Winter 2020 Update
If you haven’t read my Winter 2020 To Read list, go check it out.
10 books in 3 months. I have no doubt I am CAPABLE of this but it was a bit more than reality. We were chugging along nice and smooth with me reading a bit here and a bit there and then bam! COVID-19 shut down the world and I thought I would read more. Turns out, I actually just watch Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune a lot. And am really good at procrastinating. So, April 1 came and went and I was a bit discouraged when I checked in with myself on the progress of my book list. 0/10 complete. 7/10 started but none complete. But I did buy 5 new books 4 of which I have finished so that counts for something right? (I have officially run out of bookshelf space in my room BTW.) Okay so here is the breakdown:
Almost Completed
Started but Nowhere Near Completed
Covers Have Barely Been Opened
I Really Like Books and Have Bought Too Many Recently
(Awareness is the first step to fixing a problem right? But is it a problem I don’t really think this is a problem?)
Spring 2020 Reading List
So, having not finished my list from the Winter, I am going to reevaluate and try not to bite off more than I can chew this time. This time, my list is going to be prioritized.
To Finish First
Michael Greger, M.D., FACLM
Mo Isom
C.S. Lewis
Scarlet Hiltibidal
Robyn Openshaw
Russel Evans
To Start – AKA Spring 2020 Reading List
Paul Jones
James Clear
With these priorities in place, finishing what I have already started, hopefully I will actually succeed in reading through my stack of books I currently own before buying any more. My reading wish list is ever growing but, my list of finished books is as well. And anyway, reading a plethora expands the mind, right? Well, I am off to do some work, watch a bit of The Hobbit, and read some books!
3 Comments
Christian
Hey Lyss! I thought that because of COVID-19 I would be doing the things that I was putting off, but I was wrong!
I was wondering if you can listen to my situation and dilemma when it comes to trying to read a book. We have a book shelf full of books (a mix of fiction and non-fiction) and I’ve even received a book as a gift recently, my problem is that I prefer to read in a quiet place alone, but that doesn’t happen often for me. I don’t get much privacy at my home. Plus it doesn’t help that I have this weird insecurity about being seen reading a book for some reason. Do you have any advice for this? I do have a book that I have wanted to read for some time now. What are your thoughts on eBooks and audiobooks? Obviously they aren’t the same as holding the physical book in your hands, but it adds another way to enjoy books.
Lyss
Hi Christian, thank you so much for keeping up with the blog!
I will do my best to answer your questions but I am going to answer them in reverse order. In regards to physical v e-book v audio book, I personally prefer physical books because I can read them and don’t have the strain of looking at a screen to do so. That being said, I have the Kindle app on my phone and read books on that all the time. I also (and this is a weird quirk of mine) don’t like purchasing digital books or movies. If I am going to purchase something, I prefer to have a hard copy. In regards to audio books, I don’t like them because of how I read and process stories. However, I have tons of friends and family who absolutely love them and I will say, I tend to listen to non-fiction audio books when I drive cross-country. All in all, what type of book you prefer I think is a personal thing – how do you process stories, do you mind looking at screens, and what just feels most comfortable to you? I use all three methods of reading, it just depends on what I am doing.
In regards to not wanting to be seen reading, I would tell you to do a heart check. There is something in you saying, ‘nope, this is bad’. Maybe it is because you saw a kid get beat up for reading when you were little or maybe reading just wasn’t something you grew up doing and so it is weird and awkward for you to show people this new habit. Regardless, it is something inside you throwing up a wall and you should do some soul searching to figure out why. The other option is to just push through the discomfort and read in front of people, but that may cause you to create resentment toward reading so be careful with that. If you like quiet places but don’t have one, create one. Make your back porch a haven; create a book in a corner of your bedroom; when you want to read, drive to the nearest park and just sit in the beauty of creation while reading. As humans we tend to over complicate so instead choose to simplify when you have a problem. If you really wanted to go crazy, clean the bathroom and then go shut the door and sit on the floor in the bathroom to read – people rarely bother you there 🙂
All in all, I think this comes down to trial and error and what works best for YOU. Reading physical books doesn’t always work for my grandfather who listens to audio books at work. I can often read a book while a movie is playing in front of me and have no clue what just happened in the whole movie but my best friend typically can’t. My mom prefers e-books because she reads in bed before falling asleep and it is more comfortable to hold a light tablet than a heavy book. What works for you, what makes you most comfortable? At the end of the day, I think all that matters is that you are reading – it expands your mind and you learn to think in new ways. Apparently this was just a really long way to say do what works for you with your life and your habits. I hope this helps!
Christian
No problem! I’m looking to future posts/blogs! ☺
I also tend to favor physical copies of books, movies, and other entertainment. It is nice to just open up a book (technically) wherever, whenever! Well, I guess digital can do that as well, they are definitely pros and cons to each. I don’t mind digital though, I spend an embarrassing amount of time looking at screens.
I feel like I already sort of knew why I didn’t like being seen reading by others, people have made fun of me because of the books I was reading then, and I still let it get to me, that and now reading isn’t really a hobby of mine anymore, so now it would be “out of the ordinary” to my family. I try to soul search a lot but it seems to always lead to me just thinking about life in general, I also tend to over think and over complicate most things in general, it feels like such a waste of mental energy! Not the soul searching though! The overthinking and complicating thoughts!
I think I know where and when I can try to fit some reading in my day though, well, not day but night! I have a very terrible sleeping schedule right now!
Your answer did help though, I was a little hesitant to even ask honestly, it just felt “weird”? I’m glad I did though.