Quote:
Originally Posted by Wearever
I'm trying to challenge myself by reading genres I don't usually read. If not for the challenge my reading would be just mystery, history, mostly because those are my go to. I still read those of course but at least one other gere book from my challenge, this year it's sci fi. Last year it was fantasy. Next year something else. I'll end up reading at least 12 books that I probably wouldn't have found without the challenge. New series are even better, since I also challenge myself to read the first book only for that years challenge. It was especially hard when I found a series I loved and wanted to read the second book. So in that sense I guess I savored the first book until my challenge was complete at the end of the year.  |
An interesting approach, if not one that fully appeals to me, though I guess I have done something slightly similar, still kind of do it.
Several years ago, I created an order list (Reading Order.xls) for the books I have left to read, which of course just kept growing faster than I could read, so I really didn't add too many to the list, but came up with a kind of formula or arrangement/structure.
Basically, I elected to vary the genres I read on a regular basis. Maybe add some new ones in, but nothing forced. I also wanted to read all the books by the many authors I follow, in the order they wrote them, but also sometimes stepping out of that order to read a completed trilogy or series first.
That meant in several cases, re-reading books I had read out of order.
My reading order list encompassed authors like Agatha Christie, Michael Moorcock, Jules Verne, Alexandre Dumas, H.G. Wells, Robert E. Howard, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Rafael Sabatini, Mary Johnston, Leslie Charteris, Capt. W.E. Johns, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, etc and many others, including newer authors.
So I listed one book by each, and read all those first, then list their next book, and read them. Now and then I would slot something else in at a whim, including biographies and new authors.
I have so many authors and books, that it meant I was reading about three Agatha Christie books a year, and similar for the others. I say similar, because I also looked at the number written by an author, and if a lot like Agatha Christie (around 100 books), I would slot an extra one of two in more regularly.
It was a reasonable reading regime I set up, but sometimes it would slow down or get bogged down on something I truly wasn't in the mood at the time to read. For a while I would force myself to continue, but realized no great joy in doing so. I did worry such a book would get put aside and eventually forgotten, lose continuity and such, so I was initially quite firm with myself. That meant reading stopped except for that book.
Realism exerted itself eventually. I read to enjoy, as well as learn and grow in knowledge. I only have so many unknown number of years on this mortal coil, and my book collection has far out-grown what I can possibly read, even if I live to 100 and are still capable of reading up to then.
So I have to accept, that I cannot read all, and that really I should be reading the ones I am more sure about enjoying, interspersing others to ensure variety, and not get burnt out on a genre or author. I have known many as well as myself, that have gotten burnt out on Fantasy for instance. There was a point, where that was all I ever read. Luckily, I later developed a love of Mystery books and Historical Romance. I should read more SciFi, which oddly I keep putting off, but have always enjoyed immensely at times.
Anyway, I am less regimental about what I read now. I still try to follow my basic order, but I vary it more often at a whim. It is the backbone though. I currently have about six Agatha Christie books left to read. Mostly finished some other authors too. Some like Wilbur Smith books I have skipped at various times, allowing myself to cater for my mood. They are still on the list and I still fully intend to get to them, but I want to enjoy others more fully first.
I also read slower than I used to, somewhat deliberately so. I used to really push the pace, sticking to my agenda. Now I read to savor more, absorb more, enjoy more. No doubt a very personal thing, applicable to me.