Well, I’ve read ten books over the last three weeks. It’s amazing what I can accomplish if I really remove all other distractions. At all times, I have an upstairs book and a downstairs book that I’m working on simultaneously. The genres have spanned from suspense (Yesteryear) to a comedy fantasy novel about a group of pirates rescuing a raft of otters (The Princess Beard). I’ve found that I’d prefer to have a good chunk of time to sit down and read, not a minute or two here or there.
I’ve always been a reader. I came by it naturally. When I was growing up, my mom would take my sister and I to the library once a week. I’d peruse the shelves, running my fingers along the spines encased in plastic. What worlds would I discover?
Actually have to go to the library to check out and return physical books again has been interesting. Well, kind of interesting, kind of annoying. Requesting books to be put on hold for you at the library was not available in Abilene, TX in 2002. That’s big city talk, so for the experiment, I’ve had to be content with what is available to me IRL. I no longer have access to obscure Reddit threads or Goodreads to recommend books, not even an algorithm to comfort me, so I’ve reverted back to judging a book by its cover and reading the synopses to confirm. I have to make decisions about what to read next all by my lonesome.
I have found that I’m open to a broader genre of books this way. I can be very picky about books, but it’s hard to be picky if my time and selection is limited. I have to cast a wider net to draw in stories that I might like. If a book sounds even vaguely interesting, then I’ll take it because it might be the only interesting thing I come across. The process is quieter, calmer, almost meditative. I have to set aside at least a half hour to browse the shelves while I stand there and look at books and put them back.
I think about the glut of choices that we have access to now, if we’re willing to pay. I could buy any book in seconds from my Kindle. There are times where I almost feel paralyzed by so many options so it has been kind of nice to walk that back for a bit and just be content with what is in front of my face, which smacks of life before technology made our lives ‘easier’. Choosing a DVD together at Blockbuster was an integral part of my high school posse’s Friday night hangs. We could spend an hour wandering the aisles, nixing each other’s choices and putting movies to a vote. Part of the fun was walking in the door not knowing what we were going to walk out with.
It has been nice to not have such tight control of my reading list, to throw caution to the wind and let in a few wild cards. I feel like an explorer making inroads in an unknown area, doing the dirty work myself. When I find something interesting, I get a little shock of pride and elation. The thrill of discovery zings up my spine.
An unexpected, forgotten benefit of living in olden times.
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