Book reading strategy (whats yours?)

General Discussion
1

Reading Books is like looking into a horizon, you never fully grasp how they broaden your view until you decide to set off and explore it.


Walk 2 steps and the horizon grows suddenly 10 feet apart.


You realize that you cannot reach the horizon, your mind or knowledge is unlimited.


Immediately you find yourself asking: what's the sense of it all?


It serves one thing, to continue to walk, to read and grow :)


SO WHAT ARE YOU READING NOW, OR on which HORIZON are you routing currently?


My current book is RADICAL HONESTY.


A courageous piece of work that dares to tap into conversations many refuse to acknowledge, namely, the extent to which we as human beings have a level of dishonesty that permeates our lives, a level of dishonesty developed over years that is so automatic, so second nature, that we have forgotten anything else is possible.
Blanton is intentionally blunt and abrasive. The message is not to be mixed with sugar. In fact, "sugar" is part of what is being distinguished.
A trap in engaging this material is to interpret it as suggesting one should vocalize every thought or opinion without regard for its impact on others. That's just irresponsible, and it misses the message.
Blanton points out how as human beings we are not naturally set up to be truthful. Instead, we say and do what we think will produce the desired result and have us succeed. That we attempt to manipulate each other (or at least please and impress each other) is not profound. That we don't realize the depth, breadth, and overall impact of this is more interesting. That we've grown to believe our "act" will be more successful in life than our true thoughts and feelings is profound indeed.
Blanton is pointing to something that is possible, being utterly straight and authentic in life, and to a freedom and power that is on the other side of the "act." Perhaps utter truthfulness with others is an access to truthfulness with oneself, something we prefer to think we already have.
Read Blanton's book, and you'll think again.
Two films come to mind that occur to me as at least providing a taste of the authentic conversations that are possible and what they can open up for people, the classic "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and the more recent "The Breakfast Club." People started speaking straight. Lives were altered, and a certain freedom became available. What is that freedom?
Radical Honesty is a fresh introduction to powerful ideas about what it is to be human and the notion that as humans we naturally inherit ways of thinking and being that limit us and bind us. Something else is possible. Read the book, and you may discover that the entire human race has issues you thought were yours alone.



I've set the goal of reading MORE books this year, not even fixing my mind on numbers to be later disappointed. I just hope to manage more books than last year.


I assume 4-5 a month would be necessary or good, but I have friends who claim that 300 books in 2 year is an achievable goal! Not wanting to become 'smarter' than others, I see reading as a very liberating act, books are a sort of drugs this days, where all things are so immediate, direct and often 'fast-food' for the brain, books help you question things, stimulate your brain to think for himself, with your imagination and different senses you can literally travel to that horizon we mentioned above.


In order to achieve my reading goals I have



  • started to actually use Audible, a great way to 'listen' books while working.

  • start the "Swap the Book thing" in order to feel I have to actually commit to what I receive/give.

  • stop working at a specific time and shut down the phone, lay my hands on a book

  • no facebook for 'entertainment'

  • maybe take a book for breakfast? first thing in the morning: grab a book!


What's your best way of achieving your reading goals?
I know there's plenty of book rats in here so there must be some pearl of wisdom to share.


How many books are you reading a week/month/year?


What type of books are you reading?


What experience do you have with PDF vs real books?


Shortly, share anything that comes to mind about books, reading, literatures and perhaps your library :)


Cheers - I


2

Books.... I love everything and anything I can get my hands on...I read a tremendous variety, except for anything that has "romance" in the description. I do not take note of how many or how often I read as I always seem to have a book on kindle or a book in my hand on the go.

On arriving in France with 16 cases of books (in case), I have been delighted to discover the number of authors who live here - L.M.Krier was the first detective author here I discovered who has moved from journalism, copywriting into initially biographical novels (also excellent under the pen name of Tottie Limejuice) to her first ever detective series that is excellent, now writing her fifth she is getting quite some acclaim. I also review for Amazon Vine, so I receive books in the mail, some direct from publishers, some from authors and some at random. Also review for the BBC History program so I can honestly say I will read anything given to me, even children's books. I try and review carefully because it takes a lot of time and effort to write a book, albeit fiction, non fiction, poetry whatever. I admire anyone in print so try not to be too critical of those I dislike, there is always a plus point to identify and encourage more writing.

Everyone has a tale to tell, so if anyone out there is thinking of writing - go ahead take the plunge, submit an article to a magazine or newspaper - its surprising how short of material some editors are and, although they may correct your offering, they MAY publish it. When I am not reading, I do write and enjoy royalties and fees from my non-fiction. It may not be a lot, but its always nice to receive them!

3

I pick up the card and paper object, open it take a deep breath and start to read it. If I don't like it then I put it down. That applies as much to reference books as fiction. I prefer real books but have a Kindle and also do a hell of a lot of reading in electronic formats including PDF. I make a point of not reading anything I have written myself once it is published, mainly because I suspect they are so full or errors I will have a seizure of some kind. As far as fiction goes, that is diverse. I have lots of classics so read Steinbeck or either of the Mann brothers as much as present authors, but I love great detective stories and there Rankin and Kerr are fairly high up my list at present. I also like a lot of books that are real niche things, so read the likes of Galeano or García Márquez when my mood takes me. I also prefer to read in original languages whenever possible.

I have no idea how many books I have, only to say that three walls where I am are entirely shelved with them and I have many more stored away in boxes. I have books from early childhood so over 60 years worth of accumulation and only know I can safely say thousands. I also review and edit books and should be working on a chapter today, the final one for an edited work to be published early this summer. Perhaps it is time to turn to work again, enough writing about them.