In January I set out to expand my reading life. I love books and reading but had found myself with no time to read, and apparently nothing to read even if I had the time. We're about 3/4 of the way through the year; how's it going?
Not so very well.
You can click on "2011 Reading" on the left to see my pathetic little list of books. It won't take you very long to scan it. What that doesn't show is the many, many books I started but didn't finish. It also doesn't show my Bible reading and most of my Bible study materials, which are mostly not books but online. But I haven't whipped my way through the Bible this year either.
So why am I not reading more? There are a few reasons.
First, I simply don't arrange my day so that I can read. I don't have a consistent time set aside to read for myself. Other things fill my days (good and bad things); I am busy. But, if I tried harder I could find 30 minutes a day to read.
Second, and maybe my real problem, is book dissatisfaction. I've been going through The Three Musketeers for a long while now. It's not that huge of a book. It's fun, but it's not compelling. I don't long to get a chance to read it during the day. I have tried to read other books while I'm still working on it. I go to the library and pick up books I've read glowing reviews of, or scan the shelves and bring home books with interesting blurbs. There's always something wrong.
(Has anyone else noticed how many books are being written in the first person? I must be picking up too much women's fiction.)
Last week we did a fun readaloud: Captain Blood. Some of us have been sickly for a while and our homeschool reading isn't going too well. Herodotus requires a level of concentration that we just don't have right now. We needed something with movement! I scanned the shelves and saw this swashbuckler novel. I don't even know why I bought this, or when. But I'm glad it was here; it was such fun. Great story, lots of action, and because of when it was written (1922), rich with unfamiliar words. Yesterday we watched the Errol Flynn/Olivia deHavilland film. Also great fun.
So, my search for good books, and the time to read them, continues. Maybe the last quarter of 2011 will make up for the first three.
