Life is full of challenges some of them are documented on Goodreads. So here I am finding myself facing yet another challenge of flipping through and understanding each word of 30 Books in 366 Days.
It’s not that much of a formidable opponent. I have to consider my pace in reading, the available time, and procrastination attacks.
I have been an avid reader of any book except self help ones, sine I was a kid. But I can say I’m the ordinary reader. The preference changes as you get over a phase in your life. You graduated from reading Sweet Valleys and the likes when you graduated from high school. When you’re still poisoned with the idealism of the youth, you read a lot of socially impacting books, even the revolutionary journals, like Che Guevarra’s. But what happens when everything that has been the source of all the excitement in your life runs out? You end up reading people’s blogs.
Going half way of my goal, half way through the year should be ideal, but finishing two books is inexcusable. I have started a few books but ended up shoving them on the shelf leaving them to gather dust.
Blogs stole my addiction to books. Before, I could gobble up pages like I am eating M&M’s but now it’s like I’m just biting off a piece and leaving the books to rot. I feel like a traitor inside.
Books had been my companion ever since, they took me to places, they introduced me to brilliant people, they made me a conqueror of knowledge. If people refer to me as smart, it is because I read a lot. But I don’t consider myself smart. Opinionated maybe.
My favorite book as my friends would already know is The Catcher In The Rye and I scribbled “this is my statement” on its first page just like Mark Chapman did on his copy(the one he was holding when he shot John Lennon). See I don’t just read a book, I read its history and the authors biography. I believe you cant fully understand a book unless you dive into the authors mind.
That exciting part, blogs lack.
It also occurred to me that since I love reading off of the computer, I should read e-books instead, but no I keep on closing the window to talk to my friends on Facebook. (As I write this I actually took a minute to check if someone posted a comment on my status.)
By the end of June I felt the urgency to get back on track and start running as fast as I can. One of my office mates holds a mini-library at the office. During writing breaks I sit down and force myself to get lost into the pages, but to no avail. The bustle of the office environment makes it impossible. So I borrowed his books and took them home.
I started with easy reads, The Diary of A Wimpy Kid. And it did not fail my expectations, I just cant get enough of Greg Heffley and his oddly familiar childhood. I finished five books in five days, each took an hour to finish. I am so proud of myself. But it is a series made for children who doesn’t like reading. I must not embarrass myself.
Booksale is a place I always visit whenever I find myself on a mall. They sell second hand books and they have a wide collection. I found a book I have been wanting to read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. That fire of burning the ugly face of the world will always flicker inside of me. I will always seek for a better change. I surprised myself by reading the book in one sitting. I only paused to wipe the tears in my eyes as I cry for Afghanistan. Two days after, I finished his other book, A Thousand Splendid Suns.
As of writing time, I have seven out of 30 books. Bridget Jones is lying in bed with me, Unfinished Tales of J.R.R. Tolkien is waiting to share their adventure with me and I am halfway of my The Hobbit journey revisiting.
I am officially back in business.
How bout you? Have you started your own reading challenge too?
