A frustrating reading year

2017, so far, has been a hit and miss reading experience - with the emphasis on the miss. While I've read a couple of books that have been five-star reads (such as Annie's Ghosts by Steve Luxenberg), I have read several that have been a bit, for wont of a better word, meh. 

I think the problem has been that I have changed how I choose which books to read. My usual approach is to read books on ad hoc basis - in other words, I pick up books that I fancy reading at that particular time. However, this year, I've adopted a more prescriptive approach; I've read books because they were part of a project I was doing or because they were on my "to read" list. For example, I read Jasper Fforde's The Eyre Affair because it was part of my All things Jane Eyre project. To be fair, I found the book entertaining but it didn't exactly set my world on fire (as evidence by my review). Had I not decided to attempt the aforementioned project, I don't think I would have read the book at all (well, I certainty wouldn't have bought it; I might have got it from the library if I had happened to see it there).

Equally, the only reason I read The Architect's Apprentice by Elif Shafak was because it had been on my to read list for a good year. Admittedly, I did give the book four stars but, as I explain in my review, I found completing the book a chore if I'm honest. That brings me to another reason for thinking that 2017 is not shaping up to be a good reading year - I have spent too long reading books that I should have accepted that I wasn't enjoying sooner.

Having built up a rather large "DNF" - aka didn't finish - pile over the years, I was determined to DNF fewer books this year (see My New Year Reading Resolution). This has resulted in me continuing to read books that I wasn't enjoying or trying to finish books I had DNF'ed on numerous occasions beforehand. I've been trying to read The Emperor of All Maladies: A biography of cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee for years now and was determined to get to the end of it this year; alas, although I managed to get roughly halfway this time, I gave up again. I am just going to have to accept that while I do find the topic interesting, I am not so interested in cancer that I want to read 571 pages (it's certainly a lengthy tome) about it. Plus, as a medical editor, reading the book did smack a little of a busman's holiday.

Going forward, I am will be reverting to my usual approach of choosing books to read based on my mood at the time. Also, I am going to be quicker to abandon a book. I do think it's a waste - having spent money on it  - to DNF a book but I think it's equally a waste to read a book that you're not enjoying (that time could be spent reading a book you do enjoy!).

Ultimately, I thinking reading is an element of luck - some years, it's an embarrassment of riches when it comes to good books; others seems like the Sahara desert. Therefore while I hope that I have a few more "hits" in the next eight months, I'll be alright if I don't. You gotta take the rough with the smooth as they say (who's they? Any why are they such an authority of life?)

My New Year Reading Resolution

I would say that my New Year Reading Resolution is to stop buying books that I subsequently don't read (which happens a fair bit), but I don't think that's practical - you can never really guarantee that however much you like a book's premise or initial chapters, you'll like it enough to continue reading to the end. Therefore, my actual Reading Resolution is to reduce the number of books I fail to finish. This is my action plan for achieving my goal. 

1. When I failed to finish a book, I will put it into one of two categories: won't finish or try again. Books that I that actively dislike (eg. I don't like the plot or just find boring) will go into the first category while books I just can't seem to get into will go in the second category.

2. Every time I need something to read, rather than buying a new book as I usually do, I will look at all the books in the "try again" category to see if there's anything I fancy giving another go. I can only buy another book if nothing from that category grabs me. 

3. Visit the library more often! I must confess that I probably go to my local library once a year (if that). To be fair, because of work commitments, I can only really go on a Saturday - which does make returning books a bit of a faff. But, I would certainty save some money if I made more of an effort. After all, you can fail to finish all the library books you want and you still won't be out of pocket.

4. If I try a book for a second time and still fail to finish it, I will move it to the "won't finish" category. Sometimes you have to accept that no matter how well written a book is or how good the plot is, it's just not for you. While going against the goal of reducing the number of books I buy and don't finish, at least I will know that I gave it my best shot.

5. Review my "won't finish" pile every now and then to learn what it is I don't like. For example, having looked at books I've failed to finish this year, I've realised I only like history books about people - I am not interested in learning about events or places, no matter how important they are for how we developed as a society (which is why I gave up on Mary Beard's book about Rome). 

6. After step five, get rid of my "won't finish" books. If physical, take it to a charity shop. If an ebook, delete it completely from my Kindle library. I have only just figured out how to do this (before, I just deleted it from my Kindle but not my virtual library) and it's been really liberating. I know that an unfinished ebook doesn't take up any space - either physically or digitally - but I found seeing a list of books I'd bought over the years and would never finish oppressive. 

7. Accept that I buy a lot books. Some people are passionate about music, some about fashion, and others about model aeroplanes (seriously, I used to work for two magazines dedicated to the subject), but I love books; they are "my thing". Therefore, I am going to spend a substantial amount of my disposable income (I do recognise that I am extremely fortunate to have disposable income) on books and the law of averages means that some of those will end up on my "won't finish" pile.  

I am hoping that the above steps will help me to reduce the amount of books I buy and don't finish, but most of all I want to stop feeling guilty about it. Guilt only has a purpose if it inspires you to change - continuing to do something while feeling guilty about it is plain ridiculous.