Every January I set the number of books I'd like to read by the next new year (usually between 50-100). This year, I set my goal at 100. This is no longer my goal. I don't want to read more books in 2020. I want to read them better.
I don't want to treat reading like a race to completion or accomplishment. I want to read words for enlightenment. And so, I've been reading books in their entirety. Non-fiction as well. I'm no longer a fan of skimming. I'm sick of pulling bits and pieces of information, leaving them in a database of book highlights and never returning to them thereafter. It's far more difficult to read a non-fiction book from front to back than fiction, but I tend to understand the concepts far better when I read a book as the author intended.
And like a movie, I don't want to pause a quarter of the way through, go about my week, then return to it. How am I to understand a book that I'm pausing and throwing it to the side several times over? Taking the time out of my day to sit down, and at the very least, get through half the book before bookmarking, has helped incredibly.
Let me say this, I don't think EVERY book should be read front to back. If a book isn't doing it for me, I'll put it to the side and move on. I only desire to read books that interest me generally. As well, I don't have particular interests. I like to explore ideas widely. If it were the case that I want to find information about one concept, I will find a chapter that discusses my focus and leave it at that. That is a different kind of reading.
Where's the time? → I carve out two hours before going to bed.
I have a hard time staying awake while I read — a common conundrum. Reading before bed can do this. My solution to this is to stand with my book and pace around my apartment. No music, television is off, and notifications are silenced. It's a small adjustment but a world of difference for inevitable fatigue.
Why not audiobooks? They don't do it for me. And it's a shame because I want them to. I either use my Kindle or physical books. I'm a pretty slow reader. I like to re-read passages and look up terminology I'm unfamiliar with. I also like the ability to write in the margins. I take my time so I can understand what the author wants me to know upon reading. This is so I'm not leaving the last page only able to partially comprehend the material.
Another opposition to audiobooks is its tendency to encourage distractions. It's easy to fold my laundry, text a friend, or do busy work while a book is being read to me. This is equivalant to skimming a book, something I am trying to stray away from.
To end this reading ramble on an important note, I want to read for me and no-one else. This is especially difficult with social media. I tend to compare myself to other readers that I follow, some of which are far more advanced, experts in their field, or are simply older than me, and thus, more wise. I want to adopt their reading habits, impressive bookshelves, and "cool-factor" into my own world. I set my standards to meet theirs.
This is a result of intellectual insecurity. It's okay to be in the midst of learning because everyone is.