Question: I became really intrigued in your 30 books in 30 days challenge. It seems like something I’d like to try myself, but I’ve always been a very slow reader, and I also have to keep up with a ton of newspapers and magazines for my work.
My question is: do you find that reading a book a day keeps you from other daily activities, like writing, going out, etc? Do you find it easy to read a lot of books and periodicals? Or are you a naturally fast reader and the challenge is something very doable?
Just curious. Keep up the great work. Diana
Answer: I’m really a rather slow reader, though I may think that cuz my sis is an exceptionally fast one. However, I’m of the opinion one tends to enjoy books more if one slowly savors them. Which may explain why my sis is a fast-reading medical doctor and I’m a slow reading grad student….
But to answer your Qs: No, reading didn’t keep me from other activities — mainly because I AM a full-time graduate student, on summer vacation no less. It’s a lot easier to curl up on the couch with a book for a few hours in the afternoon before heading out for happy hour at 5 if you don’t have to, you know, work.
Theoretically, reading is a big chunk of my work and I really should’ve been reading at this rate for the last 6 yrs….
Still, I think the challenge is doable for people who put in full days at the office. Thus, a few tips:
1. Save The Tale of Genji for another day, and stick to the short books — Brokeback Mountain, for ex, can be read in under an hour, and most books by John Steinbeck under two.
2. Turn off the TV.
3. Use a feed reader as much as possible to read your newspapers and mags, saving yrself a lil more time for book reading.
4. Carry your current read with you everywhere you go, and sneak in a few pages every time you’re stuck in a line, waiting for an event to start, etc.
5. Revise the goal to fit your lifestyle and reading tastes. A 10 books in 30 days goal is nothing to scoff at — It’s still a book every 3 days!
Happy reading :)
