manuscripts-dontburn:
Again and again I hear from various bookworms how they envy others the ammount of books read per month/year/week…. and how stressed they get when their goodreads challenge is not going according to plan. And so they try to push everything. They pick up short books and read and read and read as much as they possibly can. And I would probably be one of them, had I still not had a memory of a summer 2014.
It was a summer when I had already passed my university state exams from all but one subject: English. Now, the state exam from English language consisted of linguistics, realia and literature, all at once. And the problem was that we were supposed to have read about 60 books for the exam, and I have only read about 20. So the summer, those two months, became a reading camp for me, when I did virtually nothing but read.
I read those 40 books in 7 weeks and passed my exam which followed right after. And it was only then I realized I did not remember a single thing from what I read, except several book titles.
It hit me so suddenly I felt really upset. I knew I read something by Steinbeck, but for the life of me could not recall what. I had a vague memory of reading Sanctuary by Faulkner, but do not ask me what was it about (I just know I did not like it). I consumed Lucky Jim by Amis and was not able to recall a single character or incident from that book. And I read about 20 books I DO NOT RECALL AT ALL. I read so much and so quickly that the impressive 40 books in 7 weeks left no mark in my mind, as if I have never read them at all.
And so, every time you feel pressured and think you need to reach a certain number of books in a time period, remember, that you read to gain something from the book, be it a new experience, enjoyment, a lesson or comfort. And getting that is more important than checking off another book on Goodreads for the sake of seeing the numbers grow.
(via bookloversthoughts)
