GTKY: What are you reading? ...or...

[Deleted User]

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...or what is sitting on your nightstand waiting to be read?

[Deleted User]

We have some avid readers around here!  I mostly fall into the second camp, I have a stack of books I keep meaning to get to!   :#  My question for the keeners is how do you make / find the time to actually sit and read?  I was getting up super early during Lent and that was a good time for me, but now that I'm back to my slacker wake up routine lol ...by the end of the day I'm just so tired, if I'm going to do anything it's usually sit and veg and watch half an hour of a show.  I feel like it takes a little extra concentration (to read, vs. do nothing, meditate, or watch something) that I don't always have when I'm tired.  How do you DOOOO eet???

Lisa3379

I have RBG's autobiography gathering dust next to my bed. I don't know if this counts, but I'm in the middle of Barack Obama's latest book, but I've recently gotten hooked (again) on the Howard Stern Show, so that's been taking precedence over reading, haha. 

gingermama29

I just finished all 8 of the Bridgerton books!

fifilala516

I'm reading Michael J. Fox's latest book, "No Time Like the Future."

bows22

I’m reading “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime” - it was actually something I added onto my list 2 years ago when we did a GTKY like this. If that gives any clues about how long it takes me to get through books.  I’m pretty sure @shamrocandroll recommended it!

@BusinessWife I usually try to read every night even if it’s just for 10 minutes. It helps my mind to shut off from the day. Then once I get invested in the book I find myself making excuses to go to bed earlier so that I can read longer before falling asleep haha. 

chgilmore

Okay so background, I gave myself a 100 book goal for the year (last year the goal was 70 and I got 85 so I figured this is a good stretch for me). Right at this moment, I'm reading "every day gets a little closer" by irvin yalom and ginny elkin. it consists of the write-ups the course of weekly therapy treatments from the perspectives of both the therapist (Yalom) and "Ginny". It's a little tedious but I like being in the weeds and the reminder that as a therapist, I won't always see "steady progress"!

I have a stack from the library: transformed by birth, period repair manual, a fiction novel waiting for me at the library. I also have a shelf of books I bought but have not read yet because they're part of my "professional library" and I keep telling myself I need to read them when I can get paid for it...

chgilmore

@BusinessWife part of my motivation was definitely the goal I set at the first of the year (100 books), but I also noticed that I felt better mentally when I read vs. when I would just veg out/watch tv as my default relaxation activity. I'm all about a good show or movie, but I try to be more mindful about what I'm doing with my free time, especially as I start to transition into post-grad life with a full-time job

acleverusername

I’m readying The Great Alone but I’ve been dragging my feet on it because I only manage 10 pages each night before bedtime. I don’t otherwise have time to read. I really need to get started on my next book club selection which is In Five Years. 

I’m also listening to Obama’s book which I have been for months at this point but I only do that when I take walks. Even though I took a 3 month break from listening during walks while I focused on walking meditation. 

[Deleted User]

@bows22 that is a good point.  I feel like 10 minutes is such a manageable goal to start, that just creating the habit would be the most important thing. ;)

@chgilmore that's impressive! And yeah, way too much for me where I'm at right now. 😆 Even one a month would be a better place for me to start, I think.  But I appreciate what you speak to about the intentionality of your time.  That has happened to me in a major way with my prayer life this past year, Thank You 2020! Lol 🙏🙏🙏 Some of that time does include spiritual reading as well, and most of what I want to read stems from that anyway (vs. fiction / fantasy or even politics or idk what else people like to read about lol) so yeah, thinking out loud, but I feel like for me if I remember to conceptualize taking the time as a form of self-care, rather than this obligation that I have to either check off, (or get to beat myself up that I didn't do it 😸), that may help.  Excercise probably falls into that category, too, for me!  😬😬😬 Ahem.  Ok.  Something to think about. 😉

@acleverusername Ah!  Listening to!  Yes, DH and I started listening to Fr. Mike Schmitz's Bible in a Year podcast in January, which has been SO GOOD!!! But we have fallen pretty far behind / took a semi-intentional break. Lol We both want to re-commit to that, too!

anniemarie887

Truthfully... I stay up way too late, and am tired. But it’s my “me” time. I also like to read over lunch. I’ve made a conscious effort not to work through lunch any longer, it’s not healthy, America has too much of a culture of work yourself to death and bragging rights around who worked the most. 

That being said, I just finished Born Survivors on recommendation from a friend, it’s a Holocaust memorial and not a light read. I simultaneously read the Last Flight (the one by Julie Clark, it’s suspense/thriller, think Gone Girl) for my new book club. I’m trying to trudge through some DFW essays, also a request of a friend. And I’m about to start Too Good To Be True which was my most recent BOTM pick. 

I enjoy reading, right now I don’t have any shows I’m in love with. So I do silly things like start the Last Flight and finish it in one sitting by staying up until 2am. 🙃

chgilmore

@anniemarie887 I like that idea about reading over lunch! I do have mixed feelings about working through lunch though. I absolutely agree it isn't healthy and can reinforce the culture of work. However, I think that what taking a lunch is really about is taking breaks that work for you, the employee. Personally, I'd rather "work through" lunch and take little transition breaks throughout the day and then still get to leave after 8 hours, instead of taking long breaks when I don't feel like I need them and then not be able to go home for 8.5/9 hours.

anniemarie887

@chgilmore oh i wouldn't expect someone to stay and work 8.5 hours bc they took a 30 min lunch. 

stormageddon-darklordofall

I'm with @bows22 where I read before bed nightly.  Some nights I'll read 30-50 pages because I started early enough and was awake enough.  Other nights I'm just exhausted, I get about 2 pages in and I'm re-reading the same paragraph, so I give it up and go to sleep.  But it's relaxing and helps calm my mind before bed.

I also do a LOT of audiobook listening. When I'm commuting/driving places, while I'm doing some housework, mowing the grass.  Also sometimes if I'm coloring or my newest addiction, Diamond Dot painting I'll listen.  It's miraculous and calming me down and relaxing me!

So I'm currently reading The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis.  And I'm listening to two different books (depending on if I want to concentrate more, or if I want to relax more):  The New Jim Crow.   And then also Dune. 

rachelredhead

I’m reading The Buried Giant and Michelle Obama’s Becoming. I’m really not a memoir fan so Becoming is taking awhile for me even though it’s fascinating. 

I play on my phone too much so I try to give myself a cut off at 9:30 pm and after that, no more phone. If I’m not sleepy that means I need to do some reading or journaling. It doesn’t always work. I have a Toon Blast and Twitter addiction that reading is always battling. Super sad because I was an English major and LOVE books.

@stormageddon-darklordofall I really like Screwtape. The Great Divorce is my fave Lewis (aside from the Narnia books). 

photographerwife

I’m reading a couple of different things right now, a court of silver flames by Sarah j Maas. Love her work, but I’m kind of over romance so I find myself not picking this one up because of those scenes. But I love the strength of the characters. I’ve got 2 chapters left in I had a miscarriage by Jessica zucker, if anyone is interested in that! It’s been pretty good. And then I’m re-reading the storm light archive series by Brandon Sanderson again, slowly so I can read the newest book! 

I also do a ton of audiobooks! That helps squeeze the time in driving, or doing housework. 

daisy0322

I recently read the handmaids take. I’m thinking about reading an old classic next like secret garden