It's Sunday once again. And I am happy. It's a holiday weekend, so when I go to bed tonight I won't feel the "weight" of Monday. It's just the little things!
This year I challenged myself to read 200 books. It has been on my bucket list for awhile now, so I decided I should step up and make it happen in 2012. Today I updated the books I've so far in Goodreads and learned I'm six books behind. Actually, that's not too bad. I thought I was more behind than that.
When I decided to read 200 books, it made me think of my reading as a young girl. I read just about everything. I wasn't picky, didn't consider myself a "book snob". No, I just wanted to read. Science fiction? Great, I'll read it next. A book with 500 or more pages? Even better... I can spend some time with the characters. Tiny print? My eyes would laugh and say "BRING IT!"
Now, I'm years older than that girl. Balancing between all that I have to do with what I want to do is a challenge I accept everyday. As a result, I find myself picking and choosing how I spend my time. Always asking, "is what I'm doing really the best use of my time?" Unconsciously I've begun to treat the time spent reading the same.
As my TBR List continues to grow, I know I will not be able to read every book in my lifetime. So, I pick and choose what I want to read and leave the remaining on my list. Last year, I realized this way of thinking really stressed me out. Why continue to add more books to the list if I know I'll never read them all? It just didn't make sense.
Now, I'm slowly changing my attitude about my TBR List. It's become more of a reminder list, not a "to do" list that I must accomplish. When I started to view it as that, I didn't get stressed whenever I added a new book (ok, three!) to the list weekly.
Along with that, I wanted to go back to my reading days as a young girl. Yes, I have my favorite authors, my favorite genres and books I must read before December 31, 2012. But I also want to read a book just to read a book! So to go along with my 200 book challenge, I'm also reading a bit of everything. From children's picture books, to celebrity memoirs, to dystopian fiction, to reading a childhood favorite. Variety is the key. So far I've read 20 books in 2012. Without doubt, this has been the best start in a new year of reading for me.
So tell me, as you have gotten older, have you found you've become more selective in the books that you read? And what about your TBR List. Is it weighing you down? Or do you enjoy seeing how long it will grow?
I like your thinking about TBR lists... you're right. I'll never get to them all. In fact, my overflowing bookshelf is stressing me out a little bit right now, so I may keep that in mind and cull a few books.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, though, my To-Read List on Goodreads is forever growing, but that doesn't stress me. I think of like you do--as a reminder list.
My TBR list weighs me down only if I think about it more than a few seconds, LOL. Honestly, though, I look forward to reading every book on that list so it's not a heavy burden.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your extra day off :)
I have sort of suspended adding books to my TBR list, and have tried to focus more on my TBR piles -- the actual books sitting around my house that I have not read yet :)
ReplyDeleteI see that you are reading Books Can Be Deceiving. I thought that was a fun cozy mystery - hope you are enjoying it too.