Are you a “reading stealer?”

Before I begin, I need to reflect on last week’s post about my hubby and illustrator, Chad. That post had more viewers/readers than any other post I have written. So you all loved Chad…message received. I mean I get it, I married the guy and I kind of love him a whole lot. I may just start sprinkling in photos of him and gushing over him more often, because you all seemed to love him!

Onto this week’s topic: Are you a “reading stealer?”

I learned the term “reading stealer” from Donalyn Miller in her book The Book Whisperer – Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child. She wrote about trying to get her students to understand that they can read anywhere. She said, “Adult readers have mastered this art, reading in airports, while commuting, or in doctors’ offices to alleviate boredom. Readers steal time to read.”

So, are you a reading stealer? Where do you steal time to read? When are you most likely to pick up a book, tablet or pop in headphones to listen to an audiobook?

I also love the phrase “reading sneaker”…and feel that younger children will find that amusing, almost like they are breaking a rule to go find time to read.

When my kids were babies and we weren’t sleeping well, I remember wanting to read but physically being unable due to exhaustion or other responsibilities. I remember setting a goal of reading four pages at night. FOUR PAGES! That was my goal and I was proud of myself for accomplishing it. The funny thing is, once I started, I would often continue to read beyond those first four pages. And on a night that I was tired, I would read my four pages, feel that I accomplished my goal, and turn off my light.

My kids aren’t babies anymore and we are sleeping like normal human beings again. (PSA: To anyone with babies/toddlers who are experts at depriving you of your sleep…I can assure you, that it does get better.) I enjoy reading at night before bed, however, the book has to be fiction. I have a hard time focusing on nonfiction books as they feel like work and I often want to take notes. At the end of the day, I want to get lost in a book and read for pleasure.

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Below are some of my reading sneaker moments from the past few weeks: weekend reading on patio, reading in kids bathroom while one is showering, in a library parking lot waiting for appointment, or at night on patio after kids go to bed.

I hope that you find time to be a reading sneaker this week! Thank you for reading and happy reading!