How to Squeeze Personal Reading into Hectic Schedule?

Hello everyone,

I will likely bring this up with my T for her suggestions, but I thought here is a good place to start.

I am an aspiring writer, and everybody and their aunt recommends I read as many books for pleasure as possible to improve my writing. I don't know if it's the depression that is holding me back, or my demanding course load, or the feeling I get of not being productive when I'm reading or the feeling of being undeserving to read for pleasure (I feel everything I need to do must be productive in some way...pleasure reading is for those who have free time)...whatever the case is, I haven't read any books for pleasure since last summer and I find it very hard to sit still and read.

So how do you go about reading for pleasure? How do I find time for it with such a hectic, demanding schedule? I don't want to try ebooks yet when I have a bookshelf full of books that need to be read and given away...I'd like to at least read the books I have before opting for ebooks.

Any suggestions is appreciated.

How about books on tape? You could listen and still do other things, if you can't just sit still and listen.

And yes, reading a lot is good preparation for writing.

Yes - agreed with Travelling Lady. Try podcasts

read a little before bed

a chapter or 2 a night

Lark, how much reading do you have to do for your classes? I am a readaholic. I'll read the cereal box at breakfast just to have something to read. But while I was in grad school I had soooooo much reading for my classes I had no interest in reading for fun. Maybe something similar is happening with you?

If that is not the case I agree with Raging Vortex, read for a few minutes before bed.

I found when I was working in my career as a computer design engineer I was reading so much technical information at work I had no desire to read anything at home....besides I was too tired & fell asleep any time I sat down.

Now the only time I have time to read is in the winter. Farm keeps me so busy & again, just tired during spring, summer & fall & I can't read when I am tired.

I like to just sit & read for pleasure if I can read big chunks at a time. If ai read a little here & there in a book it gets disconnected & loses its flow so I need lots of time when I want to read. This may just be my own problem with focus....but it does effect my ability to read for pleasure

I have a LOT of reading to do for classes. I read normally 60-70+ pages for sci-fi a week, then I read articles and textbooks for my comm class, and then I read three chapters each week for my school book club which are about 20-30 pages a chapter (but it's a heavy subject--How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi)

Currently I am flying through the novel "Flowers for Algernon". I read the short story in Sci-Fi and I loved it so much my mom bought the full novel for me. I am consuming it and plan on discussing it with the class.

It looks like my window of opportunity for pleasure reading is in the evenings when I normally take time for myself to not deal with any schoolwork.

I'm having the same problem, LL. I'm back in school and have lots of school reading, plus I run two businesses and have professional reading. I block an hour before bed every day to do personal reading. It's in my calendar, and that helps.

I did something similar...I went to Google Calendar and looked at where I could block out time, and I try to get all school work done before 5pm so I can have the evening off...so I decided reading in the evening will be best.

I read before bed or waiting in line. My husband just had surgery and I probably read half a novel while sitting in the hospital on and off couple of days. I read another part of the same novel waiting for my car in a dealership the other day. I carry my books or, if it’s digital version, my kindle in my bag so I read everywhere here and there. There are still periods of time in my life when I don’t read, then I snap out of it. I feel my brain slows down and I am dumbing down when I don’t read. Lol Not good.

Good for you literary lark. Keep it up.

I read while waiting, too--like in doctors' offices.