I've noticed lately, that although I'm reading certain books for fun, they are books that actually are teaching me things I did not know. I don't read fiction anymore, although I have just picked up The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde from my mom's book shelf. But still that seems learning to me since it is a classic, and of a world that seems far gone now.
Do you seem to read for leisure mostly, or for learning? Or do you find yourself combining the two?
[question posted by AmbiePam]
responses and comments:
Both. I keep a lot of resource books on hand and I love to read for pleasure. [laglen]
Both. I learn a lot from reading and I get a lot of pleasure from reading. [thelastwolf113]
I am an avid reader but I know exactly what you mean. I do read fiction sometimes - it can be mindless fiction or a good detective novel but if it is mindless then I am reading it to de stress. Have you looked at Oscar Wilde's life or read a biography on him? The classic asre wondeful and I have re read all Jane Austin's work. Again, this is set in another time but the essence of human anture remains the same. I read non fiction because I am curious and weant to learn more about a person or something. I treasure my books on art and history. To me, a good bnook can be re read and each time yo get something more form it. Happy reading my friend [cynthiann]
I would read a biography of him first. They must have several avaliable in a public libray. Ykou need to get a sense of him to understand him. He was brilliant. [cynthiann]
I guess it all depends on what I'm reading. I love historical fiction and romance, and I love history, so I do learn things about those time periods. I also like learning and reading about historical figures that interest me. I have a fascination with Tudor history; Henry the 8th, etc. (I couldn't remember how to do the roman for 8, LOL) I have a book on the Tudor period, but I haven't read it yet. I do read fiction and a lot of romance. I guess you could say there is "learning" in that. Depends on what you want to learn, right??blush [itsmefaith]
XIII ..... eighth rasp [makingpots]
Hi. For both. All books teach something and I really love to read. Reading is great to give us fun and lessons at least about how to speak and write better. Have a good day. [teka44]
i know how you feel! im the same way. i like to read for fun but most stuff i read for fun is learning material. like i just started reading about engines! lol some say im weird but i guess thats ok to me. [tranquil]
I read for both. However, lately, when I want to read it is for leisure. I love to read a good mystery...one that does not have a lot of blood and gore..one that has a little romance. [Yestheypayme2dothis]
Reading for learning is my choice and always been. I like to be informed rather than stay in the darkness. In the other hand I like funny reading and short stories to read. I would say that 90% of everything I read is for learning. [polachicago]
Leisure all the way!!! It is the only relaxation I get since I spend my live other than with the kids, on the computer working so any down time I get is spent with my book, usually on my bed before sleep. Reading matter? Sad to say, usually romances which I don't have to concentrate through and they are read totally for the enjoyment and relaxation. Violetdreams [violetdreams]
Nothing wrong with that! : ) [AmbiePam]
It depends on the book i read.I read some books for leisure whereas others for learning. [prasanth_s]
I read for fun mainly, although I have been known to pick up a history book or two as that is one of my favourite subjects. I sometimes find it a drain to read these sorts of books though. [gemini_rose]
I know there are a lot of people out there who enjoying reading whether it be for the fun of reading,or because they love to read and it is one of their hobbies,or because they are trying to broaden their minds,and their educations so they read books that are educational,and I know that there are people who prefer to read than watch television which that is always a good thing,and I think too many people spend too much time watching television which is not healthy,even though television can teach you things,and when I was younger I used to read for fun,and I always loved mystery books like the Clue books,and the Boxcar Children books because I loved trying to figure out who did it,and I also read books that had to do with English and math when I was in school to help me learn,and improve my mind,now that I am older I do not like reading as much,as I have a short attention span,and I prefer to watch television because it is more fun,and it is easier to keep up with,and I no longer wish to read to learn,I have found that when my fiance reads to me,I can pay attention to what we are reading,and I can also remember everything we have read which makes me happy,and we like reading for fun,and reading is a good way to relieve stress,and right now we are reading from a series called the Emigrants by Vilhelm Moberg and it is a really good series about emigrants from Sweden who emigrate to North America during the 1850's and we are on the second book of the series called Unto A Good Land and we are almost finished with it,except we do not want to finish reading it until we find the third book of the series which is called The Settlers,and we are trying to spend more time reading,and less time watching television because it is better for us and it helps my parents save money. [hellcowboy]
I loved the Boxcar Children books when I was younger. [AmbiePam]
Reading is a very useful skill. When we are little, we learn to read; when we mastered the skill, we read to learn. Aside from other methods, reading is one way to expand one's knowledge. Books are a treasure trove of ideas that one can learn and appreciate. Furthermore, for readers like me, reading brings plenty of enjoyment. Since I read fiction predominantly, it gives me a change to escape the humdrum of daily existence and for a few brief hours spend some time in a magical world created by words and an author's imagination. So yes, there are plenty of benefits in reading, but if you ask me personally...I use it mainly for entertainment. [wayz12]
I read for leisure and for learning. I just love to read, but I also like reading just to learn new things on a regular basis. I'm also a writer for children and young adults, so I read lots of different things just to get ideas and a feel for the market. [Flight84]
I only have books related to my job, IT related, that I have read or read to learn. I would love to start reading for leisure as I am on a train for at least an hour a day. Any suggestions in the fiction or sci-fi areas? [dsmtunergst]
I read for leisure. I love reading.I always have. To me reading helps lessen stress and helps me to unwind. I guess one can say reading helps us in learning regardless of what we read. This has always been a favorite past time of mine. [SuzyQ12]
I read for both, but find that reading for leisure is better right before bed.. I think I also have read Dorian Gray and believe it was a good book..Now I have to find it and read it, but not until I can see if I can get through, "Pride and Prejudice", I am struggling with this book, never read it before, but thought I would try.... [carmelanirel]
Kind of a mixture...I am trying to read "The Georgetown Ladies club" about all the wives of politicians.....etc that live in Georgetown....all the upper crust as we would put it. But I try to read for pleasure.....but being an author I also look for new ways or differences between my books and others....just read one that was supposed to be a best seller...I was highly disappointed! [jillhill]
I would say that I do both. I usually have a fiction book in the downstairs bathroom and some type of nonfiction book in the upstairs bathroom. I always have an audio book playing in the car too, most of the time it will be fiction but occasionally it will be some kind of financial or self help type book. I even have a book in our basement bathroom, I don't go down there a lot but I do read the book when ever I am down there. [ladym33]
The audio books I always look for, don't seem to ever be in stock. I should look at some used websites to see if I can find what I'm looking for. [AmbiePam]
I do both. i read for fun and for learning. I cant just read anything that wouldnt allow me to learn. [katrhina23]
I read the books just to make my mind busy. Because when I'm alone and nothing to do there are problems go to my mind. It will make me worried all day. So I better read books which I'm a book lover which help me to be relax and at the same time I've learned. Reading books is fun everybody had enjoy it. I saw many are reading inside the bookstore. And sometimes I joined them. [mods196621]
I read for fun. I usually read a book per week. I like to read on my lunch break at work. It is so nice and relaxing for me. And the best time I like to read is right before bed. It puts me in the mood to go to sleep and if I am having a stressful day I can read and it will put me in "another world" and I can forget the stress for a little while. [jbb316]
To be honest,I read very few books besides textbooks which I had to learn when i was a student.Now I spend very little time reading,what's more,I only read magazines and newspapers.It is a waste of time,but I can't pay attention to some famous authors' articls. [simon611]
When a person has to read so much for school, it's hard to focus attention on anything other than what is already required. At least that is how I sometimes felt in school. [AmbiePam]
I only read for pleasure. I like mystery books and I read quite a bit. I used to read a lot more than I do now, since now I am spending most of my free time on the internet, like here in mylot and the ptr sites I work. I like to lay in bed to read just before I go to sleep. Reading helps me to fall asleep as it turns my brain off of the daily stresses I experience. So it is a healing thing for me to read. Alrighty then, talk to you later my friend, Your friend, Chris [chrislotz]
My non fiction to fiction ratio seems to be about three to one. I like magazines, but they are not fiction. In fact I learn a lot from many of them. It is my Alzheimer's prevention plan to be a lifelong learner. [GardenGerty]
Good plan. The earlier we start the better. [AmbiePam]
when I was very young, I love reading fiction just for fun,atually,I gained much fun from it. But when I grew older, I read books besides fiction, sometimes these book are very boring which I it just to learn things. I should say that it is very tired for me. But in many condition, books give me the feeling of relax, it can help me for get the uncomfortable life, also I can read both for leisure and learning. [km1234]
I love reading for pleasure and to learn. I read alot of everything, from non-fiction to fiction. Even from some fiction you can learn. Right now Im reading Summerhill A radical Approach to Child Rearing. It is a true story about a school with no rules at all. You dont even have to go to class if you dont want to!! So far very interesting. Before this one I read a fiction one. So Im a conbiner (is that a word? lol) and I like it this way as I dont get bored, thou I dont see me ever getting bored of reading! [Ithink]
I used to read everything that I can both for leisure and for learning, from tabloids, to newspapers and to novels and boooks. I could even remember a time during my elemenatary years that I devoured an entire Webster's dictionary! NO, not the 2-volume kind, just the compact kind haha! But that was how addicted I was to reading. Lately though, I've gotten so busy with work, with framily and friends that I don't have time to read at a relaxed pace. The most common ones that I read nowadays are just magazines lying around the house, or some newspaper articles that catch my attention. I once listed a number of books and novels that I wanted to buy and read, but I never got around to it. [alyssa_c]
Besides textbooks and school work, I read for leisure mostly. But i end up learning useful information from the books that I read. [PuzzlePiece]
I am in college so I read textbooks for learning. I wish those text books were more interesting. [DWSMOMMY]
I would say 99% of the time I read for leisure. I rarely read anything educational unless you count cookbooks as educational reading. I don't think I have read any of the books that are considered classics. [lilybug]
I really don't read too many classics these days myself. I had enough of that in college. But I DO consider cookbooks educational. You come away learning something you didn't before, right? [AmbiePam]
reading is important,I think,I make reading both for leisure and learning.When I am in bed,I am reading for leisure.when I am in class,I am reading for learning. [justmay]
I'd still have text or reference books around the house,which I'd dip into from time to time,but most of my reading is for leisure.I DO like it when an author has done some research,and can offer some nuggets of information in the plot that will improve the reading experience of the particular book.. [ShepherdSpy]
I read for both reasons but I do read alot just for simple learning. Even the books that I read for pleasure are ones that are realistic and I learn something from. I do not enjoy romance novels and that sort of thing as a rule. [sid556]
I read for leisure mostly, I have the flu now for over a week. So, I have been reading all the books that I never had time for before. I am going to enjoy my vacation from work, some might say I'm sick! I say hey, it's a vacation at home with books. I am trying to look on the up side of it. [Carpathian]
Looking at the up side is always a good thing. I'm so sorry that you are sick. [AmbiePam]
i like to read for leisure... and when i start to read, i do learn things... so i guess it's a combination. [Nhey16]
I read for leisure and for learning. I'm pretty geeky simply because I do enjoy learning. I enjoy reading and learning at my own pace. I enjoy finding out all sorts of new facts and information. And, I love allowing my imagination to work overtime too by reading things for fun. I enjoy getting lost in a good book. It's just a lot of fun and a great way for me to relax. [highflyingxangel]
Well, most of the time, I read for leisure, but as I go through the pages of the book, I often find myself learning- which I never intended in the first place- things, interesting things and things that make me think. Reading is such a good pleasure...! [xXSnowFoxXx]
basically i read for learning. i am a person who like to do things with clear purpose, so what i read must have something good for me. to enlarge my knowledge horizen or to give me some information, i believe it's good for my growth [xiaowen187]
Both, i find pleasurue in reading and i learn a lot from it too. It is also my way of relaxation after a hard day's work from the office and from my chores at home. [sweetie1026]
I enjoy reading book in whatever mood i m. I myself read books sometimes just for fun, when i dont have anthing else to to, sometimes coz i m feeling bore and have nothing else to do, aometimes coz i want to read the book. There were times when i was so crazy for a book that i finished the whole book in one day, coz the book was of someone else and he was going somewhere else, and i enjoyed the book very much and i wanted to finish it full. But still reading is one Hobby which i enjoy much. [v4vikas]
I have been reading for pleasure mostly lately. My mom gave me a whole slew of books from Silhouette books the Nocturne series which I find very fascinating. [mtdewgurl74]
Cool, thanks, will do, although I am not really partial about the authors as long as they write a good book. [mtdewgurl74]
i read for both. i have a good collection of books which serve my both purposes. [mtata23]
Hi Friends I love reading and reading books is my passion.I even regularly read newspaper.I read books to improve my knowledge levels.So far whaever books i have read ,were very informative.Those books have taught me the things ,of which i am ignorant. And reading those has boosted my self confidence and my perception towards the life has become more and more optimistic.I also love to share the information and knowledge which i have gained from reading books with my friends. Happy Reading******* [23uday]
I read both for leisure and learning but most of the time my initial purpose is for leisure then the learning follows. I love books and I love reading. You can make me read teen novels, series like Harry Potter and Twilight, novels from Sidney Sheldon, Dan Brown, John Grisham, Paulo Coelho, etc., even contemporary classics and classics like Shakespeare's. I think reading should include both leisure and learning. [marababe]
Oh yes I will. I have Tickets for the Special Screening of Twilight. It's a charity event that my friends have. All proceeds would go to Childhope-Asia. [marababe]
I have found that reading can be both entertaining and educational. Even some fiction books can be educational and give you food for thought. Some of Shakespeare's works were full of philosophical observations about life. Take for instance in Mcbeth when he wrote, "tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, goes by at this petty pace, until the last syllable for recorded time". That may not be word-for-word correct - it's a long time since I read it, but it really made me think of what life was all about when I first heard those words in school. Most of the books I read now are on Zen and various other pilosophies, and sometimes some fiction. After all, all writing comes from the mind of the author and people's minds can be fascinating. :-) [derek_a]
It's fun reading isn't it. I love reading, so I read for informaion and just enjoy the pleasure of reading. [marciejo99]
I read both for learning and pleasure. I love to learn every day but I like to make it fun! [angemac23]
Hi frnds, Do you read for leisure or for learning? When i get leisure time i will read.I like reading any thing like books,novels, author books,etc.Its very fun time and relaxing when reading the books. When i read in the leisure time i will learn. [23uday]
Well i read for both leisure and learning. When i read i can also learned on what i read without noticing the time. I have one incedent that i read the book within 24 hours for i am so inlove with the story that i forget to sleep the whole night.happy [Margarit]
It is nice to find a book that captivates us like that. [AmbiePam]
Reading is my interest.I usually read for leisure.But you can always learn something from your reading.Not only non-fiction books can offer you something,all sorts do.They teach different things to us.Just enjoy it. btw,I love Jane Austin's works too much. [freda529]
I love to read entrepreneur magazine. I find reading this magazine as part of my leisure. I always enjoy reading anything about doing business so I consider reading for leisure while having to learn from it. With showbiz magazines, after reading about the issues or intrigues, it becomes old news. You then tend to throw the showbiz magazine. But with entrepreneur, you can read them over and over again regardless the date especially with tips and good ideas. So I love to mix leisure with learning...I guess both. [cfmedrano]
True. It's quite a feat when someone has magazines that can be kept, and still are relevant. [AmbiePam]
hi AmbiePamhappy, i read books for both leasure and for learning, mostly i read it for learning, i think every book teaches something even if i comic book or magzine for leasure, happylotting [hitejam89]
As a student before, I read books which teah me new things. But after I get a job, I combine the two. [zhangfzoe]
I'm fond of fictions.Reading to me is divided to 2 different parts. One is for learning things such as computer guides. The other is just for fun, so I like novels just because they will show a totally different world to tell stories of differnt life in the world which may never happen to me. Although I read books for learning more than for leisure, I prefer the latter one. [vermouth0304]
I read for both, I usually have three different books going at the same time, two nonfiction and one fiction. You might say I/m addicted [savypat]
I used to do that all the time! When I was a teenager I'd have four books going at one time. My mom used to ask me how I kept them all straight. But it wasn't hard. Not when reading is so enjoyable. [AmbiePam]
I am more of the type to read fiction, so it's more for leisure. If I want to or need to know about something I will ask someone I think will know and if they don't, then will I read about what I need to know about. Then again, something I might need to know about, would be more entertaining to me then learning, so I suppose it's one in the same. [SomeCowgirl]
Classic books always give pleasure.We can read these books again and again. Every time we will discover new things from these old books.Like time machine these books take us to the lost world. [bhanusb]
i love to read and because i am such a history fanatic, i tend to only read stuff on history. i seldom read fiction unless it is a classic (i am reading 'barometer rising' by hugh mclennan currently). if i am not reading history, i am reading crafting books or decorating ones. [cher913]
Well I'm actually reading this and responding to it to earn money. Which is the primary reason I read things nowadays anyway. But I read to my kids for leisure and to teach them how to learn. If there is something that I want to know more information about or how to do a specific thing then I will read to learn how to do it so that I can teach others. Much like when I have just bought a new piece of furniture, or something that requires for me to read the instructions to ensure I put the item together correctly! [hdjohnson]
Both, but more for learning. [daffodil1949]
The last book i read was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows... and that was last year when it first came out... these days... with all the chores... work... and taking care of my daughter... i just do not have time to sit down and read a book... most of the reading i do is here in mylot... recaps of my favorite tv shows... and the news... and i do all that when i am in the office... I would love to be able to read for pleasure... or a combination of leisure and learning... [aseretdd]
I think it's both, I need to read a lot of book in order to pass my subjects but at the same time I read books in order to relax myself. For whatever reason, both have a positive effect on me [orevro]
Most of the time I read to learn as I am quite fond of learning new things. Apart from the knowledge imparted, I also increase my vocabulary, for this I jot down the difficult words and then look for their meanings on the internet. Infact books have made me survive through my critical time, I took inspiration by reading motivational books. [comfort55]
I read mostly for fun, my favorites are historical mysteries. Although the stories themselves are ficticious, I've learned a lot about the time periods they are set in, especially from the authors who meticulously research the background information. Frequently after reading a book, I search out additional information about historical people and places. [catdla1]
In recent years, AmbiePam, I have started to read more for pleasure, and I must say that works of fiction have undergone a lot of changes over the years. Writers of fiction are aware that their readers are well-educated and desire to read books that have a certain level of believability to them. These writers do an awful lot of research into the subjects they write about, and I find it impossible to pick up a book of fiction in recent years that doesn't have something to teach me. In fact, I will go so far as to say that my thirst for knowledge has been whetted very often due to a variety of subjects I read about in these books. [worldwise1]
i read strictly for pleasure. if i had read to learn as many books as i have read in my lifetime i would be one smart cookie. lol [ANTIQUELADY]
Dear AmbiePam, I read for learning and for pleasure, but I notice that many people nowadays read these big thick novels and I ask myself if these people are not just reading for the sake of reading itself and distract themselves from the real world. As for Dorian Grey - it is one of the most disturbing short stories I have ever read.I do not agree with you that that world is far gone now. The moral of the story is more real today than it ever was - especially as the behaviour of similar people has led to the worse financial crisis since the 1930s. Have a good weekend. Umart [umart13]
Oh I see what you mean. You TOOK it wrong. I mean a world that used a different way of writing. You didn't interpret what I said correctly. I meant the language the author used. [AmbiePam]
For the most part, I don't want to have to think too awfully much when I'm reading. Most of the reading that I do is to relieve stress. I love, love, love mystery novels and lately, I've developed an addiction to Luanne Rice novels. I do agree with previous posters though, everything that I read teaches me something. [LaurenInLA]
For both... I love to read period. I wasnt always like that until I had kids and I believe its important to get a child involved with reading early so I made a habit to pick up a book with them and start reading. [ginnypetree]
Sometimes I just read for pleasure. Right now I am reading to learn. I am reading more about the dog breed that I am going to get. © ronaldinu 2008 [ronaldinu]
Right now most of my reading is for learning since I'm in school. However, I also try to read for leisure when I can find the time--currently that is only on the bus. I'm actually really excited to be out of school so that I'll have more time to read for leisure. Overall, though, most of it is combined. I'm usually enjoying what I need to read for school--since, at this point, it's on subjects that I've chosen to write my thesis on. I think the two will always be combined, even if I don't always realize it. [nerdytina]
Yeah , when in school most of your reading does come from work and a subject , but sometimes you can enjoy and learn so much ! Peace n love Have a great weekend rasp [metschica25]
Hello happy I read to relax and get lost in a book . I will say tho I have learnt alot in a book . I also like world culture type books , so i guess you could say i do both . To learn and for pleasure rasp [metschica25]
I do both but I also read more for pleasure than I use to. I love reading but it has to be something that I find interesting. [nanajanet]
I read for both pleasure and learning. Most of the time it goes hand-in-hand. Reading opens up imagination. I like to read Charles Dickens and Jane Austin and imagine how life would be in that time period. [story15]
I do both. I learn a lot from reading. [Bd200789]
Hi, AmbiePam. I strike a pretty good balance with this. If I tend to lean either way, I end up reading more for learning (parenting, Health and wellness, etc) than I do for leisure and I start to feel out of balanced, I really do. At those times I will grab a good youth novel that I can read in one sitting and feel much better when I'm done. happy But then, when I think about it, I am an aspiring youth novel author and so I read them to learn when it gets right down to it.blink But I enjoy them very much. [makingpots]
I read mostly for entertainment. when the cats let me.... [ElicBxn]
Pyewacket hardly lets me read either...he has to sit right on top of my book and naturally I don't dare disturb him unless I want a nasty look. Boy he has me trainedrolleyes [pyewacket]
i read book for leisure and learning.in my mind,there are kinds of books.you can learn something from books.meanwhile,some books are fun only . [yuri860708]
Geez, I used to read a lot before going to bed, but now I have a nasty habit of falling asleep while reading...darn..LOL. But when I do read, and Pyewacket isn't trying to sit on top of my book, I usually read more non-fiction books on the genre of "The Secret" type..like Harmonic Wealth by James Arthur Ray. Occasionally though I do try to do a combo of reading non-fiction and fiction..that is if I stay awake long enough...heehee..mmm...maybe my new bed I got during the summer is TOO comfortable..LOL [pyewacket]
Our kids are too much help - huh? [ElicBxn]
both, I find pleasure in reading books and at the same time I learned a lot from it. [workinggurl]
i certainly read for leisure most of the time. the only time i read for learning is when i am forced to. i don't like to do anything for a specific purpose. even reading, i read without any expectations. i don't expect to be touched, uplifted, enlightened or anything when i pick up a book. if i get any of those, i am pleasantly surprised. as for fiction or non-fiction, i'm certainly a fiction person. to me, non-fiction don't teach me much. it seems that most non-fiction books are basically what a person thinks about an issue. this is too narrow for my liking and i don't expect to learn anything from it. i learn much more about things when i'm reading fiction books. cheers winkwink [applefreak]
I read mostly for leisure now days, though its amazing what you learn even when your not looking for it. [glords]
I read for both fun and for education. But at the moment I am mostly reading textbooks. I started to read the Twilight series a couple of months ago but still have read past the first chapter! [mishastar]
I read for both. I actually just read SOMEWHERE that when you read two books at once, the best learning comes from when one is fiction and one is non-fiction. It kind of makes sense to me because I have noticed when I have two books going of the same kind, I tend to 1) read each of them more slowly, 2) not retain as much and 3) don't enjoy either as much. Once I get through with the two current books I've reading, The Four Hour Work Week is one of them, I'm going to try this suggested approach. This also would be an easy way to combine, leisure and learning reading. [patweber]
Hello AmbiePam, For me reading a book, article, newspaper, magazine, reference, etc., is both pleasure and learning. Every book I read give me pleasure reading it and at the same time I learn from it. Whether the book is fiction or not fiction I find new things to learn. The pleasure of reading a book is because I learn from it and I get entertain at the same time. If you don't find it like this, it might be very difficult to read and learn at the same time. So we should read to learn and enjoy. Regards. ninjaninjaninja [robert19ph]
Hello AmbiePam, No. I have to stop and read another book. It will be a waste of time, unless you are making a research or you are making an experiment how far could you go with that stuff. coolcoolcool [robert19ph]
I read both for pleasure and to learn new things. [kellys3ps]
Hi,dear Ambiepan, Long time no see,I am pretty well but a little bit busy with my school works...hehe, For me I would like to combine both the leisure and learning together,However,mostly I am just reading for learning some thing even though I am reluctantly to read those tiredsome stuff. When I am relaxed every night ,I will read some story books or some wisdom sayings before I go to sleep just for fun.. Hope you well;-) Molly;-) [comeonmolly]
So you are very busy reading! : ) [AmbiePam]
Both. Most of the books that I have is all about discovering yourself and spirituality. I learn and enjoy t the same time. [sheenarobins]
I do both.. I like to read for fun, but I also like history and science.. [flowerchilde]
For me, I do read books because I am interested to read it. So that's the time that I could learn from it. Our interest is one of the motivating factor for us to learn. Actually, I love reading fiction books and through reading it, I learned a lot. But there's a time when I really have to read not because it's not my interest but because I need to learn for my certificate examination. So I think it's still depends. [aisaellis22]
I read and have always read for both. I enjoy reading for leisure. It gives me pure pleasure and entertainment! But I have learned so much from books, magazine, editorials, etc that I have read over the years also. I have so many words in my volcabulary (and did at a younger age than most) that I wouldn't have had I not read books. You learn so much, even reading for pleasure, as you mentioned! Reading is knowledge! [quinnkl]
I read for both pleasure and for learning. There are some books that do both though. It really depends on what kind of mood I am in. There are a lot of books that I have been reading lately that I have started out as reading for pleasure and ended up learning something. [cortney09]
Always for leisure. I love to read for my own pleaure. I want to be entertained, but that doesn't mean that I don't learn from it. I have learned about the courts reading John Grisham and about ancient times reading other writers. But I read fiction for my own entertainment and if I learn something from it I am that much more ahead. [idowrite72]
I do read for both. Right now I am reading for learning. I am reading about Shetland Sheepdogs so that I will learn about the breed. But I do read for leisure too. Especially in summer. I do read to relax and have fun. © ronaldinu 2008 [ronaldinu]
We probably combine those two more often than we think. When we read a good quality leisure book, we learn to use the language at the same time. We also may learn to use some new expressions and illustrations that we are reading about. Our brain likes to have fun, and the more fun we have, the better we remember, so even the leisure books are teaching a lot. I often read to learn new things too, and that can also be fun...lol happy..rolleyes [buenavida]