I like to read a wide range of books and authors, but I read more books by women than men. I'm fine with my choices, and plan to read another 1,000 books before I die. As for life goals, my main goal in life from the time I began to read was to travel. And I have. I'm so happy I went to Egypt and Turkey when I did. Europe, the Philippines, Canada, and 48 of the 50 states. I'd still like to complete that list by going to Rhode Island and Delaware. I definitely want to get back to Canada to see my friend there, and also to NYC. I love NYC, and though I never lived there as planned, I've visited many, many times, and have good friends there. Even if I never travel again in real life, I can always travel in books and in my imagination.
First, an answer to last week’s big question: How to take the temperature of a dog with a hairy bottom? I promised to ask my vet surgeon granddaughter, not expecting her dog Cedric to start his own substack post: https://theadventuresofcedric.substack.com
It’s all there in graphic detail. Now, back to this week and Andrew Merton’s prompt about how much reading time do we have left? By chance I am within a few weeks, if not days, of being the same age as Andrew. I will be 80 in the middle of May and, like him, read about 30 books a year, of which half will be ‘comfort reads’ - that is re-reading books we already have. Some I would like to change the ending of, so I read in the hope that this year the book in question will have the ending I want. Others will come to me unexpectedly. Like from Betsy in the past year and no doubt the year ahead. My only ‘must have’ author is Ellie Griffiths. Then there are those I will find via the radio. Rarely newspaper reviews, where I find a lot of ‘self satisfaction’ among writers. For me what I will read is like the future - unpredictable, despite the 10 year estimate. You know the saying I’m sure:
I guess I'm a "super reader," though there have been a couple of years (but only a couple) when I read less than 50 books. Normally, I'm around the 75 to 100 books per year kind of reader. So, for the sake of easy math, let's call it 100 books per year.
I'm too chicken to look at the life expectancy table. At 60, I'm a conflicted body: my father, my uncle and my grandfather all have had heart attacks at various points in their lives (my grandfather's ended his); but I'm also a relatively healthy eater....so I have no idea what the odds are these days. And then there are the vagaries of accidents, homicide and natural disasters trimming away at our lifelines. So, for the sake of easy math, let's say I've got a "guaranteed" 15 more years. That's a pool of 1,500 books to choose from. My list of "want to reads" extends to about 2,000 titles--proving, as always, my reach might exceed my grasp.
Although the idea that I'll only be able to read another 1,750 books in my lifetime is horrifying (assuming a conservative 35 years to go @50 books/year), my problem is still not being able have a truly great book going at any given time—especially when it comes to fiction!
I don’t care how many books I read--a good thing, since I’ve become a terribly slow and distractible reader. My focus is paying attention to the books I do read. I used to skim; I don’t anymore. It was on my second or third read of Shirley Hazzard’s TRANSIT OF VENUS that I finally understood what happened in the end. If you’re skimming, you can miss the whole point.
I read what appeals to me at the time-so no real method to selecting the books I read. Some books I've thought would really resonate with me don't and others that I don't have any expectations for shatter me in all the best ways. I took a peek at the life expectancy calculator and hope I don't live that long if I develop dementia. We went through it with both my parents and my mother-in-law so that future is grim!
I love the picture of you with that very cool book tee shirt! You look lovely ❤️
As for reading books, I collect a lot and I read a lot, but mostly I love picking up books at book stores, thrift shops, library sales and the occasional free library. I also like to place books into those. So I always have books in my car. I guess I consider myself a book collector more so than a reader if that makes sense. I always have a book with me that I’m reading, but my ratio is 1 book reading vs 10 I just picked up. To be read of course. One day..... and I’m guilty of re-reading books I have already read so there’s that.
I am also an intrepid reader of articles about books and authors. This is my downfall. For example, I was reading about Beatrix Potter in The NY Times the other day and now, poof, I am reading a book about Beatrix Potter and put my other books down. I am a fickle reader at best. Prone to whims that come and go. Being able to download books instantaneously or have them delivered next day has made this next to impossible to resist.
As for books and end of life, I could fill pages with stories of my hospice patients and their love of books right to their final day. I have had hospice patients back in Boston who were writers, who owned book stores, who had libraries in their homes with stacks of books everywhere. I have asked libraries to send their bookmobiles to the homes of shut-ins with no place to get beloved books. I have brought audio books to patients who could no longer read but loved listening to their favorites. I have sat and read books to patients as well and encouraged family members to do the same. Books provide great comfort. You should know, Elizabeth, that there are folks out there who are, right now, reading your book Casualties and finding great comfort in your words. Books are so powerful right to the end.
Will Schwalbe wrote a book about how he connected to his mom with shared books as she was going through her terminal illness. The book is called The End of your Life Book Club. It’s very good.
“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, said Jojen. The man who never reads lives only once.” ~ George R.R. Martin
I like to read a wide range of books and authors, but I read more books by women than men. I'm fine with my choices, and plan to read another 1,000 books before I die. As for life goals, my main goal in life from the time I began to read was to travel. And I have. I'm so happy I went to Egypt and Turkey when I did. Europe, the Philippines, Canada, and 48 of the 50 states. I'd still like to complete that list by going to Rhode Island and Delaware. I definitely want to get back to Canada to see my friend there, and also to NYC. I love NYC, and though I never lived there as planned, I've visited many, many times, and have good friends there. Even if I never travel again in real life, I can always travel in books and in my imagination.
First, an answer to last week’s big question: How to take the temperature of a dog with a hairy bottom? I promised to ask my vet surgeon granddaughter, not expecting her dog Cedric to start his own substack post: https://theadventuresofcedric.substack.com
It’s all there in graphic detail. Now, back to this week and Andrew Merton’s prompt about how much reading time do we have left? By chance I am within a few weeks, if not days, of being the same age as Andrew. I will be 80 in the middle of May and, like him, read about 30 books a year, of which half will be ‘comfort reads’ - that is re-reading books we already have. Some I would like to change the ending of, so I read in the hope that this year the book in question will have the ending I want. Others will come to me unexpectedly. Like from Betsy in the past year and no doubt the year ahead. My only ‘must have’ author is Ellie Griffiths. Then there are those I will find via the radio. Rarely newspaper reviews, where I find a lot of ‘self satisfaction’ among writers. For me what I will read is like the future - unpredictable, despite the 10 year estimate. You know the saying I’m sure:
‘There are lies, damn lies and statistics’🐰
I guess I'm a "super reader," though there have been a couple of years (but only a couple) when I read less than 50 books. Normally, I'm around the 75 to 100 books per year kind of reader. So, for the sake of easy math, let's call it 100 books per year.
I'm too chicken to look at the life expectancy table. At 60, I'm a conflicted body: my father, my uncle and my grandfather all have had heart attacks at various points in their lives (my grandfather's ended his); but I'm also a relatively healthy eater....so I have no idea what the odds are these days. And then there are the vagaries of accidents, homicide and natural disasters trimming away at our lifelines. So, for the sake of easy math, let's say I've got a "guaranteed" 15 more years. That's a pool of 1,500 books to choose from. My list of "want to reads" extends to about 2,000 titles--proving, as always, my reach might exceed my grasp.
Yay public radio model!
Although the idea that I'll only be able to read another 1,750 books in my lifetime is horrifying (assuming a conservative 35 years to go @50 books/year), my problem is still not being able have a truly great book going at any given time—especially when it comes to fiction!
I don’t care how many books I read--a good thing, since I’ve become a terribly slow and distractible reader. My focus is paying attention to the books I do read. I used to skim; I don’t anymore. It was on my second or third read of Shirley Hazzard’s TRANSIT OF VENUS that I finally understood what happened in the end. If you’re skimming, you can miss the whole point.
I read what appeals to me at the time-so no real method to selecting the books I read. Some books I've thought would really resonate with me don't and others that I don't have any expectations for shatter me in all the best ways. I took a peek at the life expectancy calculator and hope I don't live that long if I develop dementia. We went through it with both my parents and my mother-in-law so that future is grim!
I love the picture of you with that very cool book tee shirt! You look lovely ❤️
As for reading books, I collect a lot and I read a lot, but mostly I love picking up books at book stores, thrift shops, library sales and the occasional free library. I also like to place books into those. So I always have books in my car. I guess I consider myself a book collector more so than a reader if that makes sense. I always have a book with me that I’m reading, but my ratio is 1 book reading vs 10 I just picked up. To be read of course. One day..... and I’m guilty of re-reading books I have already read so there’s that.
I am also an intrepid reader of articles about books and authors. This is my downfall. For example, I was reading about Beatrix Potter in The NY Times the other day and now, poof, I am reading a book about Beatrix Potter and put my other books down. I am a fickle reader at best. Prone to whims that come and go. Being able to download books instantaneously or have them delivered next day has made this next to impossible to resist.
As for books and end of life, I could fill pages with stories of my hospice patients and their love of books right to their final day. I have had hospice patients back in Boston who were writers, who owned book stores, who had libraries in their homes with stacks of books everywhere. I have asked libraries to send their bookmobiles to the homes of shut-ins with no place to get beloved books. I have brought audio books to patients who could no longer read but loved listening to their favorites. I have sat and read books to patients as well and encouraged family members to do the same. Books provide great comfort. You should know, Elizabeth, that there are folks out there who are, right now, reading your book Casualties and finding great comfort in your words. Books are so powerful right to the end.
Will Schwalbe wrote a book about how he connected to his mom with shared books as she was going through her terminal illness. The book is called The End of your Life Book Club. It’s very good.
“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, said Jojen. The man who never reads lives only once.” ~ George R.R. Martin
{A Dance With Dragons}
This was a great post, I loved it.