Chapter 43 is coming up and whoever owned this before me wrote “emotional turning point” in the header. Can’t wait 👈😎👉

My fellow readers, I have been reflecting on my book habits, and I have found that these days, I borrow more books than I purchase.

I am a huge fan of the library. I try to visit my public library at least once a week to pick out new books to read for the next week. My library does a nice job of updating their collection to get new releases, and I love checking out these new books when a title catches my eye. (There’s nothing better than being the first person to check out a new book.) I love that I can check out as many books as I fancy, and I don’t have to worry about my pocketbook. I also like that the library is low pressure—if I don’t like a book, I can simply return it. (This is especially great for trying books that are different from my usual tastes.)

Sometimes, a book in which I am interested is not available at the library. (Or the copy is in poor condition.) In this case, I will decide how badly I want to read this book. This deliberation process can take a while. I think this stems from my fear of buying books that I don’t read. (Which I am guilty of.) I also have limited shelf space, so I try to be careful with how many books I buy. I want my bookshelves to reflect the books that I love. For that reason, I usually pick up new releases by favorite authors and in favorite manga series.

This is why I like the library so much. All of these concerns are swept away.

At the same time, I want to support my local bookstores to keep them in business. So, I still frequent the bookstore and make sure to buy books when a title speaks to me.

I am curious, what are your borrowing/purchasing habits? Do you prefer to borrow or purchase your books, and why?

It's time for the pagebound version of "which way do you hang the toilet paper roll". I need to know!

Do you log the last page you read or the next page you are going to read?

I asked a friend, @UnPancito, and it turns out we do it different ways.

20% in on audio and I’ve got to know if this gets better!? I’m finding all of these characters boring and I’m not invested. Is this ship going to turn around or should I give this up?

hey everybody! i just finished a listen of The Midnight Organ Fight by Frightened Rabbit, and it gave me an idea: if you could pair a book and an album together, what book would it be and what album would it be? it can be because of subject matter, general vibes, whatever! i may also be using this as a music recommendation post🙂‍↕️

Reading goals are a great way to stay motivated with reading and encourage you to pick up a book. Streaks help to motivate you to pick up a book when there is a day where you do not wish to read.

However, I have found that it also becomes quite pressuring and stressful. In my opinion, the worst thing to do with a hobby is to force yourself to do it. If there are days where you do not feel like reading, forcing yourself to get through a chapter for the sake of a streak/goal starts to make the hobby feel more like a chore.

I have been in a reading ‘slump’ that lasted over a year, and recently I have found myself in a bit of one again. My reading progression has been a lot slower this month. But I found that it is okay to be in ‘slumps.’ Sometimes you need to take a break from your hobby, focus on some other things for a little time. Read at your own pace, read when you want to. That is what kept my love for books.

Forcing myself to get through a chapter had made reading miserable for me. I used to set page count goals of getting through 50 pages before I could put the book down. But why? why set those goals instead of reading what you want to in that moment? So I scrapped those goals. I started reading 20 pages because I wanted to, sometimes went as far as 70 pages because I wanted to. Reading is so much more enjoyable for me when I just completely ditch those goals and follow what I want.

I used to force myself to get through books quickly, because I thought it was embarrassing to have the reading dates on my reviews show that I had spent more than a week reading that book. But why? there is nothing wrong with going at your own pace. I also used to get embarrassed to see I had ‘only’ finished 4 books in a month. But why? there is nothing wrong with picking up what you want to, rather than what you have to.

For these reasons, I will no longer participate in reading goals/streaks. I want reading to remain a hobby for me rather than a chore. I want it to be something that I want to do, not need to do. I don’t want to feel embarrassed at seeing the amount of books I finished in a month compared to other people. Reading goals are great for a lot of people, but for me they do not work out.