I’m joining an open community of writers over at Sharing Our Stories: Magic in a Blog. If you write (or want to write) just for the magic of it, consider this your invitation to join us. #sosmagic

People always ask me how I read so much. My answer varies. Sometimes I’ll list a number of things I don’t do because I’m reading, like watch most current TV shows (I’ve never seen a single episode of Stranger Things). Sometimes I explain how I always have a book in my bag, and I’ll read while my husband is pumping gas, or while waiting for a kid to come out of the bathroom. Sometimes I just say, “It’s what I like to do.”

Reading has always been what I like to do. It’s a hobby that has stayed with me since my parents first started reading to me when I was a baby. My mom used to read to me until she fell asleep, and then she says I would slide off her lap and wake her with a fresh pile of books for her to read. Books are what I do.

But part of the reason that books are still things I love is that I take stock of how I feel about them from time to time, and I adjust my reading life accordingly. I think about my moods, my workload, my amount of free time. All these affect what and how I read. Right now, all my library holds have come in at once, as well as my Book of the Month selections, which were two eagerly anticipated books. I’m overwhelmed with good books, many of which have to be read on a time frame. I’m reading like it’s my job, and that’s always a good time to take a step back, reflect on what I’m reading, and make sure I’m still enjoying what I’m doing.

What are you reading?

Flying Solo by Linda Holmes

Good Enough by Kate Bowler and Jessica Ritchie

Writing with Emotion, Tension, and Conflict by Cheryl St. John

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

The Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe

Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey

Everything Happens for a Reason by Kate Bowler

Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone

What’s working?

I’m continuing my habit of reading a novel and a nonfiction book at the same time, rather than diving into everything at once. I’m actually reading three books, but one connects to my writing time, so it has a specific place in my day. I read the novel the most, and when I have the biggest blocks of time, because it’s harder to dip in and out of a novel. I like to read it in the morning and late at night, when I’m riding the exercise bike, or when I have a stretch of time while dinner is cooking. The nonfiction I'll read in whatever pieces of time I find: when I’m brushing my teeth, when we’re in the car and Joe’s playing music, right before I go to sleep. Knowing when I read different things helps, although if I find myself with more time, I don’t hesitate to break my own rules.

Mood reading is working for me, and varying genres–I’ll follow a romance with literary fiction and then a crime novel. It keeps my interest in the slow days of summer. I also have given myself permission to drop any book that I don’t like, without having to justify the reasons even to myself. If I own the book, I might put it aside to try again later, but if it’s a library book, I just try to return it fast, so someone else might enjoy it.

What do you want to be different?

Sometimes I want more unstructured hours to read. I love the morning and late at night because no one bothers me, and I can make my own time. This is specific to summer, and would not work in the school year, but I definitely take advantage of the extra free time I have right now. At some point this summer, I’d like a whole day to do nothing but read–just one, but it sounds amazing.

The questions are pulled from Modern Mrs. Darcy’s Instagram. If you are looking to increase your own reading time and don’t know where to start, her podcast, What Should I Read Next?, is a great place to get some ideas.

Hope your summer is full of whatever you love!