Last year was a tough year and one of the things that took a hit was my reading. I wasn't reading nearly as much and when I was reading I was usually reading in a panic to hit some review commitment. I realized I was feeling overwhelmed and burned out and just kind of meh about reading in general.
So, my resolution for 2020 was to take a deep breath and read what I want. Easy enough right? Well... See I've never been a mood reader. Every once in awhile I'll have a light bulb moment and find myself craving some book or genre. And I know I suffer from genre fatigue from time to time so it's in my best interest to mix it up a bit. However, 99% of the books on my TBR are books that appeal to me. They all look good and like things I want to read. But I made my first book decisions and got reading. And then I finished my book. And now what?
How do you decide what you want to read? Does it just pop into your head? Do you have a system? I'm trying to get away from lists and regular commitments but without them I feel a bit lost when looking at my shelves - virtual and otherwise. I kind of feel like I'm in the book version of the dinner question. "What do you want for dinner?" "I don't know. What do you want?" "I'm pretty much okay with anything so you pick." and on and on and on.
How does a confirmed scheduled reader become a mood reader? I need help! And what should I have for dinner?
I have no idea, I need a schedule or I get overwhelmed by choice. As for dinner, I meal plan every week too, this week the menu is Fish Finger Burgers, Chicken Schnitzel, Homemade Pizza, Homemade Doner Kebabs, and Tuna Noddle Casserole
ReplyDeleteYikes, that’s a loaded question. I am more of a mood reader. I love mysteries so I’ll usually pick one of those from the library but then I need to break it up after 3 in a row. Pick something like women’s fiction or a nonfiction. I keep a list but I don’t go through it methodically. That doesn’t help you.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I want to join Shelly’s nonfiction challenge this year to do something different.
For dinner may I suggest wrapping chicken thighs with a slice of bacon and adding a dollop if marmalade or peach jam, whichever you prefer. The jam caramelizes the bacon. Here’s the recipe & photos. It’s easy!
https://tinaculbertson.blogspot.com/2014/07/bacon-madness-101-things-to-do-with.html
So, how to be a mood reader? As a person who does make lists, but also finds that reading on a schedule tends to be bad for me (burnout for sure), I'd say remember back to how it was before you scheduled your reading. Before advance copies and reviews and lists. Bet you had that time. Remember going to the library and wandering around picking up one book or another. Or maybe you went to a used bookstore and did the same. With all the travelling you've been doing, maybe visit a few bookstore in New Orleans or antique shops/flea market places. I know you'll have your little guy with you, but it's fun to see what they might have. You could make it an educational thing or maybe play a game of 'I spy'. Maybe treat your own shelves as a mini-bookstore. Pick a book based on the cover (like my recent flowers on the cover venture). Just a few suggestions. Mostly, just relax, breathe, life won't end if you don't read from a list...ha!
ReplyDeleteI start with thinking about which genre I feel like reading. At the moment I feel like political non fiction and horror fiction so this is where I'm taking my next reads from. I'm in a more specific mood for zombies and slasher books so I picked out about seven that I might want to read next and I'll take it from there as to which one I want to pick up. A trick I used to do was pick a book from each genre and pick from that mini pile.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I really struggle with what to read next because so many books sound good all at once. It helps when I have a book or two already picked out before I am ready to move on based on my mood. As you know, I do the TBR poll every month and ask my blog visitors to help me choose a book. That can be tricky because what if I am in the mood for something else by the time the winner is announced? I do my best to choose three books I really want to read, so that it won't matter as much--but sometimes it does.
ReplyDeleteI hear you and even though we want to slow our reading and look at all those books on our actual TBR or on a list somewhere and we still stall. I like being a bit of a mood reader or a genre changer up. Like I just finished a sweet read today so I felt reading to get into a suspense that's going to be a bit full of nasty stuff but I love the series. After I'll probably go for something to clear my reading palate again. Or maybe no read! Terrible eh! But sometimes a couple of days or so with no book gives me back my reading mojo. When I make my Monday post I kinda try to commit to my next read, so I am planning one book ahead. So I more or less know which one is going to be next. But ... take care and go easy whatever else.
ReplyDeleteI think when it comes to choosing books to read I am like a bee among flowers, I choose ones I like. My current selection is The Prime Minister by Anthony Trollope, my favorite novelist. In the first 50 pages he has introduced some intriguing characters including a young man and the young lady he wants to marry. Also I read lots of series so try to always have the next in the series on hand, for when I want it. Best wishes for reading what you like.
ReplyDeleteIt depends upon my mood and what genre I had just finished usually. Although today, I got my digital hold so I'll be reading another mystery but a more intense one as the last read was a cozy. I made seasoned chicken thighs battered in seasoned flour and pan-fried in butta yesterday with brown rice seasoned from chicken broth in the IP and pan-roasted veggies.
ReplyDeleteI used to love picking out my next read. It was really one of my favorite things about reading. I have so many review books now that I don't really do this often anymore. I used to decide on a genre and then thumb through a few books until I found one that I didn't want to put down.
ReplyDeleteHa! I recently went through this morph from being a very scheduled reader to reading whatever I feel like reading. It happened over the last year and honestly it's just looking at what I own or have on my shelf from the library and picking it up. It takes me a little longer to start my next read because I'm looking instead of having a plan. But I do tend to enjoy my reads more. Oh and I did a lot more series binge reading - once I start a series and enjoy it, I just keep going. Good luck, it takes a change in mindset, but it's so worth it. I'm enjoying my reading again, so much!
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