Shortly before our trip to Walt Disney World earlier this spring, I observed that I had not been doing much reading for a little while. As someone who has been an avid reader most of his life, it was, at first, a bit troubling to me to notice this. My first instinct was to just pick up one of the multiple books that I had “in progress”, but this was a futile activity. No sooner would I sit down to read, I would find myself drowsing off to sleep. I could not bring myself to focus long enough to get through more than a couple of pages without nodding off.

I quickly realized that I was tired – both physically and mentally tired. The trip to Disney World would help with the mental fatigue, as I would get a week’s break from work and the mental strain the job (and myself) was putting on me. But that trip definitely would not be one to recharge the physical batteries, as I discussed in my post-trip blog. Since we’ve been back, I’ve been more conscious of my physical energy levels. I’ve taken time to rest. I’ve taken a couple of days off to give myself a long weekend or two. And through it all, I’ve started to read a bit more and more.

I had a gap of almost two months without finishing a book. But since then, I’ve read two, and have started reading another. The book I’ve recently started is one that I am intentionally reading in small segments. This is both to get myself back into the routine of reading, but also to allow myself to digest what I am reading. The book is Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life by Thich Nhat Hanh. This is the type of book that I could plow through and check off from my “to-read” list, but that would be a disservice to the wisdom in the book. I’m reading it slowly, mindfully, and trying to incorporate this more into my daily routine.

There are a couple of new books being released next week which I am awaiting, so I feel that this will also help me get back into my regular reading practice. Next week is the publication date for both new Ruth Ware and Riley Sager novels – two authors that I enjoy thoroughly. Then, on my birthday, the newest Preston & Child book will be released (happy birthday to me!), followed by a new Stephen King two weeks later in early September. Looks like I’ll be keeping myself busy for the summer. 🙂

For the past few years, I’ve set up a personal reading challenge through GoodReads. For a couple of months, I thought I may not complete my goal for this year, and decided that this was okay. I’m only competing with myself, and would rather read out of the enjoyment of reading rather than the self-imposed feeling of needing to read x number of books because otherwise I fail my challenge. Reading should be a pleasure, not a chore.

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That’s my spiel for today. And how about you, dear reader? Do you enjoy reading? What are you currently reading? What do you have on your “To Read” list? I’d love to read all about them!