Once I retired I wondered when I would get bit with the reading bug again. As a teacher, especially in the years since the pandemic, reading for pleasure really took a back seat. You see, I am one of those readers that has a difficult time putting a book down. So much so, that I will stay up way past my bedtime to finish a book. This did not work during the school year since most nights I was in bed and a sleep long before 7pm.
On a fateful day in January I took a walk to our local library. I had lost my library card and wanted to get a replacement. I hadn't been to the library since before the pandemic and I found that our library had changed so very much. The one change that caught my eye immediately was the section for new arrivals just to the left of the entrance. Before I even made it to the counter, I had picked up a book. Two days later, I was back in the library, having finished the first book and in need of something else to read. That time I checked out six books thinking that would hold me for a bit. It did, for a short bit.
I have always been a voracious reader. I read quick. I have always read a lot. This year I decided to keep track of everything I read and just how long it takes for me to read each book. A reading journal was quickly established. There is one thing I like almost as much as reading and that is memory keeping!
With a goal of reading 50 books this year, I was off to create the format of my journal and to read some books. This was going to be fun. My very first few pages would include an ongoing list of books read followed by the monthly pages.
In January, I read two books and was in process on another 2 when the month ended. Since I started on January 24th and we were still in football season, I did pretty well. I decided to begin each month with a title page; one side held the month and year and the other side had a stamped month along with the monthly details. The following pages would hold photos of the books read, total number of pages as well as dates read.
I am happy to be reading again. It has become a solid part of my nighttime routine along with knitting. I think I am going to be happy blogging again. I missed having a place to share the happenings of my life.
Please feel free to leave a comment. If you journal or read, share a bit about your process and any book recommendations that you have. I look forward to connecting with you!
