Fri, July 15
... Try to figure out what all this is for
Shannon asked me this evening how many books I read in a month. She guessed about 7 or 8, and I told her that no, I probably read closer to 25 or 30 books in a month.
To so many people, that kind of a number is inconceivable, but I've always been a quick reader, and a lot of the books (especially novels) that I read tend to be really light reads (250-350 pages--your average genberal fiction novel), that I can get through in a day or so, easily.
It got me thinking, though. Can I truly call myself a bibliophile if the majority of my reading is current, contemporary fiction? I've read some of the classics, but if you look even at the lists of the "greatest 100 books in the 20th century," chances are I've read maybe 10% of them. And that's not even counting classics like Dickens, Bronte, Austin... many of those types of books.
Maybe I'm better classified as a voracious reader, rather than a true bibliophile, and that's a distinction that really saddens me. I think I need to renew my resolution to read more of the classics.
I usually have at least 3 books going at once: a novel; a work-related book, regarding acting, directing, producing, creativity, etc; and something theological, spiritual, etc. When I was in school, you could usually add a few textbooks to that list, but right now, that tends to be the trend.
Even in those categories, though, I go through the novels the fastest--they're the most mindless, and it really doesn't matter how deeply I get into them. The others, though, I go through much more slowly, because I want to take the time to absorb the content. Write notes in the margins, highlight key passages, figure out how it relates to my life, see if I can apply it to work... things like that.
Still. I think of myself as a reader. I love words, I love books, I love literature. Is it possible, though, to really love it when there's so much I still don't know, and so many works I still haven't read? Again, need to work on my goals there.
One year ago today: First of all, 16? When I was 16, I was worried about first kisses, college applications, high school boyfriends, getting my drivers license, spending as much time as possible with my friends, figuring out what I wanted to do with my life, avoiding housework and chores, going to youth group, learning to be the best Christian I could be, and figuring out where all these passions and loves in my life fit together.
infinite || abyss
posted at 10:39 p.m.
