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Thursday, February 18, 2021

How I Read

As you know, I like to read. I didn't always enjoy reading, though. There are some books from childhood that I loved and read over and over again, and I did have a fondness for The Babysitters Club at an age when I definitely had to keep it secret from my peers, but for the most part, I really wasn't a reader until I was in my twenties.

For this reason, I have to be patient with my kids for not being readers even though it tears me apart. I always thought that if kids grew up seeing their parent read, they would naturally become readers. It didn't work for us. 

I go through spurts where I don't really feel like reading, I can't focus, or I don't enjoy anything I start reading. I've never been able to read while pregnant, and it takes about nine months post-partum for me to start reading again. When I was in school from 2014-2017, I didn't enjoy reading for leisure because I had to read so much for school. So there are occasionally times when I don't read regularly, but when I'm in my groove, I read 2-3 books a week. 

Confession: I dog-ear books pages. Nicky hates it, so he always makes bookmarks and sneaks them into my books. 

I'm often asked how I'm able to read so many books. It's something I think about a lot. I worry sometimes that I'm not spending my time wisely by reading as much as I do. I've wondered if maybe I should make a "one book per week" rule or something, but there's a part of me that thinks, "No! That's ridiculous! If you want to read, just read." 

I realize that I'm spoiled for having enough time to read, but at the same time, we all have something we naturally make time for, and for me it's reading. So yeah... I read a lot. But some people exercise a lot. Or clean a lot. Or run a lot of errands. Or watch Tik Tok. Or scour the news. We all have things that we squeeze into the cracks of our day, so I can easily look at someone else and wonder how they have time for "such and such." In truth, we usually have time for what we make time for. We just choose differently. Now, granted, right now my life is pretty simple and slow. I don't have a lot going on, so I really do have excess time to read. I'm not volunteering at the school, I'm not taking any classes, my church callings are on hold, and I don't work. So I confess, I have more time than a lot of people do... just don't tell anyone. I'm cherishing this life while it lasts, and I don't need anyone messing with the beautiful boredom that I've been enjoying this past year. 

Secret simple life aside, here are some of the ways I fit reading into my days:

1. Audiobooks

I admit, audiobooks aren't my favorite way to "read." I have a hard time focusing (could it be that I'm a poor listener?), and I struggle a little bit with comprehension because of it. So I have to opt for simpler audiobooks, and they have to really hold my attention. 

But audiobooks are perfect for my current phase of life! This is one way to sneak in some reading without guilt because I can get a lot done during an audiobook. I often listen to books while I'm cleaning, while I'm driving, and while I'm doing mild exercise (like walking or lifting weights). In fact, I'm more productive when I have a good audiobook to listen to.  

I used to think that listening to audiobooks was cheating, but now that I've gotten more accustomed to it, I no longer feel that way. Listening is different from reading, but it requires its own set of skills, and I think it makes you a better reader. It's true for kids. Why wouldn't it be true for adults, too?

I usually have an audiobook in process at all times. I listen to them at increased speed. I generally start out at 1.25x, depending on which app I'm using (my most common audiobook apps are Overdrive, Audible, and Deseret Bookshelp Plus), and up the speed as I get acclimated to listening. The speed really just depends on how well I can focus. 

2. Speed reading

I can read pretty fast, and I've adopted some speed reading techniques over time (hand pacing and slightly decreased subvocalization). I don't use those techniques with everything, though, as I don't want to be completely sloppy. I can't speed read with fantasy, sci-fi, or classic literature because I need to really focus and take it in slowly to understand what's going on (and then I still don't always get it). 

3. Time pockets for reading

I have a lot of 10-15 minute time pockets in my day when I can fit in some reading. I usually wake up a bit earlier than I have to, so I will lay in bed for a few minutes and read. I read in the car while I'm waiting for kids to come out of school. I read in waiting rooms. I read while I'm waiting for water to boil or the Instant Pot to depressurize. I read while Eva is in the bath. I read in between helping my kids with their distance learning - that way I'm at the table with them while they do school. 

(I have a friend who reads while blow drying her hair. I haven't figured out how to do that).

I see reading as something I can start and stop without difficulty, so it's a little easier for me to read a few pages of a book than it is for me to start doing dishes and have to stop after three minutes. 

The bulk of my reading is done at night. Scotty always goes to sleep an hour or more before I do, so I read after he falls asleep until I'm ready to fall asleep myself. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night, so I read until I can fall back asleep. Just this morning I read from about 2:00-3:00. I don't feel like it prevents me from falling back asleep. In fact, I think it helps. Reading while laying down makes me sleepy. 

I've yet to drop a book on my face, but it will happen someday. 

4. Making it a reward

Sometimes I play a little game where I alternate between 30 minutes of cleaning (or any other kind of productivity) and 30 minutes of reading (or the like). I use reading as my reward. "If you load the dishwasher, you can read for 20 minutes!" (and let's be honest, I'll probably listen to an audiobook while I'm doing the dishes, too!)

Another custom bookmark from Nicky.

So that's how I make reading work for me. When asked how I'm able to read so much, the shortest and truest answer is... I choose to. And no one should feel like they need to do the same. I enjoy reading, so it's easy for me to sneak it in. Hopefully you find little pockets of time to do what you love, too!

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