Top Ten Tuesday: My Top Ten Things I Should Change About My Reading Life (but won’t)

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Every week there is a prompt and every week I love reading everyone else’s list. I have participated before but this week’s responses had my brain spinning. The prompt was “Changes in my Reading Life” but, instead, I give you my top ten list of things I should probably change about my reading life (but won’t).

1. Reading Too Many Books All At Once

Oh man, this is a massive struggle of mine that I should really change. But I know I won’t. I try to limit myself to the system I know works for me (1 fiction, 1 nonfiction, 1 audiobook and 1 ebook) but then I get….distracted. And, like a house of cards, I end up not finishing anything for a week (or two). But, other books are so….cool!

2. Reading Based on My Mood

I envy those people who can set out a plan for a month or even a year. I can’t honestly say where my reading journey will take me from day to day. I think that is why I read so many books at once. Then, I always have something I feel like reading. Except when I don’t and then please refer to #3.

3. Buying Books When I Have Books at Home

Setting a book buying ban is akin to swearing off candy for me – it just makes me binge. I’ve come to terms with my buying and anyone who wants to argue about it has to let me see all their receipts first. Let’s face it, we all spend money. I’ve been wearing the same bargain Target shirt for ages but I have new books. This is where I spend my money and I’m happy.

4. Leaving My Books All Around The House

They are literally everywhere. I bought one of those cute carts to make it look organized except it didn’t really contain the mess. If you follow this blog then you know that I couldn’t find Frankenstein for a number of weeks in October but it was on my bedside table. It was right there the whole time (just under five other books.)

5. Writing in my Books

Ok! Calm down! I know for many of you this is a cardinal sin but let me just tell you – it’s awesome. I only write in the ones that I know I will keep and usually only in the nonfiction. I would never (ever) write in a book that didn’t belong to me.

6. Cracking the spine

Well, if you made it through #5, this might be the deal breaker. I do crack the spine on my mass market paperbacks. Otherwise you can’t see what they wrote in the seam!!! Again, I would never do this to a book that didn’t belong to me.

7. Getting Too Attached

I get attached to characters but I also get attached to the physical copies of books. Maybe this seems crazy since I’ve just admitted that I crack them and write in them but those are expressions of affection for me. Like doodling a heart on your crushes hand. I will pull a book off the shelf and hug it. I don’t keep my hugging to own copies either – I’ll happily hug your copy of a beloved story or even one in a story. It makes me look bizarre and strange but I won’t stop. They’ve given me so much, they deserve a hug!

8. Not Breaking Up With Authors Even Though We’ve Gone Our Separate Ways

I’m sure I’m not alone in this one but I will continue reading an author long after it is clear that one of us has changed. I really need to stop having authors as “auto-purchases” after the second or third book that I just didn’t enjoy. This is not the author’s fault, as a mood reader I take full responsibility (see #2) but as an avid book buyer I really should be more self-aware (see #3).

9. Talking About Books Too Much

Yeah, I know, I’m laughing too. But, really, maybe I could work on my timing? Or limit the number of times a day I bring up books? No, probably never going to happen.

10. Judging People Based on What They Read

Not every Harry Potter fan is possible friend. Likewise, people who only read “good fiction” (whatever that is) can still be my likable. Pretentious but likable. I need to stop lumping everyone into piles. Actually, this one, I think I will do!

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Tell me, please!

What are you reading habits that you should probably change (but know you won’t)?

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