Reading for myself! {R is for Reading}

I have lots of organizing and re-arranging and regrouping type topics on my brain but couldn’t quite find an R topic that worked for me to use for Alphabet Blogging.  I asked Turtlegirl for some suggested R words. Without hesitation she said “reading.”  Hmm. Yup. That works for me.

At the beginning of 2013 I decided that I wanted to read more books.  Let me clarify, more books that I wanted to read. When the girls were younger, I read a lot of books. I read great books aloud to the girls and for awhile I pre-read readers to hand to the girls and I read history books aloud and science books too.

So in 2013, according to Goodreads, I read a total of 22 books. That number seems so tiny. So many books in the world that I want to read and I only managed to read 22? But it’s a start, right? 22 books is better than no books.  And those were 22 books that I choose to read for me.

So moving on to 2014.  I decided to set the goal for 40 books. That’s nearly double what I read in 2013. I realized that I could read more books if I was willing to make it a priority. It’s a choice. I can choose to goof off on the computer or I can choose to read a book. I can choose to watch Netflix or I can choose to read a book. And there are lots and lots and lots well far too many to count, books that I want to read or re-read.Reading for yourself

Currently, according to Goodreads, I have read 11 books so far this year.  ELEVEN.  In two months I read half the amount of books that I read last year. I’m going to choose to focus on the idea of progress instead of crying about how much time I wasted last year not reading.  I have to confess though that four of those eleven books were audio books that I was able to listen to in the car when I played taxi-driver for the month of January.  I am not doing the same amount of driving so I don’t have the same amount of time for audio books.  Maybe I should adjust my goal from 40 to 44? 

In addition to setting a goal of 40 books and making the decision to allow myself to stop reading a book I don’t like, I decided to challenge myself with Reading Bingo. It’s a reading challenge from Retreat by Random House of Canada. I like the variety of topics listed for the BINGO squares.  Some of the categories are going to be more challenging than others but what a fun challenge!

Also according to Goodreads I am currently reading 7 books. Of course “currently reading” doesn’t mean that I am reading all those books every day.  Or even consistently every week.  But it does mean that I have started 7 books and I intend to finish them.  I have decided that life is too short and there are too many great books.  I don’t need to keep reading a book if it does not enrich my life in some way; either by entertaining, engaging or enlightening.  If I don’t like it, I’ll just delete it from Goodreads and move on.

Have you set a reading goal? Do you enjoy reading but find that you’ve allowed life to push it out out of the way? How do you find time to read?

Please Note:  I started this post weeks ago when Marcy over at Ben and Me was on the letter R in her Blogging Through The Alphabet meme.  I still want to blog about a letter R topic because I want to be able to actually complete a round.  You can read my S is for Snow post which did actually post in the right week and was linked up. I’ve got some ideas for T, U and V but it might be another week or two before I am back to the same letter as Marcy.

Comments

  1. I had to come and look at the photo on the computer screen - what a lovely pile of books!

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  2. That is so awesome that you are making reading a priority! What a great example to your kids:) I remember in college I had this huge bucket list of books that I wanted to read but just didn't "have the time". I am so thankful that God has allowed our life to slow down a bit so I can enjoy things like reading and studying:) Thanks for sharing - enjoy your books!

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  3. Oh I can so relate to this. I used to be such a reader. I mean, I practically lived at the library growing up and as an adult I was never without a book. These last few years though....it just seems like there is never enough time!

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  4. I love to read. I used to panic when I finished one book and didn't have another. Thanks to my Kindle, I don't have that problem anymore. :-)

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  5. How wonderful to have such a lofty goal. Lately, I've just been reading continually but not stressing about the numbers. I also have several books that I'm reading aloud to my kids!

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