I’m really excited to be joining in on another new social media project designed by the awesome Laura Tremaine. I’ve taken part in some of her challenges over the last few years and it’s one of my favorite things. I love sharing things that are important to me AND learning a lot more about other people who also answer the prompts or take part in the #ONEDAYHH project. This time Laura has started a new podcast called 10 Things to Tell You. Each episode revolves around a topic and what she has to say about it, including a prompt to share our own ideas on that topic. This is only the first episode, so I’m not sure what kind of twists and turns it’ll take, but I’m hoping to use each prompt as a launch point for a blog post beyond my typical diary-like posts I’ve mostly been doing the last few months. So here goes!
When do I read?
All day? 🙂
To be more specific, I usually get up in the morning anytime between 5 and 6. If I have something going on in the morning (or it’s any season besides winter when a hat and giant coat will not cover the fact that I haven’t showered) I try to get a shower in first thing, but then I head down to my “writing desk” (no distracting computer) and usually sit there until 6:30 when I switch into mom mode. My morning reading comes from a wide variety of devotionals I have lined up by my bullet journal. I usually look over my plan for the day and then pick a book or two to read an entry from. Occasionally I’ll read a chapter or two from a longer book. I try not to overwhelm my brain by reading too many inspirational things because I’d like it to actually sink in and mean something. If I am up particularly early (there was about a two month span recently where I was waking up by 4 every day for no apparent reason), I might move over to the couch with Annie and read whatever fiction book I’m in the middle of.
My next big reading chunk comes in the early afternoon after I’ve put in a solid block of working hours, ate lunch, and am ready for a break. I usually read for 10 minutes to an hour and then take a nap. If it’s a short nap, I might read again when I wake up.
As my kids get older, especially in winter when there’s basically NOTHING else to do, I often spend at least an hour or two every night after dinner reading some more. The rest of my family is often playing video games or watching a guy movie and I’m on my own for tv-less entertainment. I’ve been trying not to work in the evenings anymore, so that pretty much just leaves more reading time!
My final daily reading chunk happens at night after I’ve watched a show with Greg. Depending on how tired I am and how good the book is, I’ll usually read 20-60 minutes before falling asleep. So overall, on a normal weekday, I’d say I get 2-4 hours of reading in each day.
On weekends, if we’re not expected to be anywhere, reading is also my go to. We only have the one big tv and the boys are always on it. I’m also trying not to work so much on weekends, so again – books! During the winter months I’d say it’s not unusual for me to read 4-6 hours a day.
How do I read?
For a long time I’ve been a full fledged kindle enthusiast. They’re light, they’re convenient, and they can be stocked full of every book imaginable. I still love my kindle, but I also ADORE real books. I have an obsession with them that seems to be growing stronger by the day. I love to look at them, feel them, and even though they’re more obnoxious and uncomfortable to hold when lounging around – even read from them. Especially nonfiction. I like to keep fiction purely on my kindle and have almost all nonfiction in paper form. I know if I get a nonfiction book on my kindle there’s basically zero chance I’ll ever read it because I’m ALWAYS going to have a fiction book going and switching back and forth just isn’t going to happen. I also have stacks of books in basically every room, so I can always pick something up the minute I start feeling bored. I’ve been dabbling in audiobooks over the last year, but have found I can only handle listening to nonfiction. But even then I usually regret not having read it because I know I would have gotten more out of it. But for the sake of having something to listen to besides podcasts all the time, I’m trying to do at least one audiobook a month.
What do I read?
Generally, I’d say I read 90% fiction, 10% nonfiction. But I’m making a big effort this year to make a dent in my physical books – which are almost all nonfiction. This month I’m about half and half, which is pretty incredible! I really adore fiction and escaping into the life of a character. But nonfiction is truly what makes me grow and become a better person and I’d like to spend more time on that this year. I usually do my nonfiction reading first thing in the morning and it’s the first thing I read in my evening hours. Fiction is always for afternoons and later at night when I’m reading in bed.
Reading has always been and always will be my biggest hobby and the one thing I will never, ever, EVER go a day without doing. Seriously, ever. It’s an enormous part of my life and makes me who I am. I cannot imagine life without books!
