Since 2002, I’ve been keeping a reading log to record the books I read, or attempt to read but don’t finish. It is interesting to see the patterns that develop over time in my reading habits. When I’ve been unemployed, I read a lot. When I’ve had periods of change, like switching careers or having a child, I could barely manage to read two books in a year.
It’s also interesting to compare my reading habits with those of my peers. I average about 20 books a year while others, like my husband, can read in excess of 50 or more. There are a lot of factors involved in this. I tend to read “intentionally” (I don’t skim) and I prefer challenging books as opposed to quick genre reads. I also have a long term goal of reading through the classics, and many of these can be slow going. I find I don’t usually read more than two books a month.
Over time, I have noticed that audiobooks have become the majority of my literary diet. A few years ago, a medication I was taking to manage an autoimmune condition damaged my hearing. As a result, I developed a severe case of tinnitus. The constant high-pitched ringing in my ears has effected my ability to concentrate, so I prefer having a bit of background noise to mask the ringing. Audiobooks have been wonderful! I fall asleep listening to them, and put them on in the background while I do housework or a puzzle.
In subsequent posts, I’m going to publish my list of books read in each year that I’ve kept my log along with some remembrances of that year. I’ll also share some reading goals and single-book reviews.
