I've Been Reading My Own Damn Books... and It's Changing How I Think About My Reading

So far this year, I've finished 10 of my own damn books (out of the 27 books I've finished so far this year). That might not seem like a huge percentage to some, but considering that 12 of the remaining 17 books I've finished have been assigned for Shelf Awareness reviews, I'm really pleased with it. (Even more so when I consider the fact that only 10 of the books I read in all of 2015 were from my own damn bookshelves.)

Andi's challenge thus far has been more about mere accomplishment, though. It's redefining how I think about my reading entirely.


I love reviewing and reading books in advance of the buzz, but I'm learning (slowly) that the act of reading to review is a very, very different act than reading for pleasure. I've always lumped the two together: when I have time to read, I curl up in my nook with a stack of assigned books and for-pleasure books as though the two are entirely the same. (And then because I get anxious when deadlines loom and work is left undone, I read only the assigned books and the books I own wallow in the stack for reading session over reading session over reading session.)

By prioritizing reading my own damn books as much as those with deadlines looming, I've learned that a) I actually do have the time to fit it all in, if b) I make the time. And c) I bought all these books for a reason, and d) that thus far, my reasoning has proved fairly sound, and that e) I like reading books that aren't assigned to me and f) I won't always (ever?) write about them and that's ok. The two forms of reading are starting to occupy different slots in my days, and I'm finally admitting to myself that they occupy different spaces in my brain... and I'm cool with all of that.

So here's to reading our own damn books!

Are you participating in Andi's challenge? Or do you in some other way focus on reading the books you buy? Or are you one of those mythical unicorns who does not fill all available nooks and crannies of a house with unread books?

(Now if you'll excuse me, my editor just sent out a list of June books for consideration, so I've got some new-books links to be a-browsin'.)