The Goodreads Challenge, the place we go to record our good intentions and watch ourselves fall woefully short every year. I am notoriously bad at biting off more than I can chew, and the annual Goodreads challenge is no exception. This year, though, feels different.
In 2016, I challenged myself to read 30 books. To some people, 30 books is nothing. I suspect, too, that many people would be surprised that I’d consider 30 books in a year a challenge. I fit the profile of a voracious reader: a graduate student in the humanities, avid consumer of stories (film, roleplaying, comics, podcasts).
But, all in all, I really don’t read that much. Or at least I haven’t in the past few years. And, here’s the kicker: the stuff I do read I usually don’t log on Goodreads because I don’t feel that I’ve really read it. Grad school reading is different from everyday reading. You read the intro, first and last chapter, skim the middle, and consult a few book reviews. If it’s something you really want to research, then perhaps you read it cover-to-cover. This is to say, I really haven’t put in a lot of quality reading time the past few years.
In 2016, I challenged myself to read 30 books. I logged one (1). For those of you who are curious, it was The Dynamics of Faith by Paul Tillich, something that I was reading for research. In 2017, I decided (I guess, I don’t really remember) that I wasn’t ambitious enough the previous year. I committed to 50 books. I logged zero (0). In 2018 and 2019, I did not commit to a reading challenge at all. In 2020, I challenged myself to read 30 books. I logged a whopping 6! That’s 20%, which is objectively abysmal, but considering my previous attempts, it was a pretty good personal record. In 2021, I lowered the bar even further with a goal of 25 books. I only logged 2.
So, how’s my reading challenge going this year? Well, I am behind, as you’d expect based on my track record, but not nearly as badly as you might think. I committed to 26 books in 2022. I figured a book every other week is a reasonable goal. So far, I’ve read 7, so I’m well over 25%. I’ve already beaten every previous year’s result. This year feels different, and I think there are a few reasons.
- Anything goes. There are no literary standards. The quicker the better. Of the 7 books I’ve completed, 4 of them are installments of the One Piece series. They’re extremely quick to read. Of the remaining 3, 2 are old, pulpy sword-and-sorcery novels. Quick 300-page adventure fantasy stories without too much cognitive demand.
- I began using an E-Reader. I got a Kindle as a gift last year, and this year I’ve been reading it more and more. I find that I can read a lot faster on the Kindle than I can on the page, especially with a large font.
- I (begrudgingly) began reading with audiobooks. I have never been a fan of audiobooks. They do not hold my attention. Even with podcasts, I can’t do monologues. I need discussion and banter to stay engaged. But, my wife, who is a huge audiobook fan, gave me this tip: listen at a faster speed. I’ve found that with the faster speed (I’m currently listening at 1.7-1.8X), I’m actually able to stay more engaged. I was able to complete a Brandon Sanderson novel (Mistborn part 1) by switching between audible audiobook and my kindle edition.
- I only read what I want. If it sounds even a little boring, I don’t read it.
So, I’ve learned how to read more, even if I’m still not much of a reader by many peoples’ standards. I don’t know if I’ll complete the Goodreads challenge successfully, but I’m happy to be engaging more with fiction than I have in the past.
Jacob N. Given 