Turn the Page
Jan. 19th, 2021 10:25 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pshaw_ravenI'm about halfway through reading The Dragonbone Chair, which I've had on my shelves for years and never actually got around to reading. So far I'm enjoying it, and I've found it's a trilogy, so that gives me something to look for. I'm still on this project of reading books I already own, and it's allowed me to further pare down my library as I start something, decide I don't like it and won't finish it, and it goes into the "donate" box for the Friends of the Library.
When people freaked out over Marie Kondo talking about only owning thirty books and said stuff like "this woman is a monster," I at first thought it was funny, because I thought the comments were hyperbolic for the sake of humor. Then I found out they were serious and was horrified both at the vitriol aimed at her for the supposed crime of only owning thirty books, and at how badly I miss social cues. Like that wasn't even a "whoooosh" because I was nowhere near close enough to even feel the breeze as it passed by.
I know typically reading more is good, but for the last five or six years I've been setting - and hitting - a fifty book per year reading goal. After ditching GoodReads I did not set a reading goal for 2021 and so far ... I kinda like it. I'm obviously not going to stop reading altogether, but the pressure is off for the next twelve months. I can just read what I want and enjoy it and if I don't feel like reading (too tired, too scatterbrained, etc) I don't need to force myself to knock out ten pages of some boring tome I picked up because it'll look good on my friends list.
I guess it's a little like having a refeed after you've been on a strict diet for a while. I needed a period to reset. Even if the only other things I read this year are manga it doesn't matter. Manga is still reading. And I don't need to defend my intellectual status or anything by spending more time deciphering marks on a piece of paper. After I got my degree, that summer I read one book. That book was Lonesome Dove which is not an inconsiderable novel. In fact it's a heckin' big chonker. But the point stands - I took a couple of months off and when I did read a book I read an adventurous Western story. And it's a hell of a good book, too, I'd highly recommend it, and I'm not even a particular fan of Western novels.
The Dragonbone Chair is a chonker, too, around 700 pages worth. But as I said, no timetable involved, no need to finish before January 31 or anything. And I'd probably be further along but some nights I'm up gaming a little later. I mean hey, I'm on the final boss in Hollow Knight, and yesterday I switched my charms up and found a pretty good combo that allowed me to get a lot further in that fight than I've been previously. I've got a couple of good games going right now but being on the last stage of a game is kind of exciting, ya know?
When people freaked out over Marie Kondo talking about only owning thirty books and said stuff like "this woman is a monster," I at first thought it was funny, because I thought the comments were hyperbolic for the sake of humor. Then I found out they were serious and was horrified both at the vitriol aimed at her for the supposed crime of only owning thirty books, and at how badly I miss social cues. Like that wasn't even a "whoooosh" because I was nowhere near close enough to even feel the breeze as it passed by.
I know typically reading more is good, but for the last five or six years I've been setting - and hitting - a fifty book per year reading goal. After ditching GoodReads I did not set a reading goal for 2021 and so far ... I kinda like it. I'm obviously not going to stop reading altogether, but the pressure is off for the next twelve months. I can just read what I want and enjoy it and if I don't feel like reading (too tired, too scatterbrained, etc) I don't need to force myself to knock out ten pages of some boring tome I picked up because it'll look good on my friends list.
I guess it's a little like having a refeed after you've been on a strict diet for a while. I needed a period to reset. Even if the only other things I read this year are manga it doesn't matter. Manga is still reading. And I don't need to defend my intellectual status or anything by spending more time deciphering marks on a piece of paper. After I got my degree, that summer I read one book. That book was Lonesome Dove which is not an inconsiderable novel. In fact it's a heckin' big chonker. But the point stands - I took a couple of months off and when I did read a book I read an adventurous Western story. And it's a hell of a good book, too, I'd highly recommend it, and I'm not even a particular fan of Western novels.
The Dragonbone Chair is a chonker, too, around 700 pages worth. But as I said, no timetable involved, no need to finish before January 31 or anything. And I'd probably be further along but some nights I'm up gaming a little later. I mean hey, I'm on the final boss in Hollow Knight, and yesterday I switched my charms up and found a pretty good combo that allowed me to get a lot further in that fight than I've been previously. I've got a couple of good games going right now but being on the last stage of a game is kind of exciting, ya know?
no subject
Date: 2021-01-19 06:42 pm (UTC)It usually takes me forever to finish a book because I'm not consistent. I read only when I have time. Sometimes I'm not in the mood [which will cause me to start mindlessly reading words].
Which brings me to when I used to check out books from the library how there was so much pressure to finish the book within 3 wks or have to go to the trouble of going back in to extend the checkout time & hope that someone wasn't waiting for it. That's what happened when I read Bill Clinton's book. At first, I was reading it normally then as time drew near to having to return it, I was skimming so fast, I barely learned anything. Granted, he did fall down lots of dry, political rabbit holes that weren't interesting to me at all. I'm more of a person who enjoys personal stories vs technical jargon. Of course, I'm not too into politics though. Frankly, I didn't care too much about that angle [yet knowing there would be a lot of it in the book]; I was more interested in hearing his voice & learning more about him. I know he's not many people's cup of tea but there was something charismatic about him, thus I could see how Monica Lewinsky might have been drawn to him, not to mention his powerful position at the time. Did I mention that psychology & sociology intrigue me? lol
Wow, that got long, didn't it? I guess your entry triggered some things in my mind [not in a bad way]. That & I haven't written in a while. :)
no subject
Date: 2021-01-21 12:17 pm (UTC)I haven't read a lot of political or autobiographical stuff lately, though I do like a good biography. I know this is a real 180 from Bill Clinton but I'm curious about Elton John's book, so I might get that from the library.
no subject
Date: 2021-01-21 06:33 pm (UTC)My go-to genres are memoirs & biographies. I love learning about people, I guess :shrug: