These past few months I've come back to reading novels for the first time, really, since I was a kid. I just read them an alternative to scrolling, though, so I don't really pay much attention. When I sit down to watch a film, I try to make sure my mind is clear, my environment is undistracting, and I try to watch observantly and engage on multiple levels. Not always easy to maintain that level of attention even for a 1.5-3h movie, to try to do so for a novel seems unreasonable. I've felt mostly indifferent about the novels I've been reading during this streak. I had one moment where I felt moved but I can't really speak eloquently as to why or how. I have too many goals that matter infinitely more to me to make becoming a more refined conscientious fiction reader a goal, but I'm curious by-the-by how other (more experienced?) people approaach their reading.
Voraciously.
My problem isn't sinking into a book, I can do that while lifting weights on a machine or getting head. The problem is getting out of the book long enough to move to the next machine or say nice things to the person doing their best to make me drop the book.
Mind you, not every machine is reading friendly, even in the age of tablets and dedicated ereaders. And you certainly don't want to try reading during other activities if the person or people involved aren't on board.
In other words, if people will leave me alone long enough, I can read anywhere and immerse myself deep enough that the real world falls away and my hyperphantasia (just what I call it) kicks in.
I just did that recently. Read a book while cycling (the stationary / exercise machine) and gave myself a very bad case of motion sickness. No reading while doing anything like that from now on 😀