The Bout of Books read-a-thon starts on Monday and I've started to think about what I want to achieve during it. My reading has been slowing down considerably, due to a number of different factors, but mainly work. May is exam season for me at school and getting the children ready during the final push of the last few weeks is both tiring and emotionally draining. I've been coming home and slumping in front of the TV most nights. And then on weekends, I've been doing yet more work and decorating our new house. Reading has taken a back seat.
But I'm missing reading, and in particular I'm missing that wonderful feeling you get when you finish a book and get to choose a new one. I've been reading Wuthering Heights and Salt, Sugar, Fat concurrently for almost a week now and I'm starting to get annoyed with not finishing either one, although I am loving both. I need to re-prioritise and make some more time for reading, so the read-a-thon is a perfect opportunity for this.
I would like to:
1. Read for at least one hour every day. This may not sound like a lot for some, but for me at the moment it's a big step up and will fit with my work schedule. At the weekend, I want to read for two hours a day.
2. Also free up some time to spend visiting other blogs and finding some new blogs to follow.
That's it! I'm not going to set any goals apart from that as the act of getting back into reading is the main thing for me. As for the books I hope to read, I'm going to read for pleasure and on a whim, as I'm focused on getting the enjoyment back :)
Sound like good goals to me! I need to give myself an hour a day reading too if I'm going to hit my goal for the year! If you find any other good blogs please share :D!
ReplyDeleteAn hour a reading is a good amount, I think. I'm sure you have the same problem as me though - making time in the day...
DeleteI'd love to read for an hour a day, but I settle for 20 minutes... though last night I stayed up way too late reading.
ReplyDeleteI'm a little naughty are work and I take little mini-breaks and read blogs instead of, you know, working :)
Sometimes I'm lucky to spend ten minutes a day reading!
DeleteI wish I could have sneaky blog breaks at work too but the internet is off limits to me all day as a teacher, I'll have to make time to catch up in the evenings :)
Yes, my hubby's a teacher too. He definitely spends more time on the internet at home than I do.
DeleteYou can get at least ten minutes. You can do it! :)
I don't see anything wrong with your plan or goal. JMO I think it's great for people who normally don't read books,it would be a great way to start out.As for me,I just about try to read anything I can find on the internet that's interest me.I do that to build my reading,and vocabulary,and also for a source of pleasure,and escape.
ReplyDeleteI also do read books as well,But the problem I'm having with my current reading situation is,I have this great book I reading on the PC,and I can't get quite comfortable the way I want.I have a lot kindle books on my PC that's dying to be read,but I haven't gotten to them,as of yet.Well, because I have to sit up to read them,and some times that's uncomfortable to do.Hence the slow reading of a great book.
I recently went to the library to pick up some books that I can hold and lay down with to get comfortable reading these book.I just grab them without as so much as to read the synopsis of the book.
Whew! I know you was expecting this comment to be this long,but I do like your method in the way you want to conquer some reading,and I was just taking heed of the way you do it.
Don't worry, I love long comments :)
DeleteDo you have the Kindle PC app but not an actual kindle? If so I sympathise as there's no way I could read a book on the computer for a prolonged period of time. I have a kindle and it's much more comfortable to read.
Sometimes it's great to pick a book without reading the synopsis, I've had some pleasant discoveries that way!
"I'm missing that wonderful feeling you get when you finish a book and get to choose a new one"
ReplyDeleteUgh, YES, that is the worst thing about being in a reading slump/not having time to read. Because that is the best feeling!
I think I'm going to do Bout of Books too, but I need to try not to get too... Competitive with myself about it, because then I just get all 'I HATE READING' by the end of it. Sadly this HAS happened before, so yes! I just want to read a bit more and stuff! Haha
It is a great feeling to close the final page, I miss the sense of accomplishment!
DeleteMaybe avoid getting competitive by setting easy goals? I know what you mean though, I am a perfectionist so I am in constant danger of nothing ever being good enough.
These are nice and low-pressure goals. My main goal is basically just to "read more" :)) Oh, and visit other people, too. Though computer time is really, really bad for my reading, I have discovered.
ReplyDeleteI hate that feeling of reading the same book for a million years. But you have to give yourself some credit - you are reading two at the same time! So this really means you have only been reading each of them for three days or so...right? :)
ReplyDeleteI'm having the same feeling - I've been reading both Wolf Hall and Ender's Game for what seems like weeks (but of course is more like one week, which is still too long!) I'm starting to feel like I'll never finish.
ReplyDeleteGood luck finishing off those books this week. I remember not liking Wuthering Heights in high school (back when I disliked reading), maybe I should give it another shot. It's my first time doing the Bout of Books RAT,Here are my Bout of Books Read-a-thon Goals if you'd like to stop by.
ReplyDeleteI am also doing Bout of Books 7.0 and one of my goals is to visit 3 new blogs each day. Today yours was one of them and I wanted to tell you that it is really excellent! Your reviews are well written, interesting, and insightful; the blog is visually appealing and easy to navigate; and the pictures you choose are attractive and not so many as to be distracting. Loved the tulips in particular. I am in Classics Club as well, but hadn't come across your blog before in the many CC members. Good luck with your readathon goals!
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