When I’m Alone, I Touch My Shelf
The art of reading 365 days a year
“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.” — Groucho Marx
If I had a nickel for every time someone asked me how I found time for reading, I would have built myself the largest library with that money! Unsurprisingly, in the world of Netflix, Prime, and instant gratification, the art of satiating oneself through reading is a rare sighting. At times, people genuinely wish to read more, to become better readers, but they just don’t know how to begin. They start one weekend and read all they could, but after a few days, they again can’t find the time or motivation and are back to square one. They don’t understand that reading is not a sprint but a marathon. Just like losing weight, you can’t achieve ‘reading goals’ in a week/month; you need to change your lifestyle one step at a time. And thankfully, I understood this quite early in life. So if you also wish to read more and read smartly, this post is for you. Here are 5 ways through which I make sure that I read 365 days a year and so can you:
- I know my priorities and I know how to say ‘No’.
“It’s not that I don’t like people. It’s just that when I’m in the company of others — even my nearest and dearest — there always comes a moment when I’d rather be reading a book.” — Maureen Corrigan
I’m not averse to human interaction. It’s just that I prefer books over humans (and for that matter, dogs over humans too.) More importantly, I know when and how to say ‘No’. So many times I decline the offers of outings, parties, or weekend ‘chilling’ plans with colleagues and friends when I’m not in the mood instead of accepting due to peer pressure. Luckily, I have a few friends who understand me and my need of having a personal space or ‘me time.’ This way, the few times when I actually accept the invitation and go out, I go all guns blazing and enjoy myself instead of just going through the motions and waiting for an excuse to leave the party (which I would have done if I had attended all of them.) So I stay home, read, and enjoy myself. After all, if you are alone when you are lonely, you are in a bad company.
Also, “I just don’t have the time man! Life/work/studies kept me so busy that I just can’t squeeze out any time for reading” is the lamest excuse one can come up with. I make it a point to read for half hour before sleeping at night or after waking up in the morning. I read during my daily commute. I read when I’m standing in a queue or sitting in a waiting room. Reading is to me what breathing is to humans — I can’t survive if I lost it. So if you really want to read, you will make time.
2. I’m not monogamous — I date multiple books at a time.
When it comes to books, I consider myself polyamorous; I read multiple books of varying genres and styles simultaneously. It’s said that there is always a right book for the right person. I, however, believe that there is a right book for the right person at the right time. That’s why I read the books of different genres together that align with my varying moods and emotional states. For example, I usually read a socio-political non-fiction alternating with a light YA read, a thriller fiction with an autobiography, a gripping graphic novel with a burst of magical realism, short stories with literary musings that don’t fit in the boxes of prose and poetry, and more often than not, a mixture of all of these. What it does is prevent me from going into a ‘reading slump’ due to a book that might not have been really doing it for me at that moment. So I focus on one of the other books and then go back to the earlier one when I’m in a better frame of mind. Moreover, it helps in finishing books and not leaving them midway for some other form of entertainment. For what it’s worth, I’m pretty sure whoever coined the phrase ‘Variety is the spice of life’ was an avid reader himself!
3. When there is a will, there are many ways. Read smartly!
Reading might have been associated with physical books traditionally, but in today’s digital world the technology has given new wings to reading. I utilise every medium that helps me in reading from a Kindle to a smartphone. So apart from all the paperbacks and hardcovers, I usually read on my iPad when I travel or go on trips. I read on the go with my phone, my strongest ally, for staying updated on the recent op-ed pieces, articles from the publications I follow like Medium, posts from the bloggers I follow, etc. And thanks to smartphones, I read in the washroom every morning while kick starting my day and even plan in advance for the whole week — what I would read, and when I would read. After all, reading is happiness. And happiness, like love, is never restricted to a single source — you take in all you can.
4. I believe in using tools to help me get back on course.
I’m neither perfect nor do I have special magical powers (I have to finally accept that I’m a muggle.) So despite being an avid reader, there are times when I fall back on reading due to different factors. The two apps that help me get back on course are:
- Goodreads: This doesn’t just help me in organising my virtual bookshelf with books tagged under read, currently reading, and to be read (TBR) lists but also in finding new book recommendations and evaluating the ratings and reviews of books. Another feature which makes this app indispensable is the ability to set yearly goals for yourself through Goodreads Reading Challenge. I set the no. of books that I wish to read in a year and then it keeps reminding me about my progress, the rate at which I should read books every week to achieve the goal, etc. It especially comes in handy when at times, my lazy ass gets a bit too lethargic. The goals are not for turning my reading experience into ‘duty’ or ‘work’ that I must finish; they are meant to motivate me when I get too busy or digress too far. And somehow, this goal is the only new-year resolution that I seem to keep until the very end!
2. Popshot: I’m addicted to my smartphone and online content. As I mentioned before, I use my phone for reading extensively — be it short ebooks, fan-fiction, articles from sites, blog posts, or poetry. More often than not, I tend to read during my daily commute or in the evenings after reaching home; however, I come across a lot of interesting pieces on the internet when I’m browsing either in office for work or when I’m just scrolling and not really in the mood for reading at that moment. Now, I can’t possibly remember every site or article later on and I absolutely loathe keeping track of numerous bookmarks and screenshots. And that’s when Popshot app comes to my rescue. I use Popshot as my default browser as it gives me the ability to save the web. I save all the content that I come across while browsing for later use. And through interactive screenshots, I can go back to that live web page whenever I want. This way, I plan my online reading sessions in advance and have the content ready for devouring during my daily commute. I have content ready for the whole week for reading during a 10 minute break, for a 30 minute commute, etc.
In a nutshell, read when you get 10 minutes, read on the go, read on different mediums, read what you enjoy — just make sure you read. And once you start doing the small things, you won’t even realise when it would turn into a habit!
Neil Gaiman once said, “A book is a dream that you hold in your hand.” And the fact that I have been a spectator of so many dreams makes me wonder if I would ever like to be woken up. And while I indulge in my bookish reveries, you can try and check for yourself if these ways help your reading too. Here’s wishing you a happy beginning (or resumption) of your own reading voyage. After all, for us readers, the journey which matters the most is the one taking place between the pages of a book.
