Mentally interpret the characters or symbols.

[menteuse]

Happy Birthday beyondtheworld! I hope you have a fantastic day and a great party and lots of presents and overall fabulous time. ♥
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This entry is going to be something not that many people probably end up commenting on, but it's something I've wanted to write for a while because I do find this subject interesting. Yes, this is going to be a post about reading and it is a very long one, but I still hope someone clicks the cut and takes the time to leave their thoughts. I do hope to get some discussion.

So, why am I writing this? Sometime last week I was going through someone's Tumblr I was linked to and ended up seeing what I assume to be a Harry Potter secret. The OP was saying that they didn't believe someone at the age of 6 could have read the books and the people reblogging and commenting were saying they were reading at the age of 2 (none of them said they were reading Harry Potter though, so I assume they were referring to other books) and there were comments with things like if the OP came from a place where you could get better education they would believe a six-year-old could read those books. Now, this is why I got interested and started thinking about how I and a lot of people around my age in Finland have learnt to read.

(Sidenote: When I talk about reading I am here referring to reading books, not magazines or newspapers or fics.)

I learnt to read when I went to first grade, at the age of seven. My parents (my Mum mostly) read to me a lot when I was kid, though funnily enough my most vivid memories of someone reading to me are from the days I was in daycare and the lady taking care of me read Grimm stories. But yes, I didn't learn to read until at school, my parents flat out refused to teach me since my Brother had learnt to read before he went to school and was awfully bored on the classes when everyone else was practicing and my parents didn't want that to happen to me too. Which resulted in long evenings spent with my Alphabet book and me proclaiming "I will never learn to read". Oh how wrong I was.

After I eventually did learn, I went through all the children's books and a very vast majority of the YA books in my local library and even in the neighboring one when I got a bit older. I have read so much since. I've kept a list of all the books (sans some school related textbooks) since 2003 until this day and can check back and wonder how on earth I read some of the books I did when I was 13, 14 and realize I didn't really understand them at all. My Mum still reads quite a lot these days, as does one of my Godmothers. My Dad does read, but he has those specific niches he's interested in. My Brother however, doesn't really read at all. Just last weekend when we were talking about something I can't recall now, he mentioned how he couldn't remember the last time he had read a book. Which I found not only a bit sad, but also very interesting. I know my cousins don't read either, and one of them even takes pride in it. /short literary history of my family

So the things I would love to discuss take us back to the original claim that a six-year-old could read a Harry Potter book. It's been a while since I went to school for the first time, but somehow I still think that while some Finnish kids could read those books before their seventh birthday, a lot of them couldn't. Somehow I still see that learning to read is something you do at school, though it is definitely changing. Which is why I want to ask, could a 6-year-old in your country read books like Harry Potters or something similar? When do kids in your home country usually learn to read and when did you learn to read yourself? And I'd also be interested in hearing how you learnt to read, with an Alphabet book or with a parent or in some other way?

As I mentioned, I've kept a list of all the books I've read in the past few years. Nowadays my yearly total comes up to around 50 books, when at best years it has been over 100. Out of curiosity I also counted all the books I've read in English (I still read majority of the books in Finnish) and came up with around 60 books. Which is a surprisingly small number, because I've had the feeling I do read most books in English these days. However, I did check how many of those 60 books I've read during the last three years and that number is 48. Which explains that feeling I've had. This brings us to the topic of how much do you read each year and what do you think reading a lot means? I went through one literary blog and almost laughed when someone stated "I read a lot, 8 to 10 books a year" because to me that equaled the books I read in two or three months. I know different people read in very different ways and many people have changed their reading ways with ebooks and tablets coming to the market. I would love to know have you changed your reading habits?

And in order to make this a post for those who do not read, I would love to get your input too. Is there some reason you don't read, because it's difficult or takes time or is simply boring? Really, I'm interested in these stories too because I admit I know nothing about a life without reading books.

I would love to hear your answers to some of these questions, or if you feel like leaving me with a short story of how you see reading, I am more than happy with that too. I just find this genuinely interesting since I know very little about how people in other countries learn to read and how they read. Yes, we give each other book recommendations, but that only means we've stumbled upon a book we liked, nothing more really.
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As a last note I would like to remind that I am sending out Christmas/holiday cards and if you didn't comment in my last post saying you'd like one, now is your time for that. I do love sending out those cards.

Comments

[beyondtheworld.livejournal.com]

I finally, finally have the time to reply to this entry. I've been thinking about this since I read it standing outside a bar last Saturday. :D

My parents read a lot and read a lot of books to me when I was small. I think these points are so, so important. It's not surprising that many people aren't interested in reading books when their parents never were either.
I learned reading in school, in first grade when I was about six or seven years old. I guess I could have learned it before but my parents kind of thought like your parents. They didn't want me to be bored in school and they also thought that it should all come from me. Like, they would always tell me what a specific letter was called when I asked about it. (I tended to read signs on the street going 'What letter is this?' or 'What does this word mean?') But they didn't want to make me sit down and actually study. So when I got into school I could spell and write my own name, my cousin's name (Anna) and zoo. And maybe more, I don't remember. I do remember sitting on the train one day though. I had this little book in my hands my mum had read to me many, many times, and I was acting as if I was reading it out loud because I knew it by heart. A man actually was surprised that I could already read at my age, haha.
The funny thing is, even though I probably would have been able to read before school, in the beginning I had a very hard time learning it. It seemed as if I was stuck or something. I could read some easy words but not more. As a result I got really frustrated because things usually came to me easily and I cried and didn't want to try anymore. Then, all of a sudden when I was trying to read my alphabet book once again I could. Just like that. Something must have snapped. And I think I was one of the best readers in my class immediately, when we did small plays or stuff like that I always had to be the narrator... Looking back I'd say it didn't even take me that long but it felt like ages to me. I just needed to get over that certain point.

I then started reading all the time. When I ate on my own, before sleeping, in the garden. I remember going on vacation with friends that had kids too who always urged me to play something with them when almost all I wanted to do was to read.
My local library was pretty small but it did have a lot of children's and YA books so I used to go there every two weeks and got about 5-10 books each time. One day I met one of my friends' mum there and I think I had only gotten a few books. So the librarian told her that 'Katharina has probably read all the book in the "young section" here and can't find anything anymore' which was about true. So I started looking for adult books that were suitable.
When I was about ten years old my parents decided that I shouldn't attend the normal six years of primary school but go to a new school after my fourth year so I had to apply at different schools. At the school I eventually ended up going to I had a conversation with the principal and a teacher and when they asked about my reading habits I actually told them that I sometimes even read while brushing my teeth. With the book lying on the toilet. Uhem. But I guess they liked it because they accepted me. :D

Sadly, I don't read that much anymore. A couple of years ago it was even less. These days I'm often not relaxed enough to read during the day, only if it's a really good book that I then finish over the course of a couple of days. Sometimes I prefer TV, a stupid habit that I got into during a time of my life that wasn't too good. Books couldn't really take my mind off most of the time, television could so whenever I feel lonely or hopeless these days I'd rather watch an episode of Grey's Anatomy or the like instead of reading a book which annoys me endlessly.
This year I will still have read more than thirty books (yes, I keep a list, on my Livejournal and also my diary) even though I was travelling most of the time.

I've run out of characters, are you kidding me? :D

[beyondtheworld.livejournal.com]

The thing is that I sometimes just don't have any new books. My uncle has a book store so I can't just walk into any store and get a book. Small book stores don't do so well so I support him of course. But, the book store is on the other side of Berlin and now it's even more difficult. I have to order the books I want and my dad has to pick them up for me which is a bit complicated. I hate not being able to buy books spontaneously even though it's awesome to have a book store in the family...

I think a 6-years-old would be able to read Harry Potter, not every 6-year-old though. But I doubt that most would understand what they were reading and I probably wouldn't give the books to my child at that age. I read the first one when I was 9 or 10 (it was a Christmas gift from my uncle and I was like 'ugh, I don't like magic' and then I read it in two days and couldn't think about anything else, I had all the words racing through my mind. Muggles, Slytherin, Gryffindor, Voldemort,...). I do think that most kids should decide what they want to read for themselves. My parents probably thought that I was reading some books too early but I was never really scared or confused, I kind of always knew what was good for me.

It's funny that I often feel more comfortable reading an English book even though I sometimes don't understand every last detail. People in Germany just don't grow up with English like people in Scandinavian countries or The Netherlands do so some of my friends are often surprised when they see me reading English books. I just don't really want to read translations from English books anymore if I can help it because the originals just feel more...original. If I knew any other language fluently I'd do the same.

I wish I could get more into classics. I've read some German ones, probably some British or American ones as well but I mostly remember reading a few of Jane Austen's works. It always make me a bit sad to discuss classics with the internet community because to most people that means only British or American novels even though Europe is like the birthplace for literature... This list keeps on going around the internet, and sure, it's a BBC list but it still bothers me that "War and Peace" is pretty much the only non-American/British book on there and even European people treat it as if it's the list to consider.
I often find though that classics can't entertain me as much as a Jodi Picoult novel. I wish it was different but in the end I think you can learn something from almost every book there is and as long as it makes you happy why not read mainly chick-lit like my friend Janine does?

Anyway, there are many more things I could have discussed but I've run dry for now. ;) And my comments are almost longer than your entry which is bit weird.

[malinowy.livejournal.com]

I bet I would feel like that too if someone in my family owned a bookstore. Luckily (I guess) no one does, so I just buy most of my books online these days. Which means I have tons of books and sometimes no time to read them.

I do think that most kids should decide what they want to read for themselves.
I agree so much. It annoys me when people say they are going to read this and that book for their kids or make them read them. Just, don't. Let them decide themselves if they want to read them or not. Harry Potters and Lord of the Rings are not for everyone. Yes, if your kid wants to read them you should let them, but for the love of god don't force them.

I do prefer originals too, but then again, I'm in such a wonderfully lucky position that the Finnish translations are most of the time excellent and new books appear in the libraries very fast so it's just easier to wait a while and then go pick them up there.

Ah, that BBC list. It is so heavily dominated by books originally written in English (which, well, is understandable since it was put together by Brits) but it does make me sad when people don't take the time to look for novels that have been written in non-English speaking countries. I feel like asking people on my flist to make a post recommending books from their countries, because it would broaden everyone's horizons and it would be interesting to see what kind of literature tops their bestseller lists.
Ultimately, for me, reading is about feeling happy, so if chick-lit is what makes you happy you should definitely go for it. If it's biographies you're into, then read those. I'm past the point of judging people based on what they read, I'm just willing to love them because they do read.

I love you and your long comments. Like I said, you have so many good points. :)

[ravennah.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I'm intervening your conversation, but that's so true about the "compiled by Brits". They're literary culture is/has been rich and old and all, but it is so often so (and often said) that translated literature doesn't do that well in the UK (or States...) and that makes/made me quite sad. It's not the only literature (or good literature) and English isn't the only language that one can use well while writing. ;) And if War and Peace is the only (or almost so) nonoriniginallyinEnglish book that is on the list, so...

[malinowy.livejournal.com]

It still makes me sad because sometimes when I read an amazing book in language other than English it makes me sad there is a huge bunch of people to whom I can't recommend it because they won't get an English translation or that the translation is ridiculously hard to find. This is partly why I am so happy Larsson's Millennium trilogy did get publicity and became popular because it proves non-English literature can be just as good. I think Crime and Punishment and Anna Karenina were representing the originally Russian literature on that list and if I recall even slightly correctly, One Hundred Years of Solitude was there too. But if we take that, all the books on that list were written originally either in English, Russian or Spanish. I am not going to guess how many languages there are in the world, but those three don't even begin to represent them all. Or the whole world for that matter.

...I seem to have a lot feelings about this.

[beyondtheworld.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you guys agree with me on this.
I do love English and the fact that you can communicate with so many people from all over the world these days because of this language. And unlike many others I don't mind English words sneaking up in German or other languages. But then again I wouldn't want to trade in all the different languages in the world, there are so many that already aren't in use anymore and it probably sounds science fiction-like to even think about English being the only language out there one day. But still, forgetting about non-English literature definitely isn't going to help with keeping diversity alive. I'm sad thereshedances's project readtheworld mostly took place while I was abroad because this really was an amazing idea.

[malinowy.livejournal.com]

I too like it that English is a lingua franca, but I hate it when people forget that there are still A LOT of people who can't speak it (or understand it). And if we forget about books for a second, I think it shows common courtesy if you learn a few words of the language of a country you're going to. You don't need to be fluent, but the locals appreciate it. I find it curious most of our foreign students are afraid of speaking Finnish even though some of them speak it so well. And there are so many things in other languages that English doesn't have, so many cultural things that if you try to replace them with English translations, it just doesn't work. People really should step out of their comfort zone and check books that were written in other languages than English (if their native tongue is English, that is).

I took a quick look at that readtheworld project and wow, I'm sad I missed it. Any chance they'd start another one next year? Because I would love to do something like that, it would be so much fun.

[beyondtheworld.livejournal.com]

Yes, yes, yes. Won't say more because I'd probably only repeat your points. :)

I actually asked thereshedances about doing something like this again but she was rather disappointed by the way the community worked out. Maybe you should take over or steal the idea and create something similar? ;)

[malinowy.livejournal.com]

Oh what a shame. Was it because there weren't enough people reading or something like that? But I do kind of feel like stealing the idea and doing something similar. If only I didn't suck at coming up with names for communities (or for anything) and being a mod.

[beyondtheworld.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure. Maybe. Participating in that community definitely was a bit of work though.
Well, coming up with a name is only a tiny problem, and you probably shouldn't mod a community on your own anyway. I'd be your first (and hopefully) active member! :D

[malinowy.livejournal.com]

I can imagine, it's not always that easy to write about books no matter how much you love them.
Could I recruit you as a co-mod? Having a comm like that would be so fun, but I know that next year I'll have periods when I won't have much time for non-school related stuff.

[beyondtheworld.livejournal.com]

I feel honoured. :D I'd actually like to do something like this but I'm not the most creative person and don't know that much about books but if you don't mind I might be up for it.
I'll probably be busy too but I always still manage to do a lot of nonsense online so why not do something senseful instead?

[malinowy.livejournal.com]

Yay! :D I am not an awfully creative person either, but I'm sure we can get something together. And I think there is a lot of stuff at readtheworld that we can steal/borrow/recycle/modify.
I know right. Besides, if nothing else, this would hopefully encourage us to read more.

[beyondtheworld.livejournal.com]

Yay! :D
I remebered that there was some other community I was part of. But it was more like a book club and you had three choices out of different categories each month which didn't work out so well because some books were hard to get and not everyone read at the same speed. They had discussions and questions and everything and it was a really good idea and set up, just too overwhelming for most people.
Maybe we should keep that in mind. It would be nice if people could actually discuss the same books but a rather loose concept like readtheworld might work best.

[beyondtheworld.livejournal.com]

Here you go: rainyday_reader. It's members only though.

Also, 'remeMbered'. :D

[malinowy.livejournal.com]

Also, going to PM you in a few minutes because what I've been planning and stuff would be too much for a comment. (I just don't want everyone to think I'm insane. xD)

[malinowy.livejournal.com]

I was once considering a book club type of thing, but gave up because of the reasons you mentioned. It would be a bit too difficult. But we could do something similar, just a bit differently (like, two months to get a book and read it instead of one month), because discussing books is so much fun.

[malinowy.livejournal.com]

I am not even going to ask why read this standing outside a bar, I am not.

Your point about parents reading to you (or their kids) is so important. My Mum always keeps saying I read so much because they kept reading me when I was little. And really, this is just one of those things that gets the ground to build on at home. Kind of like manners. If they don't teach you those at home, you're not going to get interested in them at school either. (Unless you're a ~rebel.)
Oh I know that feeling of being stuck when learning to read, I think I had it too. There was just a time when it felt like no matter how much I tried I couldn't get anywhere and it was so frustrating. I guess that it only felt like it took forever to learn because remember how it felt like a year laster forever when you were a kid and looking for something? Must have been the same effect.

I love it that so many people on my flist have been those "read all the time" people. I did it too, to the point that my parents started to be annoyed by it since I insisted on reading when we were visiting people and everything.
Haha, I don't think I've ever read while brushing my teeth. I do remember we did these reading journals in elementary school and it was kind of a competition who reads the most books during one semester. There was this one book every single person in my class read probably more than three times. I don't even know why, it wasn't particularly good or anything even.

It is really hard for me to read during the day too. Unless I'm on the train or trying to kill time somewhere I only read during the evening, before I'm going to bed. And I think I said this to someone else too, but I've noticed that I keep reading more when I'm traveling, I just need to have something to occupy my time on the planes and trains and such. (I think I'll need to go take a look at your book list to see if there is something I might want to read. I keep one on my LJ too.)

[beyondtheworld.livejournal.com]

This comment is also a reply to your first comment... :D

I'd say German translations are the same most of the time but I don't like missing puns etc. It's the same with TV, I just can't stand watching dubbed versions anymore.

Oh! You should definitely go and ask people about their recs. I'd do the same but my f-list is awfully small and quiet these days so I wouldn't expect a great outcome.

I already kept a list in 2009 and 2010 on my Livejournal and my 2009 book list is horrible. I only read 18 books that year but it got better in 2010. Still, I definitely need to read more! I'm so good at wasting my time without doing anything special.

[malinowy.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's a shame if you miss out puns or that something that makes a book so much fun to read. (This is kind of random, but I adore the person who translates Don Rosa's Donald Duck comics into Finnish because his stories have so much historical details and puns and somehow they always make it work in Finnish. It's amazing. :D) LMAO oh dubbed TV, one of the things I can't stand about German-speaking countries.

I think I should. Though I think I need to make some recs about Finnish books too. Need to find out what has been translated.

Haha, I think I had a list on my LJ in 2009 too. In 2010 I had one for sure. It's funny to look at my lists and realize there are some months during which I read only one book. Makes me wonder what the hell I was doing all that time.