# Strange (In Your Opinion) Reading Habits **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 3, 2010, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-in-your-opinion-reading-habits/527485 "2010-02-03T03:54:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-in-your-opinion-reading-habits/527485/1 "2010-02-03T03:54:37Z")
Just a couple of mine: 1. I read some magazines back to front. I believe that started when I first began reading Rolling Stone 2. Sometimes, when a sentence isn’t completed at the bottom of the page, before _turning_ the page, I try to guess what the word which continues the sentence will be. (I know, I know, but it’s a habit, sue me! ;)) 3. This is a fun one: If I’m reading a mystery/thriller and I’m about half-way, I try to guess the ending, write it down, then see if I’m right when the book ends. Thanks Q ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-in-your-opinion-reading-habits/527485/2 "2010-02-06T00:44:57Z")
If you’re weird, than so am I. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Woodhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Miss\_Woodhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Woodhouse)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-in-your-opinion-reading-habits/527485/3 "2010-02-06T00:50:29Z")
Those don’t sound so weird to me. The most interesting things in a magazine are usually at the back. I always love the back page article in a mag. it’s almost always fun and interesting. The substance articles are usually toward the back of the mag as well. I often read the stuff at the back before the stuff at the front. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-in-your-opinion-reading-habits/527485/4 "2010-02-06T01:53:36Z")
What’s weird to me is people who don’t read, _then act like they’re accomplishing something_. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Night\_so\_be\_it](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b2d939/32.png) [@Night\_so\_be\_it](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Night_so_be_it)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-in-your-opinion-reading-habits/527485/5 "2010-02-06T17:28:00Z")
I have to cover the last few lines of practically every chapter in every book because if I don’t then I’ll involuntarily read them before I’m meant to. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-in-your-opinion-reading-habits/527485/6 "2010-02-06T17:31:16Z")
I do the guess the last word thing, too! Not religiously but I’ve found myself doing it and not even realizing it until you mentioned it. It’s very ingrained. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-in-your-opinion-reading-habits/527485/7 "2010-02-06T17:33:26Z")
I ‘scan’ magazines back-to-front. But I assumed that was because I am Left Handed. It feels more comfortable to use my left hand as the page feed device. I do OP’s number 2 also. But not 3. (Well not deliberately. I sometimes find my mind wanders to what it thinks may happen) ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-in-your-opinion-reading-habits/527485/8 "2010-02-06T17:59:15Z")
I like to lie across the bed with my arms and head over the edge, and read with the book resting on the floor. Weird, right? ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-in-your-opinion-reading-habits/527485/9 "2010-02-06T18:30:36Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > I like to lie across the bed with my arms and head over the edge, and read with the book resting on the floor. Weird, right? I don’t think so. Head over the edge, all possible blood flowing to the brain, causing deeper concentration and a better “grasp” and retention of what you’re reading? Might be something to consider. Am I full of shit? More than likely.🙂 Q ---
**Author:** ![Sonnenstrahl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Sonnenstrahl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sonnenstrahl)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-in-your-opinion-reading-habits/527485/10 "2010-02-06T19:30:39Z")
I sometimes pick up a book that I don’t really intend to read, just to have a look at it (this mainly happened when I lived at home, with books my mother was reading) and I end up reading right from where I opened it to the end. I kind of like the challenge of figuring out the context and making up my own beginning, and I usually don’t end up going back and reading the beginning. This also worked with my mother’s books because they usually were pretty light reading. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-in-your-opinion-reading-habits/527485/11 "2010-02-06T20:17:30Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > I like to lie across the bed with my arms and head over the edge, and read with the book resting on the floor. Weird, right? I used to do that, when I slept on a futon. Now my bed’s too tall. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-in-your-opinion-reading-habits/527485/12 "2010-02-06T22:55:17Z")
I usually read the last few pages of a book first. That way, if I happen to die before I finish it, at least I’ll still know how it ends…TRM (who also likes reading magazines back-to-front) ---
**Author:** ![RachelChristine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ab992/32.png) [@RachelChristine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RachelChristine)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-in-your-opinion-reading-habits/527485/13 "2010-02-06T23:25:02Z")
Most of my friends think it’s weird that I am in the middle of more than one book at a time. I don’t get to do it as much as I now work full time and have kids, so I’m doing good to read one book right now. But when I’m not working, I tend to have books scattered around the house, so no matter what room I’m in, I just pick up whatever is in there. I try to keep them in at least slightly different genres. Cool thing is, my 4 year old does this too! We read “real books” for our before bed time – so every night I ask her what she wants. We are always in the middle of a Little House book (currently “Farmer Boy”), finished Wizard of Oz last week, and also have Betsy-Tacy and a Big Book of Fairy Tales in our pack. We pick up something new within a few days of finishing something else, usually. It’s awesome! ---
**Author:** ![kidneyfailure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kidneyfailure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidneyfailure)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2010, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-in-your-opinion-reading-habits/527485/14 "2010-02-07T00:18:03Z")
I have a weird reading position. I like recline in bed on my left side, left arm tucked under my side up to the elbow, book in that hand, and my right leg wrapped around my right arm. I have no idea why or when I started doing, but I have for as long as I can remember. It’s actually really comfortable! ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2010, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-in-your-opinion-reading-habits/527485/15 "2010-02-07T04:00:21Z")
> [@RachelChristine](#): > > Most of my friends think it’s weird that I am in the middle of more than one book at a time. I don’t get to do it as much as I now work full time and have kids, so I’m doing good to read one book right now. But when I’m not working, I tend to have books scattered around the house, so no matter what room I’m in, I just pick up whatever is in there. I try to keep them in at least slightly different genres. Cool thing is, my 4 year old does this too! We read “real books” for our before bed time – so every night I ask her what she wants. We are always in the middle of a Little House book (currently “Farmer Boy”), finished Wizard of Oz last week, and also have Betsy-Tacy and a Big Book of Fairy Tales in our pack. We pick up something new within a few days of finishing something else, usually. It’s awesome! I’m almost always reading at least two books at a time. Unless I’m dead tired I read in bed before I go to sleep, so I keep a book on my nightstand. I keep another book by the front door to take with me when I go out (I don’t drive, so I take the bus everywhere). Sometimes I’ll have another book in the living room, because I’m one of those people who occasionally reads while he watches TV. Then there’s the book that sits in the bathroom in case my intestinal problems kick in… ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2010, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-in-your-opinion-reading-habits/527485/16 "2010-02-07T04:14:52Z")
I _ **have** _ to read while I eat. If I don’t have something to read while I eat I get all antsy and nervous. All my life people were telling me “that’s so rude!” so I usually couldn’t do it unless I was alone. When my husband and I met we were thrilled to learn that both of us had that habit. If you see us in a restaurant you’d think we hated each other because we both have our noses stuck in a book while eating. It’s actually a sign that we’re soul mates, and besides, you’re not seeing us play footsies throughout the meal. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-in-your-opinion-reading-habits/527485/17 "2010-02-08T01:31:40Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > I _ **have** _ to read while I eat. If I don’t have something to read while I eat I get all antsy and nervous. All my life people were telling me “that’s so rude!” so I usually couldn’t do it unless I was alone. When my husband and I met we were thrilled to learn that both of us had that habit. If you see us in a restaurant you’d think we hated each other because we both have our noses stuck in a book while eating. It’s actually a sign that we’re soul mates, and besides, you’re not seeing us play footsies throughout the meal. I am the same; however, I’m REALLY trying to cut down. I eat so much more while I’m reading that it’s not even worth it! ---
**Author:** ![carlotta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@carlotta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlotta)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-in-your-opinion-reading-habits/527485/18 "2010-02-08T02:25:58Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > I usually read the last few pages of a book first. That way, if I happen to die before I finish it, at least I’ll still know how it ends… Harry is that you? I read books like I surf the internet…I can only stick with the same book for awhile, then if life hasn’t interrupted me (the likeliest scenario) I have to stop and switch to another book. You would think I picked up this habit FROM surfing the internet, but I’m 40 and I’ve been doing this all my life. I always have at least three books going, usually more. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-in-your-opinion-reading-habits/527485/19 "2010-02-08T03:16:58Z")
I can’t be bothered with flippity flipping newspaper pages all over the place, so I just read each section from the first page to the last page. I often forget what the jump sentence was saying, so I lose a sentence per article using this method. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-in-your-opinion-reading-habits/527485/20 "2010-02-08T05:09:56Z")
I read somewhere when I was a kid that the Japanese(?) supposedly had a custom of only using their left hand to wipe themselves, and therefore regarded the left hand as unclean. That inspired me to develop the habit of only holding books on the top/ sides, except when reading in the bathroom when I only hold the bottom. So I never touch a book with clean hands where it’s been held with my unwashed hands. > [@RachelChristine](#): > > Most of my friends think it’s weird that I am in the middle of more than one book at a time. I don’t get to do it as much as I now work full time and have kids, so I’m doing good to read one book right now. But when I’m not working, I tend to have books scattered around the house, so no matter what room I’m in, I just pick up whatever is in there. I do the same thing; I always have half read books scattered around, and almost always am reading more than one. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-in-your-opinion-reading-habits/527485.md?page=2)