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Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Too Slow?

There are 65 books on my wishlist at Borders.  And I'm sure, if I put more time and effort into it, I could easily double that number.  Knowing that, the rate in which I can complete a book seems way too slow.  This is actually something I've been thinking about recently, having been a part of my first reading challenge and checking out the blogs and reviews of the rest of those participating.  There's something I've noticed: while I used to think I was a fairly fast reader (nothing compared to my mother, but still faster than the average Joe), I have nothing on these people.  They read a book a week at least!  How is that possible?  These women have jobs just like me (or they're stay-at-home moms with toddlers which I think is even harder) and somehow they are tearing through their reading lists.

I read at every opportunity throughout the day - in the morning if I have extra time, on my breaks at work, walking to the gym during my lunch break - and, granted, once I get home the reading does tend to stop abruptly, but still.  Is that really the culprit, or am I not as fast a reader as I thought I was?  Normally I wouldn't care, but my wishlist is sort of overwhelming me and I'm wondering how I'm ever going to have the time to read everything I want to (and since we all know I'm not a patient person, I would prefer to read them all right now).

I don't really expect there to be an answer, other than to just keep truckin' and look forward to all the good books yet to come.

5 comments:

  1. Hmmm... I do think the abrupt end of reading when you get home probably plays a role in things... and the working out at the gym during your lunch instead of reading while you eat.
    I have the added bonus of 2 half hour/45 minute long bus rides a day and still haven't finished a book in a looonnngg while. I really need to get better about that!

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  2. Is there a time limit on when you need to finish these books? I read anywhere from 1-3 books per week, but I a)read at each break including an hour long lunch at work, b)read every evening while Caitie is going to sleep-so usually get 1/2 to 1 hour of reading time each night and c)sometimes (frequently if I really like the book) stay up uber late to keep reading and accept that I am going to be cranky the next day. I don't think I read particularly quickly, I just read frequently and I don't take a lot of time to analyze what I'm reading. I just read to enjoy the story. I think you actually spend time thinking about what you're reading so while you may be reading quickly, you are also spending a lot of time reviewing what you've read. Relax, you're young, unless you have to read all 65 books by the end of this year, you've got plenty of time.

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  3. I've often said that it's a shame that work interferes with the really important things in life - like reading - and our personal lives. I don't usually analyze either, but the books I've been reading lately require more thought than usual.

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  4. There's no time limit, I'm just impatient. So many good books come out all the time, and I keep falling behind. :-) Then there are books I want to reread, which I sometimes feel bad about doing because I already know that story and there are so many more to discover. Then again, sinking back into a familiar story is one of my favorite things to do.

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  5. There are some ridiculously fast readers who are book bloggers, and there are some book bloggers who read for hours a day. I am a pretty fast reader compared to normal humans (I average about a page a minute), but I don't have as much time to read as I would like. I read on the bus (which usually slows down my page/minute average), but actual time sitting at home reading without interruption is not as regular as I would like. On a good day, I read for two hours.

    I have given up other things because I realized I would rather read. I don't watch as much tv, I pretty much gave up watching sports, and I rarely go to the movies. I like to read, so I've made it a bigger priority. My wish list is still out of control, but I am making progress. Good luck!

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