My friend Amy sent me this link. Because, hello, books.
I like this guy Austin Kleon. He writes things I wish I’d written myself. Or that I’d like to imitate (sincerest form of flattery, yada yada). I think part of it is my fascination with narrative lists, which Kleon seems to share. In this particular list, Kleon is having a moment with books and reading. 🙂
Well. I’ve been having that moment my whole life. 🙂
And while I realize that maybe I’m spoiling it—as art—by explicating it, I couldn’t resist adding my commentary to the first four items.
1 I will make time for reading, the way I make time for meals, or brushing my teeth.
Kleon’s not talking about how you study a sacred text for fifteen minutes before dawn, or those professional journals you need to keep current in your job. He means extracurricular reading.
When I was young, I read at bedtime to make myself sleepy. Now that I’m old I have no trouble falling asleep, but reading is (almost always) the last thing I do before lights out. For you it may be after the kids are in bed, or in that lull following lunch, or on the treadmill at the gym, or … whenever. Having a routine, in this case, is useful to accomplishing the goal.
2 I will make an effort to carry a book with me at all times.
I don’t ever want to find myself in a doctor’s waiting room with thirty minutes of prime daylight reading time and no book, so this is a habit I formed decades ago. But if you haven’t developed the behavior, it’s really simple nowadays: you pick up your phone before you leave the house, don’t you? Memory-peg book to phone and you’ll pick up a book (or magazine) too. I put my book in my purse, but you men can just install the Kindle app on your smartphone. I never-in-a-million-years thought I’d read a book on my iPhone but I’ve read more than one that way now, and it’s delightful. Try it.
3 I will read whatever interests me. I will read novels. I will read poems. I will read essays. I will read short stories. I will read memoirs. I will read magazines. I will read newspapers. I will read comic books. I will read self-help. I will read street signs. I will read ads. I will read instruction manuals. I will read old love letters. Etc.
If you’re only reading one genre, you’re doing it wrong. Just sayin’. 🙂
4 I will read whatever the hell I feel like. No guilty pleasures.
Seems to contradict, doesn’t it? But he means nothing is beneath you. Not middle grade fiction, not romance, not a self-published e-book. (Unless it’s dreck. See numbers 8 and 9.)
Go on, read the list. Read it again. It’s a good one. And by the way, talk to me about number 18. Are you tracking the books you’ve read? If you aren’t, you should try it; you might find it rewarding. I certainly have.
I have my own book/reading absolutes too:
34 I will give books on every possible gift-giving opportunity.
35 I will organize my bookshelves in such a way that I can (almost) always find the book I’m looking for.
36 I will recommend books to my husband.
37 I will check out my favorite books from the library, just to make sure they aren’t culled for space.
38 I will attend book festivals; I will mingle with other bookies. I will tell authors that I love their work.
Do you have something to add to the list? Leave me a comment!
Tweet: In which I add 5 thoughts to Austin Kleon’s 33 Thoughts on Reading.
Tweet: I like this guy! He writes things I wish I’d written myself.
Tweet: If you’re only reading one genre, you’re doing it wrong. Just sayin’. 🙂
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”