Over the course of the year, my varied successes in following the reading challenges I set out for myself have proven that I am very much a mood reader. When I set out with my challenge list, I never imagined only reading a quarter of the books at this point. It didn't occur to me that I might not be capable of following a set list. But is this a bad thing? I actually think I've come out of this having learned something about my reading habits. This in turn might help me with my reading and blogging goals in the future.
For instance, I now know how hard it is for me to follow a set reading list to the letter and make it all the way through without external motivation. I also find that when I try to force myself to read a book at a certain time, everything slows down. Even if the book is structured well, the reading drags on. It's a struggle to enjoy the book, even if it's something I would otherwise like. Despite my not having strayed from the list, my horizons have expanded. The prompts did lead me to find books I never would have considered reading before, and I consider that a real success. About a month ago, when I was writing my August check-in was the time I realized I wasn't going to finish my prompt list. By now, I'm just too far behind, and I have accepted my fate. However, there are a couple resources that help me figure out what I'm actually going to read next. 1. Libraries! The library is a great place to go if you just want to pick something off the shelf, and best of all, it's free! I like the simplicity of wandering into a library with an open mind and going home with two or three books that I can read in any order. Also, there's no shame in returning a book unread. It won't sit on your shelf tauntingly, and there aren't any receipts to make you wonder why you spent money on it. 2. Electronic libraries! This sort of dips into the library category, as well as ebooks, but I want to treat e-copies of a library book separately. I'm a big proponent of Libby/Overdrive, which allows you to hook up a library card with your phone or tablet to download books and read on the go. They have regular books, audio-books, and I've also found comics on Hoopla, another secondary service. My favorite part about using Libby is that the books get returned automatically at their due date, so no late fees will be charged to your account. The downside to this is that some of the more popular books have waiting lists that are months long. I've been on hold for Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda for about 10 weeks now, and am still waiting. (On the plus side, I did end up reading Leah on the Offbeat, which I LOVED! More on that soon.) 3. Ebooks! The second part of ebooks is reading on a Kindle/Nook/e-reader tablet. I love my Kindle, but I do admit to using my phone's Kindle app more just because it's a pain to have extra gadgets for me to keep track of. These books obviously don't expire, so if you buy a book on sale one day, you can read it months or years later, AND it won't take up valuable shelf space. Another case in point, I just recently started reading The Next Together by Lauren James, even though I've had it for AGES. Pros of using an e-reader, right there. As always, happy reading, and may you find the right book at the right time!
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The BaronessHey, I'm Shreya! I love to read, write, travel, and drink tea. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of bookshop.org and I will earn a small commission if you click the above link and make a purchase.
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