Honestly, my reading habits fluctuate constantly. What may be true today may not be true tomorrow, but there are a few changes that have stuck, and I think they will remain.

1. I no longer spend as much time reading. There was a time, even with a house full of little ones, when I spent hours reading each day. This happened whether I was working, not working, in school, or not. Now I just don’t spend the time reading that I had in the past. It doesn’t help that…
2. My attention span has changed. I suppose having a shorter attention span helps with putting limits on my reading. I do blame smart phones and social media for this. My attention span has slowly been improving since I turned off all notifications on my phone and deleted social media. I did turn on IG for the Bookstagram recently but during the week, I’m limiting that to 15 minutes. Today, it’s Saturday and I haven’t been on there once. It’s just not that important to me. Although, I did get a slot in a Bookstagram tour for one of my favorite authors. I’m not sure where I will go with IG after that. I’m just not a fan.
3. I no longer spend money on books. I’ve mentioned that I rarely buy books and usually get them for free from the library, NetGalley, etc. I’ve also explained how when I do purchase books they get donated to the library. What I didn’t explain is that in the past my husband and I spent hundreds of dollars a month on books. We typically visited Barnes & Noble at least twice a month, spending close to $100 each time. While we love and appreciate books, that’s just not something we’re willing to budget for anymore. That’s money that can be better saved for retirement or a cruise.
4. I read e-books now. There was a time when I was a hard no on e-books. I still love holding physical books in my hand but at the end of the day, I think e-books are more practical for my lifestyle. Whether I’m checking them out from the library or receiving them as galleys.
5. Magazines make me nostalgic. Yes, magazines to me are like flip phones are for my kids. They make me reminisce. When we went to Barnes & Noble (see #3), I could spend hours just in the magazine aisles. Now, there aren’t even enough magazines in print for me to do that. A lot of the magazines I loved are not longer available in print and in some cases, not at all.
6. Loving galleys. Before 2000, I didn’t even realize that you could get books before they were released. Now galleys are my preferred read. There’s something exciting about getting books from your favorite author before everyone else. That reminds me…
7. I binge-read authors. In the past I didn’t care but over the last few years, when I read a book I like, I’ll read everything available at the library by that author. But if I don’t know the author, what I pay attention to now is…
8. The publisher. Publishers matter to me. I have found that reading open-door books are triggering for me so to be sure that they are closed-door, I look at the publisher or the imprint. Perhaps in the future, I will find other ways to judge, but for now, that’s what I do. Especially since I love getting the galleys (#6). This has also led to…
9. Decreasing genres. I have found that while I have been a mood reader, I find I am happiest sticking with romance with very few other things interspersed. Like a romantic thriller, or a romantic mystery … just joking. Maybe I’m not. Unless you ask me about romantic fantasy, then that’s a hard no for me. So, yes, I stick to a very small pool of genres now. Which means that I’m no longer willing to go outside my…
10. Comfort zone. Perhaps that makes me a little close-minded, but life is too short to read things you know, or strongly suspect, you won’t enjoy. I’ve become more open-minded in other areas as I’ve gotten older, but when it comes to reading, I feel it’s better to double down and close the door on books that aren’t for me.

Overall, reading is real enjoyment for me but I have other hobbies too. Perhaps one day I’ll start sharing more of those things on the blog, but for now, I’m happy to share all my book crushes with you.

How has your reading changed over time?

Thank you to The Artsy Reader Girl for hosting Top Ten Tuesday!