Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Loving Hands

How do you handle your books?

Nath asked about the two ways I hold a book so yeah, I took some pics.

The first is the one handed hold. So it's the thumb and the pinkie holding the pages open with the index, second and third fingers supporting the back.

I read this way for years. I remember I would lay on my side in my double bed as a young adult with my arm stretched out on the bed and my wrist would be up holding the book open. My wrist would slowly drop after the 8 hour mark as I tried hard not to fall asleep.

Not only that but I was so adept that I could turn the page with my pinkie finger. Can't do that now. Now I'm too impatient and need my other hand to turn pages.

Oh, and the BF asked the other day if I read before going to bed.

Uh, NO!

I'm one of those people who will continue reading with a broken arm and bleeding eyes if I'm engaged in the story. I swear I became nocturnal from my earlier reading days. I would start a book thinking 'oh, I'll just read for an hour before I go to bed' only to never turn out my light and go to sleep.

I know better now but still fall into the trap when I want to read a book I've been dying for. I'm pretty sure the last Ice book from Anne Stuart kept me up 8 hours later than when I normally go to sleep.

And then this is the two handed way I hold a book. I think this is fairly normal and as I get older I need both hands to keep the book open so I can read closer to the interior margin. I swear the print is smaller but then I realize I'm probably showing my age. And now after about 6 hours of reading everything is a blur. I will continue to read through the blur if once again, I can't put the book down but I'm sure I look funny adjusting the book so I can see the text.

If I am reading with the one handed method I find my arm falls asleep much sooner than it did when I was younger. After 8 hours of reading you would expect your hand to fall asleep. Now, an hour in and my poor arm is crapping from holding my book.

So there you go.

Two delicate ways of holding a book.

Now I'm curious to know how others hold their books. My friend tried to show me but I cried out in fear when she reached for my book.

6 comments:

Wendy said...

Looks pretty similar to my method when it comes to mass market. Hard cover and trade paperback are definitely "two-handers" for me.

nath said...

LOL, okay, I have the same methods :D Just making sure :) I think avid readers all develop that one-hand method, which is pretty cool :D

Mary G said...

Yes those are the correct holds. Don't even get me started on ALWAYS using bookmarks & NEVER leaving it open face down & NEVER turning down the pages to mark your place. Okay - I feel better now

Tara Marie said...

same methods here too :)

Whatever it takes to never crack the spine.

Kristie (J) said...

I read all books with two hands pretty much all the time. I have little hands so it takes two hands. I cringe when I hear about readers who break the spines on their books *shudder*
They may have killed a tree to print my books but I show them a great deal of respect anyway.

Kailana said...

I read with one hand mostly, but sometimes I sit so I can lay my book on my lap. I find that my hands get tired, too! And, I get restless more now than I used to when I was younger.