encoded notions

(part of a series)

I like reading. My parents got me a shirt when I was a kid that said, “So many books, so little time.” The only problem with the way I read is that if a book is around 200 pages, I could theoretically finish it in a day and a half. I burn through too many good books too quickly. In order to process them properly, I need to cool off and let the words, themes, and message soak into my head after I’ve finished reading. This takes an arbitrary amount of time dependent solely upon the content of the book.

I have also been drifting towards a state of continuous partial attention more and more as time progresses. Because of this, I have an aversion to devoting large blocks of time to reading a book (which will inevitably happen, as once I start I must finish quickly). The frequency with which I pick up a book is detrimentally affected by this, and I wish that weren’t true.

There is also a problem with always having your eyes pointed at a book. Eventually, you start to feel like you are missing out on something in your real life. Living vicariously through characters in novels is no way to live.