Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Reading Too Many Books At Once

Hopefully some of you know what I'm talking about. Maybe you've joined one too many read-alongs and have a pile of library books to read. Maybe you promised to have a certain number of books read and done with by a certain date, or you're trying to reread a series before the next book comes out in stores.
Next thing you know, you're overwhelmed and you have so many books to read and so little time. Well, the first thing you need to do is breathe. Put down the five books you're switching back and forth from.

Go get a drink.

Eat something.

Interact with family and answer your text messages so everyone knows you're still alive and can stop planning your funeral arrangements.

Now.

Let's get down to business.

(To defeat the huns books.)

1. Slow down.

There are a lot of things in life that require a deadline. Don't you think that books shouldn't have to fall in that category? I know you may want to finish so many books in a short amount of time, but maybe you should set smaller goals. Maybe one book in a week and a half, to give yourself a chance to relax and enjoy reading again like you're supposed to.

2. Set your priorities.

Look at all of the books you need to read, and also consider when you want them to be done. The one you want to be done sooner is read first, and so on. This helps me when I need to put things in perspective, or have a large mix of library books and books that I own to get through.

3. Reevaluate your current interests.

Take a look at every book you own that you need to read and pick ones that you are interested in right now. If it's a book that you don't have an interest in and haven't for a while, then maybe consider getting rid of it.

That's all for now! Please leave your tips in the comments.

-Books and Trust,
Pixie Dust~

Saturday, April 23, 2016

Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon Mid Way Survey

1. What are you reading right now?

Currently I am reading Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer.

2. How many books have you read so far?

I've only read The Hound of the Baskervilles before this, due to a bad headache that stopped me in my reading tracks.

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?

Probably Throne of Glass by Sarah J Mass.

4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?

As I mentioned above I had an awful headache, which was cured with some time away from the book and some medication. Today was also chore day, so that took up some of my time. No worries, I think I'm doing pretty well!

5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?

How many people are participating! I knew many people did this, but the community is so large that updating my Twitter feed always brings something new for me! I love it!

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Long Books and How To Get Through Them

Long books.

Everyone who likes to read know how difficult it can be to finish a particularly long novel. I'm currently reading Eldest, the second book in The Inheritance Cycle, which is 668 pages. To date, it will be the longest book I finish, and sometimes it begins to drag. Not because the book is bad, necessarily; there are a lot more variables than that. Let me explain.

1. You get tired of the plot.

Sometimes you may be ready to move onto something else, and if you're like me, you don't like reading more than one book at a time. I used to read up to 5 at a time, until I realized I wasn't getting the full effect of the book. This is my personal opinion, but I know a lot of people feel this way.

Advice: I would say a good thing to do is to put it down and do something with a change of pace. For example, I like to watch something educational like a documentary sometimes to balance out all of the fantasy I tend to indulge in, or vise versa. It's fun, trust me, and you may find something else you're interested in. Also, if you're afraid you might forget the plot, make a book journal! I have one that I made, that involves art and quotes, but yours can be a simple jolting of a few sentences to jog your memory when you come back to it. If you do.

2. Try not to read so much in a single sitting.

I know sometimes we all get that overwhelming urge to read until we drop, and there's nothing necessarily wrong with that. But sometimes you overload yourself with the plot and the characters and coming back to the book is a lot harder than it should be.

Advice: I found that reading maybe one chapter each day instead of going until my vision is blurry (like I usually do) helps me come back to the book easier after I put it down. When I'm ready to come back, I don't have that overload of information in the forefront of my mind from my previous reading session. It helps me to enjoy the book more and have something to look forward to when I decide to pick up the book again. You can increase the number of chapters if you want, of course.

3. Scope out some new books.

Sometimes it's the book itself you're tired of, and you need motivation. This happens to me a lot, especially if I have to take a long break from the book if life comes calling. I see the book in my bag or on my desk, but I just don't feel like I remember enough to continue. And with a big book like Eldest, I'm not too inclined to go back and reread much.

Advice: Go to your closest bookstore or goodreads account and scope out some new literature! I know it may feel like cheating on your current book, but I found that finding something I want to read next helps give me the motivation to finish my current book so I can move on. Be cautioned, sometimes this may urge you to just dump your current book altogether. There's nothing wrong with that, but just a warming.

Okay, and those are some of my tips and tricks to getting through long books. I wanted to add more but I have AIR testing to prepare for, and I don't know when I'll have more time to get back to this post until May, and I want to get this up sooner than that. Thanks for reading!

-Books and Trust,
Pixie Dust~