Reading: To Plan or Not to Plan?

Writers Who Read: Susan Rich Jane the Virgin & Writing with Co...

Reading: To Plan or Not to Plan?

I’ve long planned my reading–kept a TBR list, led two book clubs, read books in thematic clusters–and I thought other readers did, too. But one of the things that has surprised me about the Writers Who Read series is how many of the writers interviewed, most of them big readers, don’t consciously plan their reading.

I think spontaneous, unplanned reading is probably more healthy, and I wish I could do it more. Because sometimes I get a bit crazy with planned reading, and it starts to feel like work. Six years ago, I started a local book club for moms, and we’re still meeting most months. A little over three years ago, wondering why I hadn’t read more classic lit, I started an online classics book club, and a handful of us are still reading–although we now alternate with contemporary books.

So, in most months, I’ve got two books I “have to” read–and therein lies the rub. Many of these books I’ve personally suggested to the groups, and really want to read, but once they’re on my schedule they sometimes feel mandatory, like shoulds insead of wants. Add in the other books and authors I’d like to read–East of Eden, which has been on my TBR for ages, or the newest romance that’s creating a buzz–and I’ve got a lot of non-required reading I feel pressure to consume.

Then I start feeling pressure to read a certain number of books a month, or in a year, or in certain percentages, and…do you see where this is going? Something I love, reading, becomes something that feels mandatory, less about pleasure than quotas and charts and averages.

I struggle to walk that line between planning my reading–which I find impossible to completely disregard, given that there are books and authors that I do want to read–and not going overboard. I’m thinking of this more and more as the year draws to a close and I consider my reading in 2015. How do I allow room for recommended books, authors, or genres I’d like to explore, while still allowing for the spontaneous pleasure of finding a book off the schedule and reading it at my leisure?

Can any of you other anal-retentive readers out there relate?