I read a lot, for work and play. I have opinions about The Right Way For Me To Read, which I would never impose on others. (I was in a serious book group for many years, and mostly learned how many ways there are to disagree about the value of a particular book, even with people you respect and know well.)
I read first thing in the morning and last thing at night, usually a novel, for pleasure. Sometimes I sneak a little reading in at lunch, or the whole family ignores one another at dinner while reading our own books.
I aim to steal 30 minutes during the work day to read a book relevant to my clients and their workplace challenges, although more often than not I don’t prioritize this.
On walks I sometimes listen to Blinkist summaries of books I am considering reading, and I have found some of their content pretty useful. It mostly convinces me not to buy or check out a book from the library, which I suppose saves me time. But they have some guides, shortcasts, and collections that I have found quite useful. I do recommend the Simplify podcast, which often sends me out looking for books. I also enjoy the If Books Could Kill podcast, reminding me to think critically about what I read and how arguments are constructed.
I have an Audible subscription, but I don’t often listen to audiobooks and my credits are stacking up. I dither about whether an audiobook “counts.” It can be a helpful way to take in something I feel I should read but don’t especially want to sit down and concentrate on.
A book that transformed the way I think about reading was How To Talk About Books You Haven’t Read by Pierre Bayard. It’s hard to describe — philosophy, satire, social critique?? — and I’m not sure I understood it, but he helped me recognize all the different ways there are to misunderstand a book, and how silly it is for anyone to think they understand it better than other people do. Certainly the experience of rereading a book and discovering that I’d forgotten or misremembered crucial aspects of it is no longer a surprise.
I track my reading, which I find satisfying and helpful. I used to try to game the system or beat my previous numbers, but that silly impulse has faded. Nobody cares but me, and even I don’t care much. What’s astonishing is how much of what I read I forget within weeks or months. If I want to remember something, I’ve learned I must read it with a different kind of attention, preferably taking notes. This summer I mislaid the little notebook I’ve been using since 2020 and it felt like a big loss. I didn’t quite know what to do with myself for a few weeks. I both read less and tracked less of what I read. Eventually I started another notebook to try to reconstruct the summer reading, but was delighted to find the original at the bottom of a bag two weeks ago.
The Right Way For Me To Read:
1) Read whatever I feel like. No such thing as “trash.”
2) Track books finished, but don’t finish books just to increase my stats.
3) Underline nonfiction books so I can distinguish them from fiction. It’s helpful to jot a word or two down, because I forget so many books, but I don’t stress about this.
4) Abandon bad books if they make me grumpy. Complain to my husband if I am enjoying a book but it is poorly written or insipid.
5) Try to read, most days, in a sitting position (in addition to lying in bed, because then I fall asleep.) When reading nonfiction, have an index card at hand for notes.
6) Read on physical books, not Kindle, unless traveling.
7) If after reading a library book, I think I’ll re-read it, buy a copy for my shelf. Write in these books. Circle page numbers, annotate, whatever will help when I come back.
Sometimes I write a summary or some lines I found useful on an index card and tuck it into the book.
8) Keep a running list of books I want to read for when I’m in a library or used bookstore.
9) Don’t join a book club, even if tempted. I never want reading to feel like an obligation.
10) Don’t recommend books to others unless they specifically ask. I don’t want them to feel an obligation to read something or pretend they did.
11) DO buy books as presents. This contradicts #10 above, but I’m bad at presents and reasonably good at books, and I always tell the recipient they needn’t feel like they need to read it if it’s not their thing. It saves me a lot of agony if my rule of thumb is that if I have to give a gift, I try a book first.
