This & That: February 7, 2023
Experiments in reading one book at a time.
Hello, readers!
Happy February! This month gets a lot of crap, but seeing as it contains my birthday as well as my daughter’s, I don’t think it’s so bad. It may be cold and dreary most places, but that just makes for cozy reading.
Below, I have a couple thoughts on a small, but impactful change I’ve made in my reading life this year, a few books that’ll make ya say “Brrr,” and a few great links to get you through your week.
Something I’m Thinking About: Reading One Book at a Time
For the first time in my adult life, I’ve been experimenting with reading just one book at a time.
It used to be that I would read non-fiction in the morning to wake my brain up and fiction at night to wind down. Or I’d read certain books in fits and starts, with other things sprinkled between, and then end up with four or five books on my nightstand and in my consciousness concurrently.
Without intentionally doing so, I’ve been reading one book at a time here in 2023.
I wouldn’t have thought that it would change my reading satisfaction that much, but I’ve quite enjoyed it!
One perk that falls into the “duh” category is that I’m finishing books quicker. Devoting all my attention to a single title means that I’m getting through individual books more quickly, even though my overall reading time hasn’t changed. The hits of bookish dopamine that accompany finishing something are coming more regularly.
Another perk is that I’ve felt more fully immersed in what I’m reading. Be it fiction or non-fiction, letting myself be pulled into the setting and lives of the characters has been almost like watching a movie in 3D, where before I’d been watching in 2D (distractible and not all the way in the experience).
I don’t know if this is just a phase or a permanent shift in my reading, but I’m going to intentionally keep it up for a while and see what happens.
Do you read just one book at a time? Or do you dabble between multiple books? I’d love to hear.
The Mini List: Books That’ll Chill Ya to the Core
Even in the depths of winter, I like to read books set in snowy, dark environs. Something about sitting on the couch with a heavy blanket and a warm beverage, while a cold wind blows outside, makes for a magical experience. These three books will chill ya, which won’t be a problem as long as you’re cozily indoors.
Endurance by Alfred Lansing — the most thrilling survival and adventure story you’ll ever read
One by One by Ruth Ware — a heart-pumping, page-turning “locked room” murder mystery set on the snowy ski hills of the Alps
The Call of the Wild by Jack London — this classic story about a house-dog forced into an unfamiliar environment resonates on multiple levels
Miscellany
🌋 I can’t turn away from stories about obsession. Fire of Love, an eye-popping documentary on Disney+, is about a volcano-loving couple who died pursuing their craft. Made me glad my own obsession is books. 😂
🚶♂️Don’t underestimate the power of a walk. Walking is my go-to form of exercise, but it does a lot more than that. It also provides much-needed mental breaks, calms the toddler down when he’s cranky, and inevitably leads to more writing ideas than anything else I do.
🔎 If you’re in the mood for a scandalous/bookish podcast, Missing Pages has you covered. Each episode investigates a different publishing scandal.
🍺 After enjoying Dry January more than we expected, Jane and I were inspired to try non-alcoholic beer-maker Athletic Brewing. Incredibly, it tastes like beer! Give it a shot — the IPAs are especially close to the real thing.
❤️ There’s a simple key to human happiness. But we’re forgetful creatures. So here’s your regular reminder that other people are what bring us the most joy and make life worth living.
Thanks so much for the time and attention — I deeply appreciate it.
-Jeremy
It's been my MO for years to read one book at a time. Or sometimes one physical book and one audio book. But this year, amazingly, I've switched it the other way and am maintaining multiple books. I'm not getting the dopamine hit as frequently (but shorter audiobooks help with that). The downfall with one book at a time was that I would inevitably hit something kinda slow or unsatisfying and I would find myself unconsciously avoiding the book before it clicked in that I should move on to something else. This added up to a lot of lulls in my reading throughout the year. Having a few going at once helps keep the momentum going. Here's how I'm doing it:
1. I'm doing the big read, so I front load the week focusing on Lonesome Dove
2. When I've hit my reading mark there for the week, I switch over to the other physical book I have going (currently The Splendid and the Vile).
3. I have a 7 month old son, so when I'm feeding him or rocking him at night I have a kindle book that's easy to pick up sporadically (currently The Making of a Manager). I can also have this on my phone or have my kindle in my work bag for random reading opportunities.
4. I keep a non-fiction, easy to follow audiobook going. Typically nothing more than 12 or 15 hours. This keeps the numbers tallying and my satisfaction high.
This is all new to me from how I've done things for the past decade or more, so we'll see if I keep it up, but for now it's been a really good change of pace.
I always seem to have a few books going at once. I think if I only read one at a time, It might not get finished if I got tired of it and then probably would not be reading. Also I try to use our library and definitely have time limit on those books. I have decided to take this month to finish as many books that are on my shelves with bookmarks in them. It is a good feeling when you finish a good book.