I Need to Read More

When I was a kid, I was a voracious reader. My friends and I always had books we were reading recreationally in our backpacks and we’d always be leafing through them when we had a free moment in class (which was fairly often). Today? Today I have to force myself to open a book that I enjoy! I’ve got plenty of books that I have yet to finish, and a stack that I have yet to start.

*insert pic of my nightstand w/ books*

So, What Happened?

I blame college. I didn’t really have time to read in school. I was too busy with school and trying to figure out how to navigate my new stage of life to read much, and the few spare moments I had I played video games in (a habit that I luckily have left behind). I picked up a semi-addiction to YouTube in college as well, which really eats up the time I could spend on reading. I’ve cut way back on my streaming intake, but I just can’t seem to get back in the habit of opening up a book when I have the opportunity.

I have forced myself to read a good handful of books in the past few years, though. I’m always seeking to learn new and useful info, and books are quite possibly the best way to do so outside of face-to-face conversations. I got bogged down in The Count of Monte Cristo for a few years (not joking 😞) but I finally forced myself through it after I graduated. For the record, 1800’s French translated into English isn’t the easiest for me to breeze through.

I really figured that after I got through Monte Cristo that I’d start flying through books again, but that was not the case. I’ve read a lot more in the last couple years than on the previous, but I still have to force myself to do so. I want to get back into reading more but I haven’t dedicated the will power required to make it a habit again. I blame YouTube.

There is something about how video (including TV) just keeps going without you that makes it very easy to consume. It’s the difference between a buffet and one of those sushi conveyor belts. When consuming streaming video or even a podcast you can just mentally sit back and let the info stream into your mind. My brain only has to interpret words & images and file them away. It’s a very passive experience. Not to mention the fact that I stream stuff on my phone, meaning that I’m rarely more than arm’s length and 30 seconds from playing a video at any point.

Reading is a very different experience for me. I have to move my eyes across the page constantly. I have to interpret the info, file it away, and gather more info continuously. I find reading to be a more active, intentional process. If you glance away from YouTube, it just keeps going, like a conveyor belt. If you glance away from a page or start getting distracted, the info stream stops. I also read pretty slowly, from what I’ve gathered. I vocalize the words I’m reading in my head, so I normally read at about the same pace that I talk. Sometimes I push it and go faster, but I have to concentrate to do so. I’ve also noticed that my reading comprehension drops when I go faster. I’m not in a book to flip pages, I’m here to glean the info out of it. Missing info defeats the purpose of the entire exercise of reading, so I read at a normal conversational pace.

What Are You Going To Do About It?

So, how to fix the problem at hand? Simple: I’m just going to keep forcing myself to read until it just becomes habit and I don’t have to force myself anymore (work harder, not smarter). If you’d like to keep tabs on me, I’ve made a new Library page to show what I’m up to book-wise. You, dear reader, can use this new page to see what books I’m reading and what’s next on the list. Like the Armory page, I’ll try to keep it up-to-date. I’m also including a contact form at the bottom of that page if you feel like sending me ideas.

I’m not planning on keeping a public list of all my owned books, though I may do that personally. It would be nice to have an inventory of my personal library like I do of my guns. I could also implement some sort of subject-based classification system. That way I could look at my list of books that deal with philosophy, my reference manuals, stuff dealing with guns, fiction novels, etc.

As of late August 2019 I’m reading American Coyote, The Way of Men, and The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes. I should be done with the first two here pretty quick, the last one I’ve only just begun. The Holmes book might hang around for a while. It is a complete works, after all.

Stay curious, and I’ll see you next Friday. -S_S