Last year, I read 66 books. This is what my Goodreads account tells me. This year, I’m down to 32.
For a person who likes to read and who extols the importance of reading, that’s pretty sad.
There are plenty of reasons for the decline. Instead of teaching English 9, which focused on independent reading, I’m teaching AP English this year. This means eight hours a week of reading student essays on top of re-reading the books I’m assigning my students. I’m also enrolled in a library and information science program, which means I’m reading tons of articles. Finally, there is all the non-fiction I consume on all my screens.
Although I might still be reading a lot, it doesn’t feel like I’m getting anywhere.
It’s time to get back to Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma. (I might be the only person who hasn’t read this book.) Then there’s The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, which needs to be returned soon the library, and Packing for Mars, Mary Roach’s latest.
When will I find the time?
The answer is to get away from my screens (except for maybe my Kindle) and to practice getting back into the reading-just-for-me habit. After all, as I’ve mentioned before, reading is always the first thing to go.
I remember times while teaching, that personal reading was a busman’s holiday. Wanted to anything but read more. And being in school also, no wonder you’ve slowed down.
You’re right, Lois. It’s unfortunate that being a student leads to less overall reading. I read less this year because I’m in school. My students read less because they’re in my class. (I mean, we’re reading 12 books this year, which is a lot, but I’m pretty sure my students aren’t reading much on their own.) The more I teach, the more I realize how crucial reading is. I wish we could create schools where reading is at the center.