The other day, I shared a bit about how ADHD shows up in my writing. Today, I thought I’d share a bit about how it shows up in my reading.
I love books, I always have. They have been a means of escape and regulation for me for as long as I can remember. Even at school, I would lose myself in a book after I had finished my classwork and it was a way to cope with the noise in the classroom, or the silence.
I don’t always read, there are times, especially when I’m burned out, when I can’t focus on words on the page. In those times, I read (listen) to a lot of audiobooks, though only when I’m driving. I can’t seem to listen to audiobooks any other time.
I also shy away from any books I’m told I ‘should’ read. This could be books on bestseller lists, or that have won awards. If a book doesn’t interest me, I won’t read it. If a book is pushed on me too much, I won’t read it, at least not while it’s popular!
I love reading shorter books, prefer them in print. Short story collections are great, especially when I’m tired as I don’t have to remember what I read in the last sitting.
Once, someone told me I was reading ‘wrong’ because of the sorts of books I read. I have eclectic tastes, based on whatever I’m interested in at the time. I don’t read books everyone else is reading and I don’t read every day.
I find a way AuDHD shows up in my reading is that it seems to be all over the place. I read based on interest and I will buy books and not read them for years.
There is no one way to be a reader and all reading counts.
