On Reading Too Much
I do realise that this is probably going to be my least relatable post of all time – and my posts include one about a perfume that costs 400 euros and several about wearing evening gowns in very unpractical circumstances.
I am fully aware that most people are not worried about reading too much: what they struggle with is reading as much as they want (or feel they should). That’s the case for me most of the time, too. I have long ago resigned myself to the fact that I will never be able to read all the books I want to. I love reading and my interests are broad, so even if I did nothing but read, there would always be more books, more to learn, more to experience.
Where I perhaps differ from some readers is that I almost never find it difficult to read. I very rarely have problems with concentration and I am almost never in a reading slump – I might turn to lighter stuff, but not stop reading entirely. This also means that if I have time, I will read a lot. The start of this year has been somewhat quieter at work and as the direct outcome, I had read more than 40 books by the beginning of April. This is unusual. I have had periods where I’ve read at an even faster pace, but they have always included a longer holiday*. So this has made me think about the amount of time I spend reading.
As a rule, this is not something I contemplate or worry about: there is a level of reading I feel I must do and almost physically crave. And when I’m busy, it is my default mode to spend every free minute reading: the amount of these free minutes is very limited and after checking off work, family and exercise, I’ll pick up a book. For me, reading is pretty much the absolute good, it is always the right, noble choice.
Except – what if there are other noble choices I should be making, when I have the luxury to choose between different pasttimes? If I’m honest, reading can sometimes be the easy option: I know I will enjoy it and in most cases, it requires little effort – some discilpine occasionally, yes, but I can handle that. I do not have a problem with taking that option most of the time, but I have to remember that there are other things I want to do: write, blog, study. Defaulting to reading is not always the best choice.
So for the first time in my life, I am wondering if I should consciously opt for other things, prioritise writing and learning over reading. I haven’t quite figured it out and when the work picks up (as it always does), this internal debate will become mostly theoretical anyway. But I’ll pause to think about these things as I pick up my 47th book of 2021.
How is yor reading going? Reading too much? Too little? Any new favourites?
*Diligent followers of my Instagram know that I am in fact on holiday now, but the post was written a week ago, soon after leaving Brussels.
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I think it’s great that you read so much. At some point I think you may want to do something with all that ‘knowledge’ or ‘perspective’ – as writing, speaking or other possible activities. I agree that there is nothing better than reading a book.
Reading is a joy. And you are absolutely correct that sometimes the books provide so much intellectual/creative stimulation that I’m almost desperate to express it somehow. I am doing a bit of writing when I have time and I of course I have the blog, where I can in the end write about anything/in whatever format I want.
This is your most relatable blog post of all time 🙂
I have finished 77 books so far this year and yes, I keep thinking of other things I could be doing that might be less easy and less enjoyable in short term but bring some long-term benefits. Writing and learning are good examples. I also wish I could make myself work out as much as you do.
I quite genuinely have “read less, write more” among my New Year’s resolutions each year; so far, this has just resulted in me writing more and longer book reviews in Goodreads. Unfortunately they don’t seem to be getting any better so… yeah. Send help 🙂
The wordpress has stopped sending me updates for comments, so I keep missing important ones🤷♀️ I didn’t mean to imply that there aren’t people who read more than I do – of course there are and I know several personally/virtually (you are a case in point🙂). I was just very conscious of the fact that ‘I read too much’ is such a first world problem to have, when many people either genuinely don’t have the time or the resources or struggle with pandemic-induced anxiety.
I am considring setting a concrete daily writing target, similarly to my 10k steps a day one. It is not super fixed, but I still get the steps in most days and having something like this for writing would perhaps make it easier to decide whether I’m ‘allowed’ to read or not. Also, I forgot to mention that I need to sleep more, which will also automatically mean reading less. I have actually been pretty good this year, but there is room for improvement (and as work gets busier, the sleeping situation will surely deteriorate).
I can relate to this. I’ve been a serious reader since childhood, and often use reading as an escape. Reading is my default position, and sometimes I forget about things I should really be doing instead. Being retired helps me balance it all, with more time and much less to do. Mostly I let my instincts lead the way to a wide range of subjects. I appreciate your blog.
Thank you for your lovely comment. It sincerely makes me glad that despite all that reading, you find time to visit my blog. Anything that you’ve read recently that you’d like to recommend?