Slice of Life Day 1: How Many Books?!?!
Today is Day 1 of my 2020 Slice of Life Challenge! I often get incredulous looks and this common response when people find out how many books I read. “You read how many books?!?!?!” Many probably think they’d rather do a hundred other things than sit down with a book. But, I have always loved to read. I was the kid who took a book with them everywhere they went. I grew up in a small town with a small library. We were only allowed to check out five books at a time so as to ensure everyone had a selection of material to choose from. Those visits to the library were both exciting and agonizing as I had to decide which five books came home with me for the week.
All through high school and college, I continued to read when most other kids “didn’t have time.” In my senior year of high school, I found that reading was how I relaxed and de-stressed. I could easily tell how tense I was depending on how much reading I did every night before bed. Reading grounds me better than anything else out there. Reading has always helped to keep me more even-keeled. I get frustrated more easily if I haven’t been reading often enough when I’m stressed out.
My Reading Life
Last year, I logged 171 titles in Goodreads and honestly, that’s a lower number than usual. For example, the year before that when I was working on my Blog Book a Day challenge, I read 504 books. Albeit many were picture books, that’s still a lot of reading!
Most people ask me how I read so much. And it’s really simple. It’s something I choose to make time for. During the week, I try to read for at least 15 minutes before bed. Granted, there are nights whenI turn one page and I’m falling asleep with the book hitting me in the face. There are other nights when my partner is working late or out with friends that I’ll sit for an hour or two and just read. And definitely on the weekends, I’ll try and sit down for a little bit each day and read. My favorite time is in the morning after I’ve walked my dog and my partner is still sleeping, the house is quiet and it’s the perfect reading time.
If you want to add more reading time to your day try a few of these tips:
Join a Challenge
There are a ton of great challenges to conquer in your reading life if you need a little bit more focus. It also gets you reading things you might not have otherwise picked up. Check out the Read Harder Challenge from Book Riot to get started.
Listen
A lot of people have luck by adding audiobooks into their life. I have a really short commute and read much faster than I listen, but I know a lot of people who have doubled their reading by listening. And yes, it “counts.” Check your local library for options to download audiobooks from OverDrive or Hoopla or see if they have audiobooks on CD or Playaway. There are a TON of options for listening out there.
DNF (Did Not Finish)
Don’t keep slogging through a book you hate. I have a 50-page rule for the most part. If the book’s not keeping my interest, it gets pushed to the side. Sometimes I’ll return to something to try again at another time, but often I’ll just pick up my next title.
Access to Books
A lot of people don’t read because they don’t have access to many books. If you haven’t been to your local library in a while, check it out! They have so many great resources, services and, yes, books.
Use the Internet
If you’re a picky choosy reader, ask a librarian or independent book store employee for suggestions, jump online for read-alike titles to something you’ve read before, ask friends or family for suggestions! Sometimes the hardest part if finding your next book.
This is my second year participating in the Slice of Life Challenge. I’ll be posting brief posts that show a glimpse of my life in story-format. A slice of my life as a librarian and blogger that I hope you enjoy!
