One Week, One Book: What I Learned

So, I'm almost two weeks past my grand experience and looking back at 2017 with some perspective. I set out to read a book a week, every week, for the entire year. And, I blogged reviews of every one. I thought it would be nice to look back and even offer advice for those of you who are trying it now (which is AWESOME) and for those who say it can't be done.

Let's be clear: I realize I didn't do anything spectacular. I read books; I can't think of many things more lazy than turning off the world, curling up and getting lost in a book. And, there are a lot of people who read more books than this every year and don't feel the need to tell everyone about it. But, looking back, it really is pretty cool. It's cool because I made a commitment to do it, followed through and learned a ton along the way. Also, I'm a TV journalist and a Twitter addict, it's in my nature to want attention for things. 

If you've followed this blog at all, you know my taste in books is all over the place. In the 52 weeks of 2017, I read about serial killers and starlets and sharks and grandmas and serial killers and football and cannibalism and more serial killers. That's what was really cool about this experiment. I never have a hard time finding a book I'd like to read, but finding 52 (ultimately, I read 56) books that I wanted to read forced me to look outside of my typical genres. It also got me back to the library; there was no way my husband was going to be cool with me spending all that money on books. Checking out about 30% of the books from the library instead kept him quiet - and, saved more money for shoes! 

Especially since I've had kids, I crave the quiet that comes with reading. Most of my days are loud - at home and at work. So, this cranked up that solitude. Rarely did I turn on the TV after everyone went to bed. I spent less time mindlessly scrolling through my phone (though, I still spent a ton of time doing that.) The bottom line is, did I miss some tweets? Sure. Have I still not finished House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and about 5 table flips worth of Real Housewives seasons? Yeah. But, those are still on my DVR. I'll get to them. In exchange for numb TV watching, I got an increased sense of calm, better sleep and the satisfaction of having read some pretty amazing stories.

Several friends have told me I inspired them to read more, which is awesome. My favorite thing has been to share reviews and hear that people tried out a book I read (even if they hated it.) And, a couple of people say they're trying a book a week this year. I wish them well! It can be really hard. If you aren't used to reading that much or you struggle to find books that intrigue you, it's even more of a struggle. But, just the commitment to read more is good for your soul. That, at the very least, is worth a try.

(side note: I learned through this process that I really am a fast reader. A friend asked me how long it takes me to read a page and I had never even given a thought. So, I looked into it. Turns out, the average person takes about two minutes to read a page. On a cross-country flight, I set a timer and figured out I read a page every 45 seconds or so. That explains a lot. Am I retaining info, you ask? Yep. I've just always been a fast reader.)

So, now what?

I thought maybe I'd take a long break, finish those TV shows and read the stack of magazines that are piling up on my kitchen table. I did buy a book on January 2nd in the airport on the way home from a trip. I started it that day and finished on January 11th. 9 days - and, it felt like it took forever! So, clearly, this experiment has become a habit. Plus, I really like writing these reviews so I can really think what about what I've read and not forget about the book a month later. So, I will continue to read more without the pressure of forcing one book a week. And, I'll continue to write reviews. Hopefully, someone will get something out of reading those reviews. If nothing else, it will keep me from buying books I've already read!

I changed the name of this blog to reflect not my 2017 experiment, but my true identity as an admitted book snob. Change those bookmarks. Tell your friends. Shout it from the rooftops. Alert the media. Wait, no, I should do that.

If you're trying to read more and want some advice or just want some book recommendations that aren't in my blog, drop me a message here. I'm happy to enable your new habit :)