Hello everyone,
Books can be your greatest companions whether you have already settled in Hungary or are now planning your move. Are you an avid or occasional reader? We would like to know more about your reading habits.
What type of reading do you enjoy? Do you read novels, comics, magazines, newspapers, etc.?
Where do you purchase or borrow books in Hungary (bookstores, online, library subscription, etc.)? Do you prefer digital reading?
Do you have an average budget devoted to reading in Hungary? Do you buy books or pay a library membership fee? Do you spend more or less than in your country of origin?
In what languages can you find the books that you usually read?
What books or magazines would generally be found on your bedside table?
Thanks for participating,
Bhavna
Reading habits in Hungary
I have a ton of used English language books that I bought in Hungary. Before that in Erd I got a library card and checked out books, also had an active library card for the main library in Budapest. Somehow I was just devouring books at least one every week.
Netflix was added to my entertainment list and books were packed away...My eyes also got a bit bad and reading was getting more difficult, OK, I got lazy.
They do have a large selection of English language books in Budapest in the main library, nice beautiful building too.
My fave book are bio's on famous people in history or even movie stars and writers.
I am a "people person" and find it interesting to know how these famous people tick.
All the Hungarians I know are very well read people, even my husband who was basically just a blue collar worker in Hungary. He knows opera as well as a playlist of books and art knowledge. It was common when he was a student to learn about all the arts and history in great detail, no one had tv sets so they read and used their God given brains.
I think people are being dummie downed with too much easy access online, they may know more about several subjects but not in much detail, they only skim the surface. A know it all in many subjects but a master of none.
I have an e-book reader. I download most of my books or old "pulp" literary magazines (Galaxy, IF, etc) from archive.org or the Gutenburg Project gutenberg.org.
For real books, I have a collection of old old books. Some first editions. Some going back to the 1850's. For those, I go to back street book stores mostly in Vienna.
If I need a specific book, I can get it on Amazon or Ebay and have it delivered either directly to HU or via addresses in the UK for collection.
I don't read novels any more or very rarely as I never have time for that - most of my recent physical books are of a technical nature.
I do get industry periodicals on subscription but they tend to get backed up - like 6 months of reading.
I usually get my other general paid for reading delivered online and that means I do not have to carry the paper while travelling. But then again paper doesn't need batteries.
As a general point, it's quite difficult to get non-Hungarian language (i.e. English) kids books so that's more about swapping with those one knows.
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