I Cannot keep up with my reading

[Jeffrey]

Maybe when I was younger there were fewer authors that I liked. Maybe in my twenties I concentrated on fantasy and sf exclusively, but now I read a lot more other genres so cannot get to sff as much. maybe books were shorter in the past -- no doorstoppers from Peter Hamilton or Neil Stephenson or a Way of Kings from Sanderson to knock you off stride


Before marriage and after law school I read 225 books a year. But all work and all books is not a life.

Marriage and kids have definitely cut into my time. Not complaining, before marriage and kids my life was hopeless well read of course but hopeless. I would not trade but do I miss reading that many books -- you betcha because there are just too many books out there.

Its past ridiculous. I read 100 pages a day, I watch 3 hours of tv, I read the newspaper, surf the internet a ton. Spend time with the kids and maybe work 8 hours. I go to bed at 3:00 am 3 days a week but I cannot keep up.

My to read pile has 176 entries (and frankly most of those books are just bs never going to get to them) and I guarantee there are another 15 books I took out of the library every other week (or close to 200 books last year), that will never go on that list, with the best intention of reading and just could not get to them. I read 130 books last year and 32 of them were to the kids so basically about 100 books or one every three days, and I cannot keep up with the books I want to read.

Yet there are times that the library does not do it for me either and I buy novels, and then, unless I read them right away the onslaught of books to be read continues unabated, and they fall by the wayside, not to be read. New ones come out on the shelf -- good fantasy series where I have time invested in characters or authors that I never heard of come out and I just have to read them and still stay up to all hours o fth enight just so I can finish it. My book thirst is unquenchable. Too bad we cannot DVR the book and just read it later. Later never comes, and DVRs eliminate the need for commercials -- so you dont get that 2 minutes of reading that you used to.

Do I have time for e books -- books in clubs, books I want to read fall by the wayside how do i stay up with clubs. More power to those that can.

Re-reading (hah) I bet my totals of books would be double if we counted how many books I re-read in the past, but nowadays, its almost impossible to take the time to re-read. There are just too many books out there. Free at the library. I used to spend thousands of dollars on books. Nowadays much less.

And if urban fantasy, a witches brew of sword wielding or pistol packing vampire killers, vampires, and other supernatural protagonists dominate the shelves of my favorite book store and I just do not want to read the clones bearing the same likenesses (is there stock people nowadays who have a job as fantasy cover models), there are plenty of other books out there in mystery, thriller, and other genre fiction that I am never without a book or two or three to read.

Yesterday, I returned 9 books to the library unread but took out 6 more books, today I took out 3 more books (one of which I just purchased and returned to a bookstore) and three movies to rent and I have two other new bought books in a bag to my right. When will I fit them in???

I have read nearly 2500 sf and fantasy titles, so typically I do not have to go back and read the "classics". I either read them and liked or did not like them in almost equal measure or decided not to read them for one reason or another.

I skip around from genre to genre reading a mystery on Wednesday and a thriller today then a detective story and maybe a sf book or supernatural story. There are 25 books on my library card but I am thinking of buying the new Michelle West novel, the new Morgan book, the new Elizabth Moon the Naomi Novik


What to read, What to read what to read, what to read???

Here's a list of 10 books I wanted to read last year but never got to. What books were really really important to you to read but you didnt. Not the ones that you throw on a to read list because it looks interesting but the really really books you had to read but just never had the time --- it would be interesting to know and to know your experiences.

Not going back to no kids to watch for another decade so its probably 100 to 120 books a year for the next decade -- and that my friends -- really stinks.

My list of 10 books in a bunch of genres that I really wish I read but didnt:

1. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (bought and unread)
2. The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
3. Dragon Haven by Robin Hobb
4. The Warriors Legacy
5. River of Shadows by Robert Reddick (bought it)
6. Boneshaker by Priest (bought it)
7. River Marked by Briggs
8. The Map of Time by Parme
9. The Delta Decision by P Robinson (thriller)
10. Plugged by Eoin Colfer

[Jack]

I have a huge list of books I want to read, and very little time to read them. Well, closer to the lack of attention span to read them. Most of the time when my lust for a book overcomes my lust for more well known media (movies, games, and such), I still have much homework to be done. If only books could be multitasked as easily as other things!! :x

[[deleted user]]

Jack wrote: "I have a huge list of books I want to read, and very little time to read them. Well, closer to the lack of attention span to read them. Most of the time when my lust for a book overcomes my lust fo..."

Audio books. ;)

[Shomeret]

Yesterday I returned four books to the library, three of which were unread and took out three more.

This is a problem that isn't limited to print books. My Kindle has exponentially increased my inability to keep up with my reading. I download books to my Kindle every day, but only read them on mass transit. It can take me a week to finish one Kindle book.

[Becky]

Derrick, I questioned the TV time too. Priorities, Jeffrey, priorities! ;)

I also think that perspective might help. You used to be able to read more, sure, but even the amount you're able to read now is a pretty great number. I know people who think it's an achievement if they read one or two books a month.

If you enjoy what you're reading, then enjoy it and don't worry about the quantity so much. :)

Also, I agree with Ala. Audio is awesome.

[Jeffrey]

Shomeret

I know the issue well. I think I wean down books. I take out the ones that I think will be good then when I get home I only have time for 3 per week. But I have 8-15 out so I make choices. In two weeks thats 6-7 books out of 25. Still get clunkers. Still read tons of new authors. At least not buying them and not reading them.

Audio is a great invention -- but I do not travel by car much. Its still eyeball to page for me.

[Helen]

Perhaps only allow your self to visit the library once every two weeks rather than two days running. I have to admit, I own too many unread books to visit the library.

[whimsicalmeerkat]

I disagree that books should automatically be prioritized over TV. Prioritize based on what you actually want to be doing.

[[deleted user]]

If you're wanting to read more, than you're TV time will have to pay the price.

If you're just wanting to stop taking out so many books and not reading them, well, stop going to the library :P

[Jack]

Ala wrote: "Audio books. ;) "

I do "read" a lot of audio books. :P They're very useful for when I have homework.

[whimsicalmeerkat]

Ala wrote: "If you're wanting to read more, than you're TV time will have to pay the price.

If you're just wanting to stop taking out so many books and not reading them, well, stop going to the library :P"

^ this

[Rachel]

Going to the library is like going into a candy store. I leave with more that I planned. I consume them all, very few exceptions, but that's me. It's great to see your enthusiasm :).

[Becky]

Ala wrote: "If you're wanting to read more, than you're TV time will have to pay the price.

If you're just wanting to stop taking out so many books and not reading them, well, stop going to the library :P"

Agree. LOL

[Shomeret]

When I check out library books I've usually gotten them on hold. I haven't had a chance to look at them because they often come from a different branch, a different city or even in some cases a neighboring state. I often don't know that it's going to be over 500 pages and therefore difficult to impossible to fit in. So I take them home and evaluate whether I think I can read them and whether they are worthwhile enough for me to make the time investment.

[Caitrin]

Denae wrote: "I disagree that books should automatically be prioritized over TV. Prioritize based on what you actually want to be doing."

Agree! Do what you wanna do!

And I don't feel bad whatsoever for getting a lot of books from the library and returning a lot of them unread because I've chosen other priorities...I do waht I wanna do and enjoy what I want! Besides, my library loves the increased circulation...they could care less whether I've actually read the book or not. If I care enough about it I"ll check it out again to actually read it.

[Julia]

In one of Connie Willis's books Bellwether maybe, the main character looks up which library books have not been borrowed for a long time and borrows them to save them from the dreaded DISCARD pile.

[Riona]

Julia wrote: "In one of Connie Willis's books Bellwether maybe, the main character looks up which library books have not been borrowed for a long time and borrows them to save them ..."


I love that! I've been meaning to read more Connie Willis, actually....

[Caitrin]

The average American watches 5 hours of tv a day. A study was done that said at 6 hours a day of TV, people tended to live 5 less years. He's doing pretty good at 3 methinks, compared to the average American.

[Jeffrey]

Thanks Caitrin.

The reality is that we all have to choose how to spend our recreation time. I choose to spend a lot of it on reading and a lot on other diversions. I also spend a lot of time with my kids and other pursuits. Life is a lot more complicated than ever.

[Kim]

I thinks it's a little greedy to take a lot of library books then not read them. What about others who want to read the book but you've got it just sitting at home.

I used to take a big pile home all the time but I also made sure I read them. I'd never take more than I could handle, it's not fair for all the other library users.

Lately I've only managed around an hours reading a day. Not as much as I'd like but I have more important priorities in my life.

[Caitrin]

If people wanted to read them they'd request them and I'd take 'em into the library :P

[Dawn]

That's a lot of fricken TV... I don't know how people have time for that.

[Kevin]

Kim wrote: "I thinks it's a little greedy to take a lot of library books then not read them. What about others who want to read the book but you've got it just sitting at home.

I used to take a big pile home ..."

I had a habit of that all the time.

[Justin]

I think there are a few problems, at least in my opinion.

1) You have some pretty high expectations. 225 books is quite a bit when you have familial and work obligations. I think you should lighten your load a bit, especially considering that you are only reading 1/3 of the books you take out from the library. Set more attainable goals

2) Three hours of TV is not particularly high, but it is probably pretty high if you wish to be a heavy reader. Though, tv can also be a more social activity than reading when one has a family, so it's a bit understandable.

3) Sleep and exercise. Your lack of energy is probably at least partly caused by your lack of sleep (3am bed times?) and based on your written schedule, it sounds like you get virtually no exercise.