Time Is Limited; Be a More Selective Reader.

I have limited time on this earth to read books.

Tragic, isn’t it?

I'm a quick reader, usually, but life doesn't allow me to curl up with a book terribly often, and sometimes I'd rather take my time with a text and really work with it. Some people plow through 100 books a year, or 52, but for me, if I stay focused, I can get through about 25-30 books in a year (which I acknowledge is still quite a few).

Assuming I live into my seventies, that means I can read about 1,000 more books before I die. It seems like a lot, but it's really not that many when you think about it. 1,000 more full-length things to read, and that’s it. And if I scrounge up another hobby at some point or spawn a few more kiddos to spend time with and that drops down to a book a month or so, I’m looking at only 500 books a year and who can live with a tiny budget of 500 books for the rest of your life?

I’m suddenly feeling the desire—the need—to be a more selective reader.

So far, with the exception of the reading list I created for my MA thesis, I've had a lifetime reading plan best summed up as: “willy nilly.” I have a long list of books that sound cool and that I’d like to read someday, maybe, and I generally add five books to it for every one that I decide I feel like reading.

Peak personal growth tactic, that.

Let’s fix it.

My first decision to make is why do I read?

Is it purely for entertainment? For acquiring knowledge & bettering myself? To be a better writer?

Unfortunately, all of the above, and I like it that way.

I do like the precept of reading as if writing was the only thing that matters. That helps narrow the selection a bit. But it’s still important to me to read purely for pleasure sometimes, too. The Murderbot Diaries series didn’t make me a better person or expand my mind, but it sure was fun to read, and I’m glad I did.1

Another decision: Which books, exactly, should I plan to read?

I can't subscribe fully to the read slowly school, where you pick one book a year and really commit to plumbing its depths. There are just too many amazing books out there to do that. I also don’t want to go the full plan-my-whole life route: list out all 1,000 books and read those and nothing else, make-a-plan-and-stick-to-it style. I imagine there’ll be at least one or two good books published before I croak, and I’d like a crack at them.

I did come across an idea I like: Build your reading list a year at a time, and then work through it. By December, you know what you're reading next year, rinse and repeat. But even that still feels a little restrictive … I want to leave some room for spontaneity. Just not too much.

I need to be more selective; I want to read everything. I want to improve myself; I want to just relax with a fun book. I want to read the classics; I want to pull a brand-new book off the shelf and enjoy it guilt-free. It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. I want it all; I want it now.

So I made two lists.

1. Books I Want to Read

2. Book Bucket List

The first is the “oh that sounds neat let me add it to my list” list. The second is the “this is a well-respected book I think is important and want to read before I die and have to explain to its author why I didn’t think it was worth the bother.”

With the Book Bucket List, my goal is to read books that are important (think the “Great Books,” not only of the Western canon, but also of world literature—the books that contain the ideas that have shaped our world), books about things that interest me (so weighted a bit more toward literature and theology, some politics and history, and a dash of economics), and books that will challenge me and stretch me and make me a better person (I want to make a point to include voices very different from mine).

I took some inspiration from Ted Gioia and plan to make that Book Bucket List 50-60 books at a time, reevaluating as I go, finding holes in my knowledge and experience, and filling the gaps.

My initial Book Bucket List is 67 books (which is definitely between 50 and 60) designed to give me a general experience of the humanities and a good foundation going forward. I'd like to think I already have a decent foundation … I left off many books I’ve read already, with a few exceptions. There are a couple on there that I’m familiar with and have even taught. But I've not read them fully, completely for myself, at my own pace, for my own leisure, enjoyment, or edification.

As a side note, I’m thinking about trying not to simply read the dramas on my list. Drama is supposed to be experienced, not read, so if I can find a stellar production, either filmed or live, I may well opt for that. While I’m at it, I’m considering making a similar bucket list for music, film, and even video games—art comes in many worthy forms!

Last decision: How many books do I try to read each year off of each list?

I plan to aim for an ambitious 30 books a year: 20-25 off my current Book Bucket List, and 5-10 off the ever-shifting Books I Want to Read list. I also expect I’ll want to read a half dozen or so for work or professional reasons.

I’ll have the Book Bucket List books I plan to read chosen by January of each year, so that bit will be set. The work/professional ones I can also fully plan in advance. I’ll pick just one or two books off my flexible list, to start, and will let the rest fill in naturally throughout the year as they catch my attention.

With any luck, I can have my book cake, and read it, too.