The past 3 years I’ve made the goal to read 100 books each year – and each year I’ve crushed that goal. This year, however, I decided I was going to let that go and see what happened. I was just going to read what I wanted when I wanted and not stress about numbers. I wanted to focus on the word BALANCE this year. Somehow I felt letting that goal go would help me balance. Sometimes the 100-book-goal-stresses me out and I thought that by letting that go I would feel more balanced. But now it’s July and I’m feeling more like a failure than I am more balanced.
Embarrassingly, my book total for the year is 24. I know this shouldn’t be an embarrassment. I know people who make the goal to read ONE book a year, or even just ONE book a month. And I know it’s not like this is a competition or anything, I know I shouldn’t compare myself to others – but somewhere, in the back of my brain, I must feel like it is…because my 24 makes me feel LAME! And then I just feel more lame because that makes me feel lame and it shouldn’t, and the cycle never ends.
Perhaps it’s because I’ve struggled this year finding a book that really clicks with me. One that I LOVE. I’ve read a lot of good books this year. But I’ve started WAY more book than that. While normally I don’t have a problem starting and not finishing a book, this year I’ve struggled. I’ve probably started another 20 books – and books that I know are good books – but I haven’t been able to focus and finish them. I joke with my friend that I’ve developed “Book-ADD.” Trust me, I have lots of excuses – my healthy has been off and on, I’ve been busy, I work a couple jobs, ya-da-ya-da-ya-da. But the truth is sadly my heart hasn’t been in it this year.
But here is the good news: I am starting over and going to focus this month on getting myself out of this reading rut!
How am I going to do this you ask? I’ve put together a game plan for this month. Four things that I think will really help pull me out of this funk and back into some good books. Because, honestly, my nightstand and book shelves are overflowing with good ones and my TBR list just keeps growing, and to top it all off…I MISS READING!
Here are my four ways I’m going to get back into reading this summer:
Read something from my favorite author
I’ve decided I need to get back to basics and back to a book that I know will make me smile. Sarah M. Eden released Romancing Daphne in June and has another one, My Dearest Love (a novella) coming out this month too. She is always a winner for me so I’m dusting off Daphne (okay – it didn’t really collect dust since I just barely bought it last month) and diving in. Plus, I LOVE how she has so many of her characters connect in her books. So it’s like revisiting old friends each time I pick up her books.
Switch gears
If you know me and follow my reading list you know I love nonfiction! It’s usually about half, if not more, of what I read. The first half of this year I’ve been really focusing in on some fantastic personal development books. But maybe now it’s time to switch gears. I was browsing Amazon on my kindle the other night in search for something and picked up a couple running books. And I’m hooked! I LOVE personal development books, (The Charge, pictured above was great!) but I think I just needed a break. Since marathon training is in full swing (I can’t believe I just said that!), I thought maybe some running books might be good motivation. And they have been!
Go to a book event
I LOVE book events, but life is crazy and I don’t always get to them. Our library hosts a monthly book club and the books selected for July and August’s book club are two that align with my TBR list! I might as well shoot for the moon and read them and try my best to make it to the discussion. Another event that I am SUPER excited about is one that Sarah M. Eden is putting on next week at the Provo Library. She is going to discuss some of her books, including her newest book Romancing Daphne – so I have even more motivation to finish it now! I’ve been to a couple events done by Eden and they are always superb and I always come away inspired.
Listen to an Audible Book
I’ll be the first to tell you – I wasn’t hooked on audio books until the last couple years. My kids LOVE them and usually listen to one every night when they go to bed. Although this summer they are re-reading the entire Fablehaven series out loud at bedtime with their dad because they are all SUPER excited about Dragonwatch (pictured above). But I just haven’t been convinced. Until I found the right book! Then it was amazing and I was hooked. Kill two birds with one stone! If I have the RIGHT book and a shorter (under 4 mile run) I can totally do it! And since I’m still working part time in the early mornings at the school I can listen there too! Now I just need to find the right book and I’m set. Any suggestions?
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So now you have my plan. I would love to hear from you.
Do you ever find yourself in a reading rut and how do you get yourself out of it?
Have any suggestions I should add to my list?
What have you been reading this summer?
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