First thing first…oh my goodness FOOOOOOD. This is all I can think about with Thanksgiving being tomorrow. It’s seriously like the closest to being good at something as I’m ever going to get. If there was a Thanksgiving Olympics, I’d bring home gold.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way…I’m very curious about some things!
Reading Time
Every year around Thanksgiving and Christmas I hear the blogosphere rejoicing for the extra reading time they are about to receive. It seems like holidays = more books read than usual read. It makes sense. For most there is no work or school, maybe some travel time to sneak in some reading and just some days with general downtime.
Much like my vacation reading habits, I find that sometimes I actually read way less than I think I will during the holidays. It all depends on what we are doing I guess which is all still new to us as this is only our 2nd season of holidays as a married couple but a lot of the times it surprises me that I haven’t blown through a bunch of books. I’m okay with it honestly but I do find it amusing that I see the holidays as “really good reading time” when in fact it rarely ends up being.
If we are going to my dad’s house for the holidays, a 4 hour drive, I don’t tend to get much reading done because I don’t see him often and we have so many family activities we are going to. I feel like when I normally might retire to go read in bed I’d rather be chatting with my family or watching a movie with them. Even though I’ve mostly combated car sickness while reading, I still find myself chatting with Will or car dancing/having singalongs or we are traveling at night so I can’t read. So by the time the holiday is over, I’ve barely gotten that much time to read. If we are home for the holidays we hang out with my sister or Will’s family and then there are always parties and dinners and such. I read more probably if I’m home because it’s just Will and I when we aren’t somewhere else and he’ll play video games and I’ll read — one of my favorite aspects of how we make our reader/non-reader marriage work. I think it all depends on how long we get off for the holidays as well. In college, I definitely could have read a lot more because of having a month off between semesters.
Do you have any particular things you pick up during the holidays?
I know some people like to read holiday-themed reads. I totally would but I don’t know where to start (any recommendations for me?). I know others like to take the holidays to reread beloved books like Harry Potter. I don’t really have a particular THING I read during the holidays but I do try to pick shorter or more lighthearted things. Since becoming a blogger I’ve found that Thanksgiving through Christmas for me end up being the time where I pick up some of that year’s releases that I didn’t get to since typically there are less November and December ARCs for me.
Do you read more or less than usual during the holidays? What factors into that? What do you typically read a certain thing during the holidays? Any Christmas book suggestions for me??
But really…
Safe travels! Dress for maximum eating capacity! Enjoy your time with your family!
alice-jane says
I definitely read a lot less during the holidays since I’m so caught up in family, eating and studying. On vacations, I don’t study but I’m so exhausted from the day that I don’t have the energy to pick up a book. I do notice, however, that since I’m not reading novels, I tend to look forward more to blog updates since reading blogs is a lot shorter than reading novels.
Personally for me, the Christmas holidays always makes me want to read Charles Dickens (Christmas Carol, especially). But… really though, all that food just pulls me away from books, hahaha.
Ashley says
I’d say I read about the same during the holidays. In terms of what I read, I don’t read anything outside the usual. Like I don’t suddenly go for Christmas or holiday books or anything. I am rereading Harry Potter right now, but this is part of a big HP reread I’ve been doing since the summer!
Maura says
I was pregnant during Christmas and Thanksgiving with both kiddos. Maternity pants + holiday eating = OMG NO TOO TIGHT PANTS! (: it was great haha.
I usually read more between Christmas and New Year’s because I get books for Christmas. This is my first year in a while that I’ve been back to my constantly reading status so we’ll see how this year goes!
Hope you all have a great holiday season! Have a safe drive up to your dad’s. <3
Christina (A Reader of Fictions) says
I get more reading done over the holidays. That’s when I was able to catch up last year and end up finishing my book-a-day challenge. But, for me, I live ten minutes from my parents’ house, so I really don’t have to travel for the holidays. I’ll probably get even more done this year because they’re going on a trip for some of December, and there will be less family dinners. It helps that my family is basically three people because, though I do have a couple of aunts and uncles and some grandparents and cousins, none of them live remotely near us. Basically, it’s just more time off work, and only like one of two days off will be spent on family time. The rest is bonus reading!
Megan Bostic says
First, I love the Ron Weasley gif. Too cute. I read less during the holidays. In fact, I find I read less during the second half of the year, but definitely during the holidays. It’s just so busy, first trying to do NaNoWriMo every year, then just all the cooking, baking, shopping, travels, parties…it’s so hard to find the time.
Rebecca @ The Library Canary says
I probably read less during the holidays. I go home for Christmas and never get much reading done while I’m there. I’m just always busy doing things with the family. I don’t mind at all though. It’s actually kind of nice. It gives me a little break which I think is much needed at times, ya know? If I do read during the holidays, I don’t pick anything in particular. Just whatever I have laying around. Or I start reading one of the books I inevitably get for Christmas. 🙂 I guess the only reading I really get done around the holidays is whatever I read while on the plane. Have a great Thanksgiving!! I’ll be eating tons of food right along with you!! 🙂
Stormy @ Book.Blog.Bake. says
Holidays are like that for me too–I THINK I’m going to read more but actually end up reading less because I like spending time with my family, vegging out and watching TV, and of course spending lots of time with my dog. I’ll definitely probably read a book over the break, but I doubt I’ll read the four books I picked out.
I don’t really do theme reads, but I did notice when I was packing my books to go home this Thanksgiving all the ones that were drawing my eye were either contemporary or lighter/younger YA. I just don’t want to read tons of serious books at the time! In December, I always re-read one of my childhood favorites though, The Chronicles of Narnia series. And I do plan on reading Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares around Christmas this year, but only because it’s been sitting on my shelf since February.
Tammy @ Books, Bones & Buffy says
We don’t live very close to our family, so we only see them for a few days during the holidays, which is really ok with me:) So I do have more time to read. My kids are home from school and are old enough to entertain themselves, and I don’t have to worry about homework, making lunches, dropping off and picking up, so it is a holiday for me as well! This year I’m just concentrating on catching up on review books and maybe trying to fit in one or two “me” reads that I still haven’t been able to get to this year.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Leah @ The Pretty Good Gatsby says
I go into the holidays convinced I’ll read ALL THE BOOKS and every single year I wind up reading maybe one. Two if it’s a short book.
I think snowy days are some of the best times to read (along with rainy days!) and Pittsburgh has no shortage of either. With the holidays though I tend to spend all of my time with family or traveling (when I was a child I got carsick and haven’t attempted to read in the car since then!). As for Thanksgiving, it’s all about cooking and EATING. It looks like the only thing I’ll be reading this year is a recipe card 🙂
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, Jamie & be safe out there!
Anya says
The holidays mean more reading for me since we always have to do The Great Minnesotan Adventure, i.e., drive around most of the the state to see all of our relatives and Mr. Boy likes driving so he does all of the 36+ hours of it (over the course of the week) and I sit and read :). This Thanksgiving he’s in Germany for work so I’m flying to my parents’, but we’re a big reading family so I’m hoping that non-eating time will be devoted to reading and watching Dr. Who 😉
Becky LeJeune says
Oh, yes! I always think I’m going to get much more read over the holidays than I actually will. It’s the same with the food – my eyes are bigger than my stomach. I load up my plate and in the end it’s way too much! With books, I’ll pull out a huge stack that I mean to tackle in the days off and then I get maybe one read. We’re not traveling this year but that doesn’t really seem to make much difference.
Molli says
I’m working Thanksgiving and Black Friday this year (plus being sick, ew) but I am going to try to rest when I can the next few weeks and sneak in some reading time. I don’t normally do holiday reads or anything, even though I DO like holiday themed books. Usually I’m too busy but this year I just want to appreciate time with my family and slow down. (And eat all the delicious food!) Plus I have some review books I need to power through!
Lea says
I love to read holiday themed books in December. I save them all throughout the year. “A Dog Named Christmas” by Greg Kincaid is a great one, if you love dogs. “The Snow Globe” by Sheila Roberts is also a fun one. I never get much reading done when I visit family, I always think I will but I don’t.
Betty says
You are lying. Your pants are on fire. I happen to know that you have a bright magenta little book waiting to be read over Thanksgiving— I’d say THAT is pretty specific. I’ll keep your dirty little secret. hahaha
For me, I think I get less reading done! Mr. Betty always takes off for like 10 days so we do a lot of family activities and try to get projects done in the house. Tomorrow we’ll be with family all day, then headed to my parents for a couple days, hitting up the movie tavern to see Frozen when we get home on saturday, then sunday going to get our christmas tree after church.. then decorating!! I have no idea when I’m gunna have time to read other than in the car. Kinda wishing I got our dirty look secret book on my kindle so I could read in the dark!!!
Jennifer @ Donnie Darko Girl says
Love the Ron gif! That’s how I eat my turkey, lol. I *hope* to get a lot of reading time in, but I’m not sure I will. It’s hard to read during the day when the kids and husband are around distracting me with their noise level! 😉 Last year, I read Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares, which I absolutely loved, and I’m def making time to reread it this year! Have a kick ass day tomorrow!
Elizabeth says
I think that I definitely get more reading done during holidays. But I think that’s because my family all loves to read and we will oftentimes have ‘family time’ together in the living room and we all curl up with our books! Most mornings we read before/during breakfast and at night while my brother and dad play video games, my mom and I read!
I tend to read a bit of holiday related stuff, but most often I read the books that my mom has read and wants me to read, or things that we have gotten each other as presents!
Lisa says
That .gif of Ron is mesmerizing!
And really, as much as I adore books – family and real life comes first, you know?
EAT ALL THE THINGS! Happy Thanksgiving to you and Will! oxoxo
Cassie says
Sorry I saw food and was sold. I LOVE THANKSGIVING FOOD JAMIE. looooooveeeeeeeeeee. But more than that I love that tomorrow is gonna be a reading day!! Right now I am reading Pride and Prejudice for the FIRST TIME EVEERR. but for the holidays I ammtotallymeyeing down Dash and Lily! I never read it and am super excited to. Last year inewad EX-MAS which was soo good!
Ashley Farley says
I wouldn’t necessarily say I read less during the holidays. Only at different times. I’m crazy busy during the days, shopping and entertaining out-of-town guests, but I don’t sleep well because of all the stress. I like easy-to-read novels, maybe a James Patterson mystery, or a fun Christmas novel. I am reading Mr. 365 now. Are you enjoying The Signature of All Things? Happy Thanksgiving.
Brittany @ The Book Addict's Guide says
I think I have more summer reading habits than holiday reading habits. I like to read a lot of contemps in the summer and then I’m on contemp overload and craving dystopian/paranormal books in the fall and Halloweeny books around Halloween, of course! 🙂 I don’t really do a lot of holiday reading! Although Estelle, Rachel and I are planning on reading Lovely, Dark and Deep this December so I’m really looking forward to that!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING, JAMIE!!!
Lindsey says
I think the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas are absolutely crazy and I’m lucky if I continue to read my usual two books a week. However, that week between Christmas and New Year’s seems to be a particular sweet spot. Maybe it’s because there isn’t a lot going on or maybe it’s because I’m just so excited to read all of my new books!
Brianna says
I haven’t been reading much in general, but typically my holiday reading time doesn’t change. Holidays in my family are pretty low key. I just moved a month ago so I spent yesterday with friends because plane tickets were too much, but I came home last night so I have the remainder of the weekend to myself. I have a work project that has to get done so it’s putting a damper on my reading time, but I would like to squeeze in a few minutes if I can.
Alexa Y. says
As you’ve mentioned, it really depends on who I’m spending the holidays with! If I’m with family or friends, I’d definitely much rather be doing things with them — cooking, eating, having a drink or two, talking, watching movies, playing games, the works. The holidays have always been about family time to me, so I think it’s really important that I spend as much time as possible with the people I care about! I haven’t even experienced the full extent of the holidays with two families yet, since Macky and I are apart, so there’s that.
But surprisingly, this Thanksgiving, I’ve actually been reading more than I expected to! I finished two books already, and I’m about to start on a third one, which is pretty cool!
Erin says
I love Holiday Read-a-thons, so in a way I read more – especially in October. I think I did pretty well for the Thankfully Reading Challenge in Thanksgiving. I also read some during summers with read-a-thons, but really, summer break cuts down on my reading.
Anna says
I find myself reading less during the holidays too, but I’d like to change that! I get so wrapped up in the holiday happenings that I forget to take time to do the things that keep this introvert sane, like getting some quiet reading time in. I hoping this year I’ll achieve a better balance. Fingers crossed…
Jessi - The Book Cove says
I don’t think I read any more than usual. I used to a few years back when I had more time. I also used to NEVER read holiday books. Hated them for some reason. And now I really get into them.
Jessi, The Book Cove