The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion

One of the ironies of being an author in the middle of trying to promote your own book is that it leaves you no time to read. My pile of to-read books and literary magazines has been growing and growing...I see you all with your "is reading now" posts and your reviews and I'm so jealous. What a joy, a luxury it is to have time to read!

I sympathise with not having time to read. I'm not an author (with a book to promote or otherwise!) but I have a very involving profession and I work long hours. Typically the only time I have for reading is in the short period between getting into bed and falling asleep! However, listening to audiobooks has more than doubled my reading time and I love them. Commuting, cooking dinner and even brushing my teeth is now listening time. The regular book is still there beside my bed for those last few minutes at night. I have to admit, though, that my to-read list is also growing like crazy. I plan to add your book to it as well. Good luck with the promotional activities!

Thanks and I hope you enjoy Baby Jane -- when you get around to reading it. Ha! I've got two P.D. James mysteries taunting me every time I pass my bookshelf on the way to my desk. It's rather cruel.

I'm looking forward to retirement so that I'll have more time to read!! My husband thinks I'll cook more. HA!!

Hello:
Being a writer myself I understand the difficulty of writing and finding time to read as well. I usually try to set aside at least an hour a day for reading and it seems to work. Never a dull moment.
Have a Great Day!!!
The "Creature"

I may have more time to read, but clearly not enough time to write a novel. Consider yourself lucky on that end!

Besides having a full time job, owning and repairing a few rental properties, write Mystery/Thrillers and try and market my own books. I try and read during my breaks at work, which normally ends up being around an hour per day.

Martha wrote: "I'm looking forward to retirement so that I'll have more time to read!! My husband thinks I'll cook more. HA!!"

I hear that, I'm the same! Roll on retirement, the new silent diet!

I've started using audiobooks, the time I had that was active, to put down a book for, is now filled with words, it's great.
As a writer, M, I wonder if listening to audiobooks would interfere with your 'thinking' time? Perhaps writers need to limit reading time compared to us readers who try to get all the time possible for reading... hmmm
:)

I am an author as well and I'm so glad to not find myself alone. I am seriously lacking any type of free time at all!

I'm not an author - just someone who loves to read. I do work long hours sometimes and with that being sad, I sometimes find myself going home and being a couch potato instead of hanging out in my under construction book room. But I did get a lot of reading done this past weekend, I just love long weekends!!!!

I hear ya! Doesn't work for everyone, but I read during breakfast, lunch and dinner breaks (hub is often gone teaching) while working at home in between (freelance writer and author) and the Kindle makes it SO MUCH easier! No trying to hold a book while eating a sandwich or turning pages, ;-D Love it. If I can't read a chapter, I read a scene or part of one. I find I'm reading more on e-reader than regular books.

Last year I didn't read hardly at all. I was constantly promoting or writing my books, but I decided to start reviewing books on my site (when i picked up my kindle!) and because that has forced me to read. I now read more than ever. I also find it a good mental warm up before I attack one of my own books, lol. Sit down, coffee, read on kindle and then get to work, lol.

I know. I'm in the middle of heavy edits and I haven't been able to read a thing except a small short story, and I had the Kindle text reader read that to me.

Hi Vickie, I am doing edits too (for another author) and god is it mind melting dull, lol. NOT THE BOOK! just the process, lol. I manage to read ten minutes here and there, which I use to hate with a passion unknown to man, but I think reading a little is better than reading none at all. And I read nothing for a long time, lol.

I agree about there never being enough time to read. I listen to audiobooks as well, mostly at the gym or in the car on my iPhone.

After spending most of the day staring at a computer screen, it's nice to have something read to you. The Kindle reader has sort of a robotic voice, but you get used to it.

I only recently found out about the kindle audio. I like that the only problem is that I keep falling asleep when I listen to it, lol.

I thought I was the only one. That droning voice puts me to sleep. I slept through about ten pages of a classic I was listening to and then I couldn't find my place because Kindle thought I had read those pages. This might be good for insomniacs except it doesn't automatically turn itself off if the audio is on.

lol, I did ask on a kindle forum the other day if there was a way to get a different voice from the ones on Kindle. You cannot! lol. Kindle Audio is good when I am training, but in bed it is pointless, as I then have to end up trying to find the spot I fell asleep at.

I'm not a fan of audio books, so I've never tried this feature. Totally a waste of engineering from my perspective.

I'd rather read. But I get so much eyestrain. It is very good for people whose eyes are bothered by reading computer screens all day. You get dependent on it, though. I was real unhappy when one of the books I ordered didn't have text to speech. (not all of them do) I had to actually read it. Ha. One problem I have with it is the audio is not quite loud enough if I am doing something else while listening. We got some tiny speakers but actually it was louder without them. I wonder if anyone knows a type of portable speaker that would work with Kindle.

Using the link at Amazon, for Kindle accessories, earphones, provides these cute little items:

http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Latest-G...

Thanks. I'll check it out.

My family are a big fan of audio books. They help put the kids to sleep. The problem is I end up listening to them all night after they have fallen asleep, but if you attempt to turn them off you get. "I was listening to that."

"You can listen and snore?"

lol. I have tried audio books, but I just fall asleep. When I train I listen to some and they are mostly Poirot.

I can listen when I'm driving but if I am sitting on the couch I either fall asleep or start thinking about my grocery list.

Vickie wrote: "I can listen when I'm driving but if I am sitting on the couch I either fall asleep or start thinking about my grocery list."

I don't listen to audiobooks while sitting on the couch, but I do listen to them while driving, on the bus, on the train, cooking, doing housework and brushing my teeth! I haven't tried the audio feature on kindle, as I know I wouldn't be able to cope with a droning monotone. I download professionally read audiobooks from sites such as Audible.com (and other audiobook sellers on the internet) plus free ones from some other sites. I never thought that I would like being read to, but I love it!

I wish I could find more time to read too. Weekends are my only chance to read when I have the house to myself. I can't concentrate when the other half is at home with the TV turned on. I've even started going to work earlier so I can take a longer lunch break to read and invested in a reading light so I can carry on once the other half is sleeping!

Hi Kris, it took me a little while, but match/game season helped... and I can now listen to my audiobook while the TV is on. I never really watched TV much, so that possibly helps, it was in the background while reading or knitting or somesuch but it's working great now.
I guess there's a bit of a learning curve for the brain LOL Maybe if you try re-reading something, to get into it? It might work....

Hi aprilla,

I don't watch TV much either. It's just the unexpected noises I find so distracting. Takes me twice as long to read anything! I'm determined to be able to block it out though so I guess practice is key. I'm only a man after all. How am I supposed to ignore the TV and read at the same time? That sounds like multi-tasking! I shall give you advice a go though :-) Thank you.

I just go in another room to read and he can have his TV, watching whatever.

I wish it was that easy. I sometimes go upstairs to the bedroom but the dog follows behind within a few minutes. Myself and the dog then proceed to have a lengthy conversation as to why he's not allowed on the bed.

LOL One of our dogs sleeps with us.

I wish mine could but the amount of hair he sheds is astonishing. Never known a dog like him.

He gets his way in the morning though. He runs straight past who ever lets him out in the morning and straight to the bedroom to smother whoever is still in bed with kisses!

As an author by night and an editor by day, finding time to read becomes more and more difficult. I've never been a fan of audiobooks, but I'm getting into them more now. I can cook, clean, drive and relax a little while listening to someone reading me a good book.

I sometimes read a book and watch TV at the same time. Or grab a book during long commmercials.

I found that if you avoid housework, read while eating, while bathing (don't try while showering), while washing dishes, while your husband is watching the game, while someone else drives, while ...well, you get the idea. Reading gets done.

I listen to audio books on my iphone. That way, when I don't have the time, I don't have to suffer. (laughing) I even listen to them as I'm dozing off at night. Of course, most of the time I have to go back a chapter or two the next day because I've slept through some of the book, but it's the way I can devour as many books as I do.

Kris wrote: "Hi aprilla,

I don't watch TV much either. It's just the unexpected noises I find so distracting. Takes me twice as long to read anything! I'm determined to be able to block it out though so I gues..."

My wife and daughter like to watch a couple hours of TV per night, and very rarely anything I'm too interested in. I've found I can read IF the program is in Spanish (about half the programming here in Argentina is Spanish, the other half Hollywood movies or US series in English w/Spanish subtitles). If the program is in English, I put in little earbuds and listen to some instrumental music on my Kindle while I read...

I commute to work by bus. That provides certain disadvantages, but it also at least assures me some time each day to read.

I am not a fan of audiobooks or ereaders. I am not an author but work full time, volunteer alot and am raising two teen boys. The only time i have to read is when the house quites down late in the evening then I fall asleep sigh. Unfortunately I am 20 years away from retirememnt

I know the feeling, I'm helping someone edit their book at the moment plus I've just started book four in my Justice series. It's not easy juggling everything. ;-)

it isn't, I only have the evenings and when the kids are doing activities I spend alot of my evenings running them to sports, youth groups etc. Weekends are for housework and catching up. My commute to work is only 9 minutes. I started a James Michener book and while they are great books, they aren't quick reads.

I used to think audio books cannot compare to books. Now I think why compare them at all. Both are just as good. I listen while doing chores. You would not believe how easy and enjoying house chores would become! Not to mention you won't waste any time at all while waiting in line for something. Late at night while everything quiets down then it's my time to enjoy a good book.

Time is limited for pleasure reading. Soon that will change but comes at the price of having an empty nest.

Reading is the unheralded upside of insomnia. I almost always get an hour or two to read in the middle of the night. If my wife is up, too, we call it a reading party.

LOL, Craig! That's a good way to look at it. I, too, often pick up a book in the middle of the night if a hot flash wakes me up and I can't get back to sleep. Not a thriller, mind you, but something calmer. :)