is a series of posts focused on making peace with the piles.
A few weeks ago, I posted a Solving for Tsundoku post titled It’s Okay Not To Read. In it, I lamented that thanks for COVID-19, quarantine, and the general state of the world (which is not improving in America, if you hadn’t noticed…), I was struggling to find focus and to read. Heck, I am still struggling to find the focus to do a lot of things. Not just reading.
But a few people pointed out that I’m still reading WAY more than they are. That’s amazing, isn’t it? Sure. But I was lamenting the loss of my own efficiencies and effectiveness, not comparing us. And it’s also because, despite all the things distracting me and slowing me down, I have a reading strategy.
I accidentally ended up with a reading strategy. I never set out to read so many books annually, honestly. In 2016, I read 178 books. In 2017, I read 130 books. In 2018, I read 151 books. In 2019, I read 114. And to date, I’ve read 53 books in 2020. I’m on track to break 100 books again this year. So how does this happen?
As an interpersonal learner, I gain a lot from book clubs. They provide me a way to talk through what I enjoyed and didn’t enjoy in a book, and therefore better understand what I read. This is also why I started a blog (though, writing my reviews are not as valuable as talking through them — but it’s better than just thinking!). When I ended up in 6 book clubs, plus a buddy read every month or so, I had to do something to stay on top of all the reading. Here’s my accidental reading strategy:
- I always have 4 books in flight: One physical book, one physical audiobook, one eBook and one eAudiobook.
- My Physical book stays on my nightstand. I only read it at home.
- My Physical audiobook stays in my car. Yup, I don’t have a way to connect my phone, not even with a cord! I have to use CDs. I’ve been reading less this way thanks to quarantine, but library holds are super long right now, so I am still cranking through them.
- Both my eBook and my e-Audiobook come with me everywhere I go. Thanks eReader and Kindle app!
- I listen to my eAudiobook whenever I’m out and about. Taking the dog for a walk, going for a run, taking a 15-minute break at work for a walk around the building. I also listen to my eAudiobooks when I’m doing a cooking project. Baking bread, making a fancy dinner, canning, etc.
- For most eAudiobooks, I speed the narration up to 1.25. I find many authors read too slowly for my tastes. But, that’s a story for another time.
- I have made it a habit to read daily. At a minimum, I get in 30 minutes of book time and 15 minutes of audiobook time in. Pre-COVID that ratio was switched, but the times they are a-changin’.
- I always read before bed. Remember, my physical book stays on my nightstand. No screen time means I fall asleep more soundly when I’m tired. Yes, my husband has an eye-mask.
- I don’t watch TV. I find moving pictures not particularly engaging. I’m weird, I know. But all the time others spend watching TV, I spend reading.
- I have reading deadlines that are meaningful to me. Seriously! Having book club deadlines push me to get more reading done — I will forgo other things for reading to meet the deadlines.
Now, that said, this strategy doesn’t always work for me. When I’m stressed out (like I am now) reading falls by the wayside. I’ve stopped listening to a lot of audiobooks because I need silence or some soothing piano music to calm my brain down. I just cannot concentrate on someone reading to me. Exercise is key for me, too. If I’m in bad brain space, I just don’t have the mental capacity to take in more words. Lately, I haven’t gotten enough exercise and it’s apparent in my reading habits (as well as in other ways).
My strategy isn’t full-proof, and it isn’t perfect. I am motivated by the opportunity to discuss what I’ve learned with others and I’ve found ways to fit reading in, even in small intervals, to all my daily life tasks. I believe that if something is meaningful to you, like reading, you’ll make time for it. It’s never that you don’t have time to read — it’s that you’re prioritizing something else over reading. That’s okay! Just be aware that this is completely in your control. I bet you could read more than you do now if you put your mind to it.
If you’re looking for more on how to make time for reading, check out this post: Making More Time to Read
What do you think?
- Do you consider yourself a Reader? Why or why not?
- What strategies do you implement to fit reading into your life?
- Do you participate in any book clubs? Does this inspire you to read more or not?
11 Comments
I have similar reading strategies for books, though I don’t always have an ebook queued up along with physical books. I usually have a book I take to work to read during my lunch hour, but right now our hours are a bit shorter, and so my lunch hour is a lunch half-hour, which makes it hard to dip into a book. So I’ve mostly just been reading before bed (and then I fall asleep). Right now, I just have a couple of books going– my physical book and an audiobook that I’ve only just started (the one that lives in the car).
It really helps that I’m a fast reader, and always have been. It comes from being a bookworm all my life.
While I’m sure that being a bookworm has to do with an increase in your reading speed, I feel like you read super fast! Perhaps there are other factors. Not that I’m implying you speed read; I don’t think there are many bibliophiles who do that. Perhaps for academic work?
It’s nice to know that I’m not the only person who has a book that lives in their car. XD Sometimes, that makes me feel old. But it’s the best place for it based on accessibility to certain audio formats.
I read every morning, and I read before bed to wind down . I also don’t watch TV. I used to watch maybe 3 shows, but when they changed my work schedule, I gave them up, and have not watched any TV since December. 1.25 X is my max. I tried to up the speed a bit more, but it made the voices annoying.
It’s possible to speed up sound without altering it, but it’s complex. I’m not surprised that audiobook apps don’t have they functionality. I hope they get it some day! It depends on the narrator as to whether I speed it up faster… Most of the time 1.25 is as fast as I need it, too.
I’m glad that I’m not the only person who doesn’t watch TV! I always feel weird when I say that. Yay!
I have not found a narrator yet who I can tolerate at more than 1.25X
After your accident, did you get your car repaired, or did you get a new one, or are you waiting to get a new one? I would think any newer car you bought would have either blue tooth capability or an audio jack (I prefer the audio jack, myself).
We’re waiting to get a new one. My husband and I are sharing one vehicle because COVID means we don’t need to acquire one yet. His car has an audiojack, but my phone doesn’t. I know the iPhone has an adapter you can get (and my phone came with one) but I cannot find it anywhere. And I’m not driving enough right now for it to matter. Doctor’s appointments. That’s it.
I love reading about the different ways people fit reading into their lives. You’ve got some great ideas. I know I would read more if I didn’t watch TV or get on Twitter or Instagram. It’s the social media that especially sucks away my time! But on the whole I’m okay with my reading pace.
Yeah, but you’re a bibliophile. So your pace, whatever it might be, is perfect. Because you’ll keep reading! It’s people who make excuses for not reading and blame it on lack of time where I get frustrated. Heck, you’re a librarian. š You read more than most, I’m sure.
Interesting that you have a strategy. I just read, but we end up at much the same place, except I get to listen to audiobooks while I work, 15 hours a day some days, so I rip through them. I’m old school so they are 100% CDs.
I carry a number of books with me so I always have one to read at night. Up till now I have only used an e-reader for books I couldn’t access any other way, but I bought a new phone this week (Oppo Neo X2) which has a lovely screen so I think I’ll be using that both for old classics and for new releases, of which currently I might only read half a dozen a year.
If I could listen to audiobooks while I worked effectively I’d never need a strategy! š
My strategy wasn’t created intentionally. I didn’t even realize I had it until I stopped to think about it recently. It just turns out that over the last 4 years or so, these are the tactics I developed for fitting as much reading as possible into my day. It was fun to go back and dissect it!
Oooh. Congrats on the fancy new phone! That must be nice. I hope that you enjoy reading on it.