SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

Me personally it's easier to read when it's warmer like the summer and of course the spring rather than the other, because when it;'s cod I have to constantly move around with cover to feel warm since I am constantly moving my hands. But in the summer I don't have to keep moving around so I'm able to focus on my book.

It's easier for me to do everything in the heat. Ideally, I'd set the temperature at 100 F (no humidity) and leave it there. Even though I typically read in bed, my hands are exposed. I'd rather they be warm than trembling.

I suffer warm weather a lot and I don't feel the cold, so it's much easier and enjoyable for me to read when it's cold. There's nothing better than sitting in my couch with my robe and my tea and reading until dawn.

Brandon is clearly very bored.

I'd say... neither. I prefer to read when I'm comfortable. I don't want to be hot or cold.

I'm with Kim. Who wouldn't prefer comfortable? Unfortunately, I don't get that option at some times of the year. The heat causes me to fall asleep. So that's not a good option. For cold, I get to bundle up in layers and drink a hot beverage, but sometimes it's so cold that even those don't work. I can't read under the covers in bed. For me, that means that it's difficult to get up, hydrate and exercise periodically. My health suffers when I read for hours in bed. I learned that the hard way. If it's that cold, I just go to sleep early which means I won't get much reading done. That's been the story of my life this January and February. I'm beginning to think that I won't read a hundred books this year.

Very bored.

with the options given, I'd find it easier in the heat. The cold makes me drowsy which means a higher chance of me falling asleep during my read.

When I read at home, it doesn't matter that much for me (though I usually have a reading slump in November).
When I read "on the go" (bus/train), there are hardware limitations: For obvious reasons, I don't carry the e-reader with me if it's freezing and if it's too hot, then my hands sweat at least somewhat even if the AC is on (which is no more gentle to print books).

I love the cold, so that's an easy answer. Getting warm and cozy with a book is always great. Especially when you have a dog or two to cuddle (or 87 pugs in Trike's case).

Cold:

digital book - device can't be below certain temperatures
physical book - gloves make it difficult to turn pages plus you could get chilblains

Heat:

digital book - device can't be above certain temperatures
physical book - sweaty fingers tend to leave pages damp and make them curl

so neither for me

I think he meant warm, not hot and stifling. Prefer warm rather than cool. I live in Florida, so sometimes it’s difficult to get the temperature right. I need to use air conditioning in the summer, so it’s not too hot, but that usually means it’s cool. In the winter I usually keep the air off when it’s cool out, or sometimes have to turn the heat on, which can make it stifling. In both kinds of weather, I sometimes have to start reading with one temperature, and end in the other.

Kim wrote: "I'd say... neither. I prefer to read when I'm comfortable. I don't want to be hot or cold."

Exactly!

In the heat. I don't handle cold well and turn into a useless blanket ball.

Jordan wrote: "In the heat. I don't handle cold well and turn into a useless blanket ball."

Ditto. Can't concentrate on a book if I'm shivering, can't afford to keep the heat on high enough.

fingers get too cold - I have to wear semi fingerless gloves when I lived in France because it was almost impossible to get the house warm enough in the winter

I’m better in the cold but our cold isn’t like the cold most of you are used to. Heat I can’t do very well. Which is a problem since it’s still mid to high 30s here in the Outback at the moment. And it’s Autumn. It was 34 up at the Farm the other day and it’s in the cooler High Country so Summer hasn’t let go of us yet. I’m better out here in the dry heat though than the humid horrid stuff we get at the Beach. Damp books aren’t very nice.

In saying all of that I read more at the Beach house in Summer than I do anywhere else. Except I haven’t read much this year so far. I’ve been running around heaps and not feeling like looking at anything much when I get home. Also the dog is going through a “look at me Mum” phase and doesn’t like me picking anything up while he’s awake and active.

Winter varies depending on where you are. March can be weird. It’s officially the beginning of Autumn but we’ve had pretty high temps over most of the country for most of it. Going to stay that way too for a while apparently. It’s been mid to high 30s and into the 40s this last week. Celsius that is.

Parts of Australia have snow for most of winter. Down in the Snowy Mountains and into Victoria. They do have to use snow making machines down there though to keep it good enough for skiing. Tasmania can get a bit of snow too. The rest of the Great Dividing Range (a band of mountains that runs up the east coast dividing the flat coastal area from the equally flat but higher interior) does get snow maybe once a year.

I live in 4 towns in New South Wales and my sons live in Brisbane and Townsville. 2 of my towns are sitting on the Range and the others are either side. One on the coast and one in the Outback.

Armidale - High Country on the GDR. Winter Nights -10 sometimes and days between 8 and 15. Does snow once or twice a year. Sometimes the wind is pretty chilly but usually not below -1 during the day. Summer usually 15-30 mostly but this year it has been into the higher 30s. Most summer days are 28 tops.

Lithgow - just on the western edge of the GDR. Winter mostly -4 to 10. Does snow once or twice a year. It’s just near Sydney but Sydney is much warmer. Usually tops of high teens or more in winter. Sometimes the wind can be a little chilly.

Warren - Outback town. Summer lows of 25 if you’re lucky and highs of 48. Winter lows of 0 sometimes(some mornings we get a light frost) and highs in the low 20s. I always joke with some friends in England that their summers are like my winters.

Scotts Head- coastal town near Coffs Harbour. Classed as sub-tropical. Gets to single figures overnight in winter sometimes and usually hits low 20s during the day. Summer is usually 25-30. It was well over 30 this year though. And humid.

Autumn and spring is lovely in all of these places. Perfect.

Brisbane - warm and humid. Usually around the 30s. In winter it gets bearable. I wear summer clothes when I visit my eldest son in winter. My favourite time to visit. They all wear jumpers and that though because it feels cold to them.

Townsville. Doesn’t get below probably 20 in winter during the day. They wear their winter jackets though. We usually joke saying things like winter in far North Queensland was on a Thursday last year or something like that. Or that soon they’ll have to start wearing socks with their thongs (flip flops to you lot). Summer is very hot and very humid. Not a good look to have sweat flowing from places you didn’t know existed and never having a good hair day. Anyhoo....

Most of the desert gets below zero at night in winter and then heats right up in the day time.

We used to live in a place called Blayney (better known as Chilblayney) and it was considered one of the coldest places in the State. It’s main problem was the freezing wind. The first year we were there it was frequently below zero during the day. And our house had inadequate heating and no insulation so it was the same temp inside and out. -5 is not a good temp to be at inside the house.

But yeahhh mostly our winters are into the plus side of the Celsius gauge and even our coldest places don’t go that far below zero most of the time. Even though I have heard exchange students say that they felt the cold more here than in Switzerland or wherever because we don’t have adequate heating here like they do overseas. We’re a country of single glazing and minimal insulation. New houses at least have insulation now but still only single glazing in most places. My armidale house has double glazing in some rooms but my Lithgow house is colder and it only has really thin old glass. We at least have insulation in the roof now. In winter when I was a kid my roll on deodorant used to freeze in my bedroom.

I wish i could read infront of a fireplace with snow falling outside. But i live in South Africa in the semi desert at the moment its 101 degrees with no humidity. So........ just dreaming of snow (which i have never seen before.........)

Def. the heat. I can't even read a soup can when it's cold.