Today is an update on my quest to read a book each week for an entire year. I started in March which means I'm almost at the halfway point. And I'm a little behind.
But, I'm not letting it get me down or prevent me from going forward. Because remember that post I wrote about being a perfectionist procrastinator? Under normal circumstances if I start to get behind, I freeze up. Stop reading. And...I actually did do that for a bit this summer.
Some of it was being busy (and distracted--darn you social media, specifically Twitter!) and some of it was waiting on the library for a few books I really wanted to read. But, those are just excuses (because lord knows I have enough books in my possession--just ask my husband). The fact of the matter is, I started to fall off schedule a bit and then began to feel overwhelmed.
But, that feeling didn't last long and I'm back to reading. Because the truth is, I feel better when I'm reading. I'm more inspired and have more ideas for writing (which is another favorite pastime, if you couldn't tell). So I thought in honor of being at the halfway point I'd post a status update and a couple of thoughts about this journey I'm on.
First of all, and most importantly, I've learned (well, really just reaffirmed) that reading is very important to me. It brings me joy and inspiration. Plus, I want to be a good example for my kids. I want them to see me reading in my free time as an example of what they can do.
Secondly, I need to stop sweating the small stuff. It's not the end of the world if one book takes me a couple of weeks to get though instead of one. Because other books only take a few days. Regardless of that, it's not the end of the world if I don't get through 52 books over this challenge. I made a conscious decision to read more and boy have I. So far I've read 22 books since March. And with each book I finish I want to read more.
And, finally, you may have noticed some books on my list that I've notated as a "re-read." There are a couple of reasons for this. These are books I love and love to re-read (and I am actually re-reading them--they are not just "space fillers" on my list). I chose to re-read the book, "The Giver," for example, because the movie was being released and I didn't realize the author had actually made the book into a quartet. So I truly wanted to re-read it to remind myself of it prior to reading the rest of the books. It was such an important book to me in my youth (along with these books) that I really had no problem re-reading it.
I also decided to re-read the Harry Potter series. I have read the entire series a couple of times--and the last 4 books of the series at least 3 times. I love the wizarding world and every once in a while I feel the need to visit my old friends. Plus, I can zip through those books relatively fast, so it is nice to gain a little time. Even though I'm not going to be too upset if I don't meet my goal of 52 books in this challenge, I'm certainly not done trying.
So, that's where I'm at. 22 books completed out of 26. And 26 more weeks to go. I really believe I can get through 30 books in that time frame. If you have any recommendations--especially those books you think are a quick read--leave them below. And thanks for holding me accountable!
xo Sara