep while reading. Does this affect others? Or is it my simple brain that just works in simple ways? :)

I don't always need music as a background, but I do tend to put it on if I can feel I'm getting sleepy. I also cannot listen to anything with lyrics. I sometimes put on trance, because while I have no particular interest in any artists (couldn't name a single one) it has a calming, hypnotic effect on me, but it could also be film scores or music composed to computer games, like the music to Skyrim. The problem is that the more I get to know symphonic music the more I start to listen and hum along internally, and then it loses the effect of being background noise. And then I'm back to no music.

I totally understand. Sometimes there is such a good song in queue that I suddenly stop reading and start moving my body, or I read several pages without knowing I've not really read them. I just don't know that my eyes have moved through pages, without my brain registering that I've done it. Every time it happens, I smile and feel stupid.

I have to be extremely deep in thought not to have music. Basically, I have to be hopelessly lost in treacherous conditions or very stressful ones (2 minutes to find parking and go to an event but I don't know where I am) or sucked completely into "flow" while I'm drafting something.

Every other time I need more stimulus. I have multiple playlists that reflect different moods and run the gamut from heavy metal to hip hop to 80s EDM to Finnish folk songs and Broadway show tunes. I'm all over the place.

I tend not to listen to hip hop while reading (the words form part of the beat so I can't keep it in the background as easily) and almost never do I listen to full instrumental. It keys me up too much. I get antsy -- jazz especially-- and usually end up starting 8 projects at once, which, even for me is a lot.

ETA, yesterday I had to change the song because I was reading a sad short story about math. So I put on a sad math rock song, and that went much better than the poppy thing that had been playing previously.

I don’t like any music while I’m reading but if I’m at work reading on my break I don’t mind the music because I don’t care for it and I can read in peace. If I know the song and like it even if it’s classical etc I can’t focus.

What kills me though is when coworkers walk in the break room and start talking to me. I’m like we’re all book lovers working at Barnes and Noble why are you talking to me right now? Lol even when I’m teaching and I have a class period with no students and I’m reading something I always get interrupted. It’s very annoying haha.

Allison wrote: "yesterday I had to change the song because I was reading a sad short story about math. So I put on a sad math rock song, ..."

Ok. I have to ask. What is a sad math story? And more importantly, what is a sad math rock song? (I am hearing One is the Loneliest Number)

Kristin B. wrote: "Allison wrote: "yesterday I had to change the song because I was reading a sad short story about math. So I put on a sad math rock song, ..."

Ok. I have to ask. What is a sad math story? And more ..."

LOL I had the exact same questions! (One is the Loneliest Number is amazing, though, if you're thinking of Filter)

@Patrick Hahaha, I've actually avoided going to the cafeteria with my colleagues at lunch, because apparently you're then supposed to sit together and *talk*. As if I don't sit next to them the other 7 hours and 30 minutes each day! Why can't I have just those 30 minutes on my own, reading? #introvertwoes

I enjoy listening to music while I read or do other things. That was my big go to thing to do as one of my "other" activities as I did work & stuff. Now, audiobooks have taken the place of music for a large chunk.

My music library is all over the place but the general base is rock. The rest goes from instrumental to heavy metal. When I want something more emotionally involved, give me epic orchestral soundtracks that were recorded before I was born. The recording sound was more vibrant then and richer to play on vinyl record. Nothing beats good live music. I adore acoustic shows.

I don't enjoy most rap because the repeated lyrics for no reason drive me nuts. Give me a rap song with a story & I'm all in.

Anyway, I don't have a sure fire style or genre that I listen to for when I read. It just depends on what seems right and that can be just about anything. I try out "Workout Playlists" and stuff like that once in a while. I end up distracted because I don't like the songs or how the song is the opposite of what would make me work out.

I need balance. I'm good with multi-level sensory input. That's what I prefer. Once in while, I'll settle down with a book & wrap myself in silence.

I can’t listen to music or have the TV sound on while I’m reading. Which is weird really because I couldn’t study without music back in the day. Not that it helped.....my marks were pretty shit. When I’m home by myself at night I have the TV on without sound while I read. I have music on in the car when I’m driving though. Or more recently I’ve had audiobooks on in the car.

Growing up my house was full of music but Mum always turned it off to read. She liked quiet to read too.

Dawn 'n Patrick, it seems you two need to get an office with a door to shut everyone out 😂 if I want privacy, I demand it dammit! Hehe

Screw my coworkers!

True! But I found earbuds do the trick beautifully! 😁

lol! The sad math story was Division of Zero by Ted Chiang. I can't say much about it other than it's a book about relationships and math.

Math rock is a subgenre of...hard rock? I guess that's its progenitor? Anyways, it's experimental rock that uses the math part of music to figure out new ways to do things, like discordant sounds that together actually fit well, arrhythmic beats, weird time signatures and other things you need a boat load of theory to figure out.

For example, Tool is math rock. Schism would be a sad math rock song :) And oddly appropriate to this story, actually, though it's not the song I happened upon!

Tool are playing at the Danish metal festival Copenhell next summer, and in that context I did see a few people refer to their music as mathematical. Maybe that's why I could never get into them, I'm number blind!

Jonas wrote: "Do you listen to music while reading, if so, what genre? If it's anything at all?

I can only listen to things which does not have lyrics, as they distract me too much. So I always listen to chills..."

Anything that is in my I-Tunes, I have it on shuffle. So sometimes I do need to skip, like when it goes from Ozzy to Peter and the Wolf. But mostly I just let it ride.

I love listening to music while I read. I can read in silence, but I prefer something on in the background. I also like watching sports as I read, because there is a lot of down time to read, but I can watch when something exciting happens.

As far as genre, I love alternative rock mostly, so I listen to a few of my channels on Pandora while I read. Having lyrics doesn't bother me at all.

Reading while listening to music and cuddling with my dog is my favorite comfort zone activity. Oh and add in a cold beer or cocktail and it's a perfect evening after work.

I like music sometimes and without usually. Same as others said. Vocals can be distracting sometimes, especially if they’re too much in the foreground or too clear. If there’s vocals, it’s easier if I’m not as fixated on the words.

Also, EDM is the most distracting. I never listen to it, but if it’s in a public place and I’m reading on my iPad or iPhone, I can’t concentrate. And most bars, and some kava and coffee shops play it these days.

I almost always listen to music while I'm reading on my commute, mostly hip hop and hip hop-adjacent (I think? I'm not really good with music genres). Unless I'm really restless, I don't find the lyrics distracting at all.

If I'm reading at home, I occasionally listen to music, but more often not. I do sometimes read while watching sports, usually soccer.

I tend to listen to music when I read, but the genre really depends on what mood I'm in. The last few weeks I've mostly been listening to movie soundtracks, but I also go in for musicals and various subgenres of rock/metal.

At home i read mostly without Music, but when I’m travelling I use music in the headphones to keep out noise (like people talking endlessly loudly on their phones) I prefer instrumental music, movie soundtracks, light classical stuff, as song lyrics distract me from the book.

@Lars Yep, the keeping out noise is another reason I tend to listen to music (as long as it’s instrumental) when reading in public. Or I just leave the earbuds in without turning the music on.

I work in the corporate offices for a very large company and almost everybody has cubes, even fairly high-level mangers. Some people who work near me talk incessantly throughout the day, and one of them has a tendency to screech. Some days I tune it out better than others, but I frequently listen to music at work so I can hear myself think. I prefer to work in silence, but music is less distracting than talking. When I get home, especially if it was a noisy day at work, all I want is peace and quiet. I’ve never been one to need or want background noise.

So all of that leads to the answer that, no, I don’t usually have music on while I read. Sometimes on the weekends I might manage to soak up enough peace and quiet that I’ll enjoy turning on background music at home for a while, and/or I'll turn it on while I'm cleaning. Sometimes I’ll read while it’s playing and it doesn’t bother me, but other times it becomes distracting and I turn it off.

I couldn’t even tell you what genre I listen to. I’m definitely not a music buff. At some point I discovered that I liked Enya, so I plugged her name into a Pandora station and let them pick things they thought would appeal to me based on that, thumbed up and down a bunch of stuff, and now it just plays music I like. I don’t usually pay attention to what any of it is. I know it plays some movie songs, like from Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Most of it is mellow-sounding with either no lyrics or lyrics I find easy to ignore. I think some of it might not even be in English. That’s what I listen to at work or at home, anyway. When I’m driving, I listen to pop because it’s more upbeat and sing-along-able, plus arguing with or scoffing at the lyrics entertains me.

I don't listen to music when I read. Other times, yes.
done! :)

ML, I think you know what I'm gonna say :) Could you please just edit? Thanks!

Allison wrote: "ML, I think you know what I'm gonna say :) Could you please just edit? Thanks!"

Oops! haha

A bit of overlap! :)

No worries, I get it!

M.L. you ain't done until you tell us what genre you usually listen to, haha :-P

I have in general problems with my concentration, so I can't listen to music while reading. I even have problems with listening to audio books when I'm painting. My mind constantly wanders.
If I have to turn on the music - cause of the aforementioned background noice of people chatting - the lyrics have to be in another language than the text I'm reading.

Jonas wrote: "M.L. you ain't done until you tell us what genre you usually listen to, haha :-P"

Ayo & Teo's 'Rolex.' A genre all by itself. :)

So you want a Roly Roly Roly? Or maybe a designer to keep up your pants? Hehe *thumbs up*

Jonas wrote: "So you want a Roly Roly Roly? Or maybe a designer to keep up your pants? Hehe *thumbs up*"

Glad you had a listen! :)

Whatever is chillstep?

Chillstep is an offshoot of dubstep. It's basically a song which consists of the clam of dubstep without the violent parts.

An example could be Homebound by DROELOE.

But a YouTube search for Chillstep will tell you all you need to know :-)

Oh, or Marina & The Diamonds - Primadonna (World cat remix)

One of my faves these days

Usually I prefer to read without music of any kind. If there is going to be music it has to be instrumental and neither annoying nor beautiful/riveting, etc. I have learned to read through certain rehearsals my son used to be part of in high school (NOT in the rehearsal room, but you can hear it outside of the room), although sometimes that doesn't work so well.

I listen to electronic instrumental music, often stuff by people like Tycho, Emancipator and Basique.

the only kind of music i will accept while reading is the purring of a cat :) everything else distracts me too much

Lars wrote: "At home i read mostly without Music, but when I’m travelling I use music in the headphones to keep out noise (like people talking endlessly loudly on their phones) I prefer instrumental music, movi..."

A a fellow member of the Public Transportation club. LOL

M.L. wrote: "Jonas wrote: "M.L. you ain't done until you tell us what genre you usually listen to, haha :-P"

Ayo & Teo's 'Rolex.' A genre all by itself. :)"

You listen to watch music?

I find that silence is very distracting, so I listen either to Mozart or Ancient FM.

Ine wrote: the only kind of music i will accept while reading is the purring of a cat :) everything else distracts me too much

One thing I love about having a cat beside you is that if you're fidgety like me, you can keep your fingers busy by petting your furry friend, and this keeps the purring going for a long time, and your nails in one piece.

If I didn't like music while I was reading my marriage would not have survived all these years. My husband listens constantly and I just get whatever he's listening to. If I find it annoying I either comment or move to the other end of the house. Mostly he knows what I don't like and plays that when I'm not around. I'm no expert on musical genres but I know a lot of it is electric folk and none of it is rap.

Back when I first read Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's book Thunderhead, I was listening to Loreena McKennitt's album "The Visit", and the song "Courtyard Lullaby" came on during a really creepy scene, and somehow the scene and the song blended seamlessly, causing my hairs to stand on end. I'll never forget that book, and every time I think of it I hear that song by LM.

Dj wrote: "M.L. wrote: "Jonas wrote: "M.L. you ain't done until you tell us what genre you usually listen to, haha :-P"

Ayo & Teo's 'Rolex.' A genre all by itself. :)"

You listen to watch music?"

Correct. A Rolex is a watch. :)

I love music combined with the sphere from the book Like some Black Metal with post-apocalyptic or Classic music wit War and Peace and dark ambient with Gothic novels

I do have a specific music/book memorie Jean-Michel Jarre's Oxygene with Torenhoog en mijlen breed: een toekomstverhaal

I have a brain that is completely incapable of multitasking, so no music for me. If there's sound of any kind in the background while I'm reading I have to tune it out.

It's not music but I listen to a long track of falling rain that keeps playing over and over.

Like others have more or less said, music is like a soundtrack to whatever I'm reading, rather than background noise (or audio furniture as a friend used to call it). It really sets the mood.

I remember reading Stephen King's Desperation back in high school (many years ago) and listening to the soundtrack for Suspiria (I love movie scores). The chimes at the beginning of the first track still make me think of Tak.

I have to have music when I read, then again I have made several playlist to go with the type of book I am reading , I am retired so recently put great speakers in my special room, plus a reclining chair , aaahhh bliss