Two Heads Are Better Than One: A Discussion on Buddy Reads

April and I are both big supporters of reading with a buddy, and we know a lot of other people like to read with a friend or group, as well. But I think each person takes away something different from a buddy read, and so we thought it was high time we discussed buddy reading and sought some feedback from you guys, too. So, April posed some questions and we both reflected on what reading with a buddy means to each of us.

What makes a good buddy reader?

April:  For me, a buddy reader has to be someone I’m comfortable with, someone who has similar likes and reading habits as me. Life happens, and sometimes it sets me back. A good buddy reader has to be someone who understands that. I’ve tried buddy reading with a couple bloggers and it didn’t work out. This one read too fast, that one read too slow. So compatibility is a must for me.

Jen:  Same here...I have to be compatible with the person I'm buddy reading with. I wouldn't just read with any ole Joe Schmo from Goodreads or Twitter. Besides having the same taste in reading material, we also have to have other common interests and reading habits, and it's nice if we've been friends for awhile, too. It helps to have a buddy who understands that I work full-time and have an almost six-year-old daughter so that they know I can't always be at their beck and call for a buddy read. A buddy read should be fun, not something that causes unnecessary pressure on me. For me, a good buddy reader sticks to the planned reading schedule, but doesn't necessarily expect you to read at the same time or even at the same pace. I look forward to reading and discussing the night's chapters with my buddy, but I don't want to feel pressured to speed-read and then get spoilery texts or messages from them before I've even finished. That is a buddy reader no-no.

How does buddy reading differ from reading on your own? What are the benefits?

April:  I love reading on my own because I don’t have to stop at any certain point, but then I don’t have anyone to talk to about it! The benefit of buddy reading for me, is being able to discuss while reading. It’s so nice to have that lifeline, that other person who is reading the same thing at the same time and probably thinking the same things too. I love when Jess and I simultaneously send each other “WTF just happened” texts. Also, you might miss something that your buddy reader didn’t and that is super helpful.

Jen:  With buddy reading, I think I actually pay even more attention to what I'm reading because I feel like I'm going to be quizzed on it afterward, lol. I do love reading on my own schedule because I don't rush as much to find out what happens so I can discuss it with my buddy. But at the same time, not reading with somebody means I don't have anyone to discuss it with immediately after, and like I said, I probably wasn't pay close attention to the details like I would if I knew someone was waiting to discuss them with me. Buddy reads really help me see things in the story that I might have glossed over otherwise, and it also helps to talk through things in the story because each reader interprets things in their own way. I've read things at times and took it a totally different way than my buddy reader, and then I realize that I was letting my personal experiences shade certain aspects of the story because the buddy reader with different life experiences didn't see it that way at all. Buddy reading helps give you some perspective.

How do you find the time to buddy read while keeping up with review books?

April:  Well, I’ve been buddy reading with my friend Jess for a long time now and we have finally gotten into a groove that works perfectly for us. I love reading review books, but I hate not reading my books. Ya know? I see so many bloggers get burned out just reading books for review, and I don’t want to ever feel that way. So I read multiple books at a time. I almost always have two going. I have one review book on deck, and one buddy read. We take turns choosing what we want to read. This is where similar likes come in handy because Jess and I like the same books. We start out on a Monday reading 25 % a day. Or if it’s a physical book we will break it up into chapters. By the end of the week we usually finish. The rest of the day I read my review books. This allows me to read purchases as well as arcs. So far, it’s worked out great.

Jen:  I always have multiple books going, too. I usually try to have an audiobook, a review book, and a shelf book going. Sometimes I read review books with a buddy who got a copy, too, and then when we're done reading, we link to each other in our reviews of the book. Other times, the shelf book is the one I'm buddy reading. It really just depends on who I'm reading with and what we're excited about reading at the time. But keeping three books on deck really helps me. The buddy read is only a set amount of chapters each night, and then I spend the rest of my reading time for the night on the other book I have on deck. Commuting, chores, and work time are how I get through my audiobooks. It might sound like a lot at any given time, and maybe too much to keep track of sometimes, but it works really well for me and keeps me on track with what I hope to get read each month.

Jess and her princess

Who is your go to buddy reader(s) and why?

April:  Jess from Hackaroo Reviews. We met a few years ago on twitter. She’s amazing, and she one of my best friends. Sometimes distance doesn’t matter. We’ve never met in real life, but we talk everyday via voxer, text, and sometimes phone. For me she is the ideal buddy reader. She’s a working mom, she has an almost one year old and a new little one on the way. She gets me as a person, as well as a reader.

Our buddy reading relationship is pretty relaxed. We are both busy people. If one of us gets caught up in real life shit, and can’t keep up, either we wait for the other, or move on. When we are both caught up we start the next. No hard feelings.

Jen:  I have a couple of friends I buddy read with these days. Emily from Book Jems is my fangirl soulmate. We don't have down and dirty discussions after we finish the night's chapters or the entire book...we just fangirl to each other in tweets. And Goodreads status updates. And sometimes email, depending on how awesome the book was. But when I want to really evaluate a novel and get to the nitty gritty of it, I read and discuss with Kristen over at My Friends Are Fiction™. She even started a group on Goodreads where we could exclusively discuss our buddy reads without spoiling things for anyone else who might follow us. I think through our buddy reads, we've become even better friends, which is a sure sign that we were meant to be reading buddies, right? =) We read at the same pace, we both have little ones around the same age, and we understand that real life comes first. It's a win/win.

Which is kinda the same situation me and April are in, so I'm wondering why we don't ever buddy read together. Hmm. I mean, we did just kind of read Open Road Summer together -- meaning at the same time -- but we didn't discuss it while reading, except in a couple of Goodreads status updates and comments. But we are planning to do our first joint review over this title, so that's kinda the same thing, right? :D


Do you participate in buddy reads or book clubs or anything similar? Do you have anyone you exclusively buddy read with? What makes buddy reading work for you?

Labels: buddy reads, discussion