What are your Stephen King Reading Rituals?

[xville]

Do you like to have just one light on?

Do you like to take his books to the Park?

Coffee shop?

Favorite snacks or drinks, within easy reach?

Where, what...when?

[Matthew.Degnan]

I read them at night with a little reading light on and a cushion- nice and comfy, very atmospheric and when the doors creaks it scares the hell out of me but then i see my cat walk in.

Matthew.

[Haunted]

Have to have some good lighting. Mr. King has a way of sneaking up on me. Even though I am hanging on every word. BAM!!! He slams me with somthin' I never imagined. WHOOHOOO!!!

[mojomofo]

Mine is easy. Pick up book. Open. Begin reading. Proceed to ignore everything going on around me. :biggrin2:

[Srbo]

Mine is easy. Pick up book. Open. Begin reading. Proceed to ignore everything going on around me. :biggrin2:


Kinda hard to ignore my daughter, but the first part is the same...

[BenBubb]

I like to read in bed, with just a little lamp on, sets the atmosphere, sometimes i have to keep looking round the room to see if anything is there lol. I also used to love reading in the bath, was the one place where no one could interupt and it was relaxing, but we got rid of the bath and now we have just a shower and it would be rather difficult reading in the shower LOL!

[mstay]

Mine is easy. Pick up book. Open. Begin reading. Proceed to ignore everything going on around me. :biggrin2:

Yeah that's me too. Read and read until it is finished. And then wish it was even longer so I could read it some more.:sad:

[Girl87]

I read sk books lying in my sofa or my bed. I usually read on the evening. But if I had time I read during the day.

[linkinjen2001]

i also enjoy reading at night with just one light on. i find it very relaxing. i have to admit i too have been a little paranoid at times reading some of his books.

[Ubasti]

Usually I read in bed with a book light or on the couch with the lamp on. My cat and a cold Coke are usually close by. :biggrin2:

[jchanic]

This isn't my ritual, but a rather interesting story.

I picked up a copy of Pet Semetary when it first came out while on a business trip to a small town in Virginia. I started reading it while waiting for my late-night flight home in a VERY small airport. I was the only passenger in the lounge (there were only two gates, both of which were served by this lounge) and only a janitor somewhere around and a ticket agent who disappeared after checking me in. This was very spooky and I really got freaked out reading!

John

[mojomofo]

Kinda hard to ignore my daughter, but the first part is the same...

She is still a cutie baby! Wait till she grows up- they get easier to ignore! LOL:wink2:

[crazycrashink]

I have to leave a few lights on when I read SK! I also try to read at night when the family is asleep so I don't feel bad when I zone out of reality for a couple of hours!!

[pixiedaark]

I usually wait until after I put my kids to bed. Then I go to my husbands reclining chair and turn on the lamp beside the chair. I always have to eat M&M's and drink Ginger Ale while I am reading. I like to read when it is quiet. No TV or radio on.

[DumaKey1212]

I turn on my PS3 with an Interpol playlist and lay back in bed. I just have my ceiling light on and ration myself to 50 pages a day.

[Dark Reader]

Mine is easy. Pick up book. Open. Begin reading. Proceed to ignore everything going on around me. :biggrin2:


Same here, i could read King in old sparky :wink2:

[Agincourt Concierge]

Glass of ice water, sitting on sofa, with my legs curled up under me and kitty sleeping next to me.....EVERYONE ELSE IN BED! But, if I kill time somewhere, I will pack Sai King up and take him with me!

[bopropadop]

Whenever and wherever I can. I read at every available moment and have become a 'pro' at tuning out distractions!

[bluefear85]

Music and my iPod are mandatory for me while I read. And the song playing has to match the moment. When I was reading the Dark Tower series, I would have a mellow song (like "a warm place" by nine inch nails) playing while Roland was wandering in action devoid chapters. Then I would change to a more upbeat song when Roland got in a gunfight (like "molossus" by Hans Zimmer). Basically I would cue in the music like in a movie. Weird...

[tillyn]

I prop myself up on my bed , usually after a 12 hr shift turn on my little light and read usually i have to make myself put the book down because 6:30 am comes quick when you have read the night away.

[Wylde06]

I usually just sit down and read...and ignore everything around me.

[TheWalkinDude]

In my favorite chair ... illuminated by my trusty IKEA lamp ... and within reach of my bookshelf packed with everything King.

[pasher71]

OK so this is kinda strange but I'm gonna say it anyway.
i have read just about everything king has ever written and 80% of that reading was in the bathroom. lol, its quiet and peaceful and very few distractions (except the obvious ones lol) i cant have a bowel movement without thinking of old Steve.

[SueC]

Mine is easy. Pick up book. Open. Begin reading. Proceed to ignore everything going on around me. :biggrin2:

Just like me! :biggrin2: If it's a really good book then I can't put it down and I read it as quickly as possible! :wink2:

[SWNH1980]

I usually read on the couch, anytime of day or night is fine. I don't really have a ritual, I have coffee or ice tea if it's during the day, a beer or two if it's at night, and my cat usually sleeps in my lap, but at some point my cat creates an interlude, so I have to stop and give her attention, lol! :)

Sorry that it's not a King book in the pic, I haven't gotten a picture of her with one yet. :)
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g106/sld00007/l_6ac68b90dff51689bd9041f8ed544acc.jpg

-Sen
"And it always, at the end, came round to the same place again"

[boogerb53]

I like to read Uncle Stevie on my lunch break. It takes me to another world. I have also discovered the wonderful world of books on cd. I am currently listening to The Talisman-all 24 cd's!

[ally88]

Anytime, anywhere and as quickly as possible...im a very impatient gal!:eyebrow:

[staropeace]

My ritual is very RITUALISTIC...lol
I walk widdershins around a small fire then toss salt on every path I cross....being careful to throw a black cat behind my back. :biggrin2:

[fenrislupus]

1. Mt. Dew or Dr. Pepper (Big One)
2. Little Chocolate Doughnuts
3. Cheezy Poofs or Pretzels
4. Smokes. (Have to go outside for those every few hours....)

and I sit in the Library Lounge all day, everyday.....

until they figure out if I get Disability or I need to find a job again.:smile2:

[nunu_chis]

I like to read after lunch or dinner
I finish eating
I go to the sofa (if my sister is using it, I take the mattress off my bed and put it on the floor in front of the TV)
I put a handkerchief under the cushion
I lie down and begin to read
I usually spend one hour or an hour and a half reading, I like to have the ceiling lamps on even if it`s midday because my eyes get easily tired.
I don`t care having noises around me when I read, I actually prefer to read in the living room with my family and not alone in my bedroom

[Robbi]

For an SK book I find it is best to be nearly quiet. I will prop up a bunch of pillows with a lamp on and close the door. This can only happen in the late evening, maybe around 9 pm. I can take other books out and about and maybe read them during the day for a few minutes, but I definitely have requirements for SK creations.

[sknut70]

does not matter where, does not matter when,

but for some reason, I do like to eat that really cheap orange cheese popcorn. Its the only time I really eat it. I think maybe it is association but whenever I get right into enjoying the book I get a craving for it.

but when I know I'm coming up on the end, I will make sure I have a quite place, an un interupted slice of time and of course said cheesy popcorn

[komunley]

I like to make sure that I'm set to be down for a while. So, if it's cool out I'll have a blanket and tea ready, otherwise a cooler drink at hand. I'm always in my favorite chair or sitting up in bed with a couple pillows behind me.

It's all about making sure I'm comfy because chances are very good that I won't be up for a while. Lately, I've really enjoyed audiobooks as well, and for these I will always be laying down and have my eyes shut. I've never fallen asleep while doing this; it helps me to visualize the story as it's told to me.

Comfort, friends, it's all about comfort.

[mit48]

i read at work i read at home at night and during the day

[PatInTheHat]

Mostly I require being awake and not being on fire or falling from high places (much too busy..hate that:glare:)...mostly.

[Wisnoodles]

It depends on if I am reading on my Pocket PC or reading a paperback. If I am on my pocket pc, the lights have to be off laying in my bed with the screen black and the letters white on the screen. This always lends an eerie feel to the story that I love. If it's a paperback I like to read it anywhere, tuning out everything and everyone and diving into the darkness.

[youngfibre]

i like to read with my legs on the wall its more comfortable from the bed but the sofa against the wall isnt bad either. when i was in the family house the posture meant 'leave me alone', now its just a comfy used to way. A chocolate bar is a great companion though it never gets to see the end of the book:wink2:

[SixPins]

I cannot read in public. See, I like to or need to soak in a novel. If I try to read in a crowded place or anywhere public, I find myself re-reading a sentence many times. It is quite annoying. I mostly like to either set a Saturday aside and just engorge in a good book or take a nice shower in the evening and spend the night with a book. Some Coca-cola with crushed ice is always nice too. Maybe a bit of insense.

[Haunted]

OK so this is kinda strange but I'm gonna say it anyway.
i have read just about everything king has ever written and 80% of that reading was in the bathroom. lol, its quiet and peaceful and very few distractions (except the obvious ones lol) i cant have a bowel movement without thinking of old Steve.

:biggrin2::biggrin2::biggrin2:

[smooth operator]

Mine is easy. Pick up book. Open. Begin reading. Proceed to ignore everything going on around me. :biggrin2:

That's me too. Sometimes the "ignore everything" part gets me in trouble.

[CGoblin]

OK so this is kinda strange but I'm gonna say it anyway.
i have read just about everything king has ever written and 80% of that reading was in the bathroom. lol, its quiet and peaceful and very few distractions (except the obvious ones lol) i cant have a bowel movement without thinking of old Steve.

It's not strange... I find it strange that we are the only ones that read a lot on the throne and admit it. Dreamcatcher proved to be a fun experience reading while doing what all people do.

:wow:

[rudiroo]

I always reach for an SK when I'm feeling really unwell - I'm disabled with a chronic condition. Lying in bed, of course, with a bedside lamp. Positively, absolutely the best pain relief aside from assorted pharmaceuticals.

[aimeeleanne]

Fresh pot of coffee and a comfy chair :)

[karend3]

Anywhere. I read at home, when I take my daughter to Chuckee Cheeses she runs and plays games, I read his book. If I work a holiday or weekend and it is slow, I bring his book to read.

[tak113454]

Dreamcatcher proved to be a fun experience reading while doing what all people do.

haha! i would have been way too scared to take a dump while I was reading about **** weasels!

[SixPins]

Anywhere. I read at home, when I take my daughter to Chuckee Cheeses she runs and plays games, I read his book.
Wow. I admire your strength! All that chaos and you can still sit down and get into a book? I wish I was able to do that. Nope, I have to be in a quiet setting to really feel a book.

[phidgt]

I give my boyfriend a good long kiss and tell him I will be back in a couple of days. I proceed to get comfy on couch or bed, open book and read til I get to the end of the book. I then close the book and rejoin the human race.

[blunthead]

I read sK anywhere there's a light.

[kingricefan]

Usually it's when there's nothing halfway decent on TV, then it's me plopped down on the couch with my feet up at one end, my butt at the other and my cat napping between my legs. Or, it's when I go to bed (I like to read alittle while before actually calling it a night and turning off the light), then it's me in bed with, you guessed it, my cat sleeping between my legs near the foot of the bed (the cat, silly, not me!).

[JayneH]

I will read them anywhere but like silence so I can get really into the story. Then I lose time as I get sucked into the storyline !!! Love it.

[Bluey Lunger]

most often in the kitchen under a bright fluorescent light, parked on a oak bar stool, different treats and drinks as the day passes into night, and then read like there's no tomorrow. that's the first time thru. second and third (and so on) reads i start indexing, names, ideas, things that make me laugh. sk books don't come w/an index, so i make one of my own. it's come in handy at trivia. (yeah, i know, i'm weird) haven't gotten to the point where i'm dissecting sentences, whole paragraphs, at least not on paper, but successive reads go slower, trying to figure out why they are such great stories.

the only other time i've wanted to do the same w/other stuff i read is when i've read what all the big talking heads consider classics. stuff chock full of ideas, images, symbols, and really fine story-telling, having fun with words and what you can do with them.

[bopropadop]

When I responded to this thread about six weeks ago, I said I read SK any time I could find the time. Since then, as work responsibilities have picked up, I'm finding my ritual is late at night after the kids are asleep. I thought to re-post here after last night's marathon re-reading session of From A Buick 8. Not his greatest book IMO but good enough to warrant a second look.

I've struggled with finding the time to read here and there and last night finally took advantage of a quiet house and (in this instance) a welcome case of mild insomnia to read most of it in one sitting, straight through from about midnight to 6:30 this morning.

I'm finding that the hours between 10PM and 1AM are becoming prime time for me to read. Quiet and dark and lots of little bumps and creaks in the night to set the mood...

"Sleep? We don't need no stinkin' sleep..."

[ladyraven]

a bag of chips, a good light, lost in Sk

[Prince of Darkness]

Hi,

Always a glass of water next to me, always sitting either on my bed, or on the patio beside the garden.

I, personally, never take any King books out of the house. I have a problem with losing things :blush:

Oh, and I can't listen to music at the same time. Unless the song is really about the exact same thing the book is about, or if a part of the song was quoted in the book. Like listening to Ryan Adams's "When the Stars go Blue" while reading Lisey's Story.

Long days and pleasant nights

[Spideyman]

Lately, with chores taking more time, I am finding myself listening to the audiobooks. I much prefer the feel of a book, but the audio allows me to work and enjoy SK at the same time.

[svensegers99]

I always read on the train and sometimes at home,the later begins to occure more often since I started reading.At home I like the buzzing of the pc next to me,shades drawn and then one lamp on my desk.That works!Or downstairs on the couch in silence:)

[hemingway2z]

close to a bright light. close as possiblr . just the book, me myself and i.with coffee, sometimes hot mostly black.sometimes tobbacco and sometimes wiskey but mostly coffee and . try get on a rol to cover some pages. first remove the cover jacket that helps a bit. the laughing parts are the best !yeah yeah yeah.

[Fj-Arfay]

Howdy pard.Rituals no but as I read I find that for better or worse I become the characters.I am Edgar Freemantle(while I'm reading),Wireman,Libbit etc...My shrink says its because I'm an actor and I can identify easily with different folks.Thats probably it...

[Dhasek]

I have to be alone when I read SK. I like for every bit of my attention to be on the story and I like to be on my couch with a beer (at least 5 more in the fridge). Good lighting is key also.

[Tooley]

I carry the book around with me like a dork - that is my ritual. Outside of that I like it quiet... real quiet.

[Chatterbox]

A few years ago, when I was reading IT (my first SK, I was 13) I closed the book when the sun disappeared it was too scary to read it at night, now that's different I read everywhere and the whole night^^

[Bryan James]

I have not been scared by any writer in ....15 years?

"IT" was the last one that got me, and that's been a while.

When I was in law school I was so miserable I would eat a handful of mixed nuts before going to sleep (old wives tale) so I'd have nightmares. Didn't work. Feel free to use that in a story (I have, but I won't sue you).

I read many different types of books. I have one with me everywhere.

I hate the King books with his picture on the back, though...I look like him. That's caused a few odd conversations.

If the book grabs me, I let it take me. I'll blast through it.

If it doesn't, I give it some time, and it's relegated to a Bathroom Reader. I'll eventually finish it.

Most of King's books I carry with me and zip through. There have been a few that, let's just say "sit" for a while.

BJS

[LadyDelphia]

I like to lay on my bed or sit in my rocking chair, usually at night with the shades drawn (thanks to Salem's Lot, I do this on a regular basis now, so as not to attract the vampires) and my lamp on. I like it to be completely silent when I am reading anything, but especially Stephen King.:wink2:

[Queen Judia]

well, i just read it with or without lights. that's how i enjoy reading SK books... and i take them anywhere... and let my friends borrow it. currently, "christine", "misery", and "cujo" are out of my shelf and off to my friends. whew. im just worried if they'll (my books) ever come home to me. :sad:

[Queen Judia]

i read sk books even on a moving vehicle, or in the train, in the comfort room, in the dining area... but i love to read it where i find it hard to read... in my dar room with just a little light on... lying in the bed and just there with sk... :blush:

[BlackThorn]

Get all lucid. This step, I can't say how you'd achieve. It's comes and goes like a tide with me, and I don't really seem to be in charge of it...

Fire up an amazing trance... you know, like when you've sunk so deeply into your favorite wonderful and powerful music... that the fast forward button on the random playlist stops even needing to exist for you.

Hopefully, so tranced out, that the morning paper has a a non threatening news headline, directly relating to conversation you were having moments before. (today with me, it was talking about the sunset in here and on my web page, and how beautiful it was, and then the front page had a sunset right on it, and people talking about what their celebration meant to them)

Then pick up the King. The story will be tailored specifically to you, although, you'll have to be a touch more open minded than the next guy to really be able to read for enjoyment and scry the story simultaneously, but hell, if you're reading King, you're already a step above the rest, in my world. =0)

Candlelight before bed works too. I started on 'The Stand' when I was about 14, reading a few chapters in the dark.

In the dark, really helps with King. Broad daylight doesn't do most of his works any justice.