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Reading as a Hobby, or Maybe More

Do you know someone who loves reading, and considers it an important part of life? As we get older and school gets more intense, we read for pleasure less. There are school clubs, sports, classes, homework, working, and more. It's hard to fit everything in.

I decided to ask my school mates, how much time they spend reading for fun, and what they read. I defined "fun" reading as anything that is not required for a class or school. Below are the responses, from people in grades 6 through 12, on how much they read, on average, in a week.

When asked how much they read in a week on average, there were several different replies.

Annie (grade 7): "I read about one book, every two weeks, sometimes one book per week."
Theresa, (grade 11) gave the somewhat shocking answer that she reads four to ten books per week.
Anne (grade 10) says that she reads about half an hour a day, at least.

I also asked what kinds of books people are reading, especially since some books are longer than others. I learned that different people like specific types of books, and some people just like literature in general.

Ana (grade 10): "I love fantasy books, the Twilight series, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Ann Rice books, Memoirs of a Geisha, I don't get stuck in a certain genre. I enjoy mysteries, if they aren't corny. Poetry is fun to a point."
Annie (grade 7) enjoys reading romance, comedy, and adventure.
Teresa (grade 7) enjoys manga, adventure novels, and whatever else she can either buy or borrow.

Some students read after hours.
Sarah (grade 6) said that she will "go to bed, and then read with a flashlight either until 10 PM or the flashlight dies."

Rachel (grade 12) manages to fit some reading in before she ends her day. "If I'm up really late working, I don't like to read then. But most of the time I read for at least fifteen minutes before I go to bed."

Theresa (grade 11) is very busy with homework, but she still manages to get reading in at some strange times, "reading while I walk, for example."

If you're creative enough, there are many ways in which a book can fit into a your schedule, be it walking between classes, or during the commute to and from school.

Reading a book can help you unwind from the day. Diving into a book after a long stressful day, and following Harry Potter on the quest for the horcruxes, or floating through space inside a spaceship is a nice way to relieve stress. Take a little time to focus on something outside of your daily life. It will help you relax and start the next day a little more relaxed.