I was listening to the Currently Reading Podcast and their deep dive was about their reading rules. It of course is different for everyone. I decided to name five of my own reading rules!
Reading Rules
Read What I Want. I read mostly for entertainment and relaxation. I don’t want to read classics and literary fiction most of the time so I won’t.
Challenge Myself Occasionally. Just because I like light books, it doesn’t mean I can’t be drawn to challenge myself when I feel like it, to read a different genre, new author, debut book, a book someone else has shown how much they loved it, or even a so called classic.
Skip parts of the book and sometimes not finish it. If it is slowing the plot down, is violent or open door sex that goes on for pages or just seems like fill I skip it. If it is boring the socks off me I abandon it.
Choose what I read by what I feel like at the time. Even if I have said it’s what I am going to read next, I might not. From now on I will not prioritise review books unless I need to read it for a book tour. It can languish for awhile, I will still read and review it. But… I might want to read a library book or from my own shelf first. This is a new rule for me!
Audiobooks are counted as reading a book. Of course! I might not be reading with my eyes but I am reading with my mind, it takes slightly different skills but it is still reading, It is delicious being read to!
The Book Date 
Love these and I follow most of them though I do need to challenge myself a bit more.
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Those are great reading rules, Kathryn! And I heartily agree re: audiobooks!!
Sue
Book By Book
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I usually skip too those scenes if they just streetch on
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I agree with your rules. I haven’t even accepted any review books or sought them out since re-starting my blog 2 years ago. They started to feel too much like unpaid work.
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Good rules to have and to follow by.
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Probably no surprise to you as we seem fairly similar readers, I could have written your rules! One thing I also try to do is mix up the genres from book to book.
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Yes mixing up genres really is very good. I do it too, or I know if I read same-same the second one comes of second best!
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Great rules! I am trying to follow my own whims with the books I buy, and I accept fewer review books, since I am less drawn to anything that is a “have to” read. Hence I will try to only pick NetGalley books from authors I love.
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Hi Kathryn! I think your reading rules are spot on. Especially that it’s okay to abandon a book if it goes in an uncomfortable direction or that you find it boring. {{Hugs}} ~smile~ Roseanne
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