So many of my friends look at my bookshelves and say:
‘Wow, have you read all of those?’
‘You have a lot of books.’
‘Nobody can say I have too many books again.’
Or, fairly reguarly:
‘How do you have time to read?’
This is a question that I have been thinking a lot about recently. Especially as a lockdown highlight for me has been all the books I have managed to read and enjoy. As a sense of my ‘normal’ is starting to return in September, I am trying to decide if I can keep this up. And the answer is, yes I can but possibly not in quite the same way or pace.
I have always read – all the time – since I was a child. The two places or time I always read are on any trian journey and before bed. So, as I return to my commute by train, I have made the decision to ensure I read both ways, As, at the end of the day, it can be easy to let social media take over rather than returning to my book for relaxation. That will make time for reading.
I will also – and this is a promise to myself – ensure I read every night. Even those nights I am very sleepy, I will for my own wellbeing, carve out times to read some pages, as this always improves my quality of sleep.
Just these two little things give me time to read, and I am grateful. Also, my new little reading space should be complete by mid-September, which I am sure means I will snatch some more reading moments.
However, I do always think it is not the amount you read or the pace you read at, but ensuring you enjoy reading. Life is not a competition and reading is there to be enjoyed, not to compete over.
So, allow yourself some reading time – and make sure you enjoy it!