Stopping in the Middle

I have decided the best way to read a book is to stop in the middle of a chapter rather than the end of it. This realization came with my latest reading adventure. Kris bought me the Hunger Games trilogy a week or so ago and I've been turning pages every free second I get. I finished Catching Fire yesterday and can't wait to sit down and start Mockingjay. In fact, I'm surprise I'm writing this now.

I've had to reteach myself how to read. BK (Before Kids) I could sit down and devour an entire book within a few hours. AK (After Kids) I no longer have that block of hours. It's been a struggle to start new books knowing I probably won't get through the whole thing that day. It's meant that I've put off reading until I know I have help with the boys so I can get huge chunks done.

And my TBR (To Be Read) pile keeps growing. Let's not mention my TBB (To Be Bought) pile. Oh, and free e-books do not help the issue.

As a result, the Hunger Games trilogy sat on my shelf, winking prettily at me with their crisp, shiny, new dust jackets.

This has caused a change in my reading habits. Even knowing I couldn't finish the book in a day, I left it's dust jacket behind, grabbed my bookmark and cracked the cover.

Ending at the chapter ends was hazardous to my sleep. Chapter ends are meant to leave little barbs in you, dragging you on to the next page. If I wasn't accidentally starting the next chapter, I was obsessing over what had just happened and what will come next because of it.

Reading with boys, I wasn't always able to read an entire chapter before I had to put it down. Time after time this happened, and I realized it was easier to put the book down mid-chapter than between chapters. I have to say, though, I loved it when Joshua interrupted my reading because he had brought out a book of his own for me to read to him.

Then, one night, I was simply too tired to read the whole chapter. I put the bookmark in, and went to sleep. When I woke up to start again, I realized the eagerness to continue was still there. These are great books and very well written. The emotional high was not there, however. It didn't take any longer to get back into the book than if I had stopped at the end of the chapter. It didn't make me feel like I could leave the book for another day on my table. But it let me put the book down without being distracted by it.

So the question I pose to all busy people out there (which is everyone), is how do you read? What makes it easier to put down, then pick up the book? Comment here or link to your own post with your answers.