I love to read books because they are a source of continuing inspiration and education. Books also allow me to travel to other places without leaving my home.
Interestingly, the COVID-19 crisis has improved my reading life. Before the pandemic, I was reading a book a week. During the pandemic, I’ve been reading two books a week (sometimes more).
As an example, here’s my July 2020 reading list:
1. How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
2. What the Eyes Don’t See by Mona Hanna-Attisha
3. The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
4. Big Friendship by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman
5. The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
6. A Round-Heeled Woman by Jane Juska
7. The Course of Love by Alain de Botton
8. How to Stop Time by Matt Haig
I use a few strategies to sustain my reading life. Here they are in no particular order:
— I try to alternate the topics I read about. For example, during July, I read two heavy books about racism and public policy back to back. I followed them up with a romance novel. Switching between heavy and light topics is a good balance. It gives me the mental energy to keep learning about racism, ageism, sexism, and more.
— I re-read books. For instance, I'll read How to Be an Antiracist again because it was dense and informative. I suspect that I'll take away even more life lessons when I read the book a second time.
—I cut back on my news intake. The amount of time I spend consuming the news is between 15 to 30 minutes per day, and I'd like to reduce that number. I'm aiming for a Pico Iyer approach to the news. Iyer is a travel writer, memoirist, and journalist. He only spends 2-5 minutes a day checking the news. Iyer noted that it's important to know what's going on in the world. And, you don't have to spend hours each day reading the news to make that happen. Instead of “doomscrolling,” I use my time to dig deeper into specific topics. Books are a great medium for going deep!
— I quit social media in early 2018. Then, I came back to Instagram in late 2018. Since then I've used the app lightly. I log on occasionally to see what friends have posted. I don't see myself using Instagram to share my creative work in the future. Not using Instagram has been good for my mental health and reading life.
— I only consume media I love. I'm not a big Netflix or movie watcher because reading books is my favorite form of media. Getting clear on what I enjoy consuming has saved me time and energy.
— I pay attention to my learning style. For example, I began the audio version of Stamped from The Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi, and I set it aside. I found myself wanting to flip back to certain sections of the book and read passages again. That's much easier to do with a paperback version.
— After I read an intense book, I take a reading break for a few days or longer. I'd like to incorporate more breaks into my reading routine. Being able to reflect on the material makes me a better reader and writer.
— If I don't like a book, I quit reading it. In the past, I'd force myself to read a book (even when I didn't enjoy it). No more! Life is too short to keep reading books that don't resonate with me.
And that’s it! I hope some of the tips above will help you sustain your reading life.
With gratitude,
Tammy