So many books, so little time

I have been reading since I can remember, and I have the myopia (literal, not figurative) to show for it! My shoe-buying habits are nothing compared to the way I buy, collect and borrow books, magazines and even e-books. I have started a new blog (An Unused Voice) devoted to my passion for reading. First up is my project to record my thoughts on the Booker Prize winning books that I have read. I will keep this blog relatively free of book-related ramblings as I like to get analytical about books and this is not the place for that.

I would, however, like to reflect on the prophesied "decline in reading", from my personal perspective. It's been said so often that it most likely has become an accepted belief that "people don't read as much as they used to". Many reasons are cited; television and computer games being the main culprit for young people reading less, long work hours and "information overload" being the whipping boys for adults. And yet, the publishing industry is thriving (and it cannot just be the Harry Potter books alone that is doing it). My theory is that people are buying as many books as before, but are actually reading less. That would explain my experience, at any rate.

I usually have 5 books on the go, with most of my reading done in the toilet or on the train. I used to read in bed, but my laptop and Internet access has put paid to that. That, and the fact that the lighting in my room is not conducive for reading in bed (and I have been told enough times about the dangers of reading while lying down to finally take it somewhat seriously).

It's getting harder to finish a book within any reasonable period of time. I have been reading Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell off and on for close to 2 months and have not gotten through even a third of it. That is no criticism of the book itself; it's certainly interesting, inventive and attention-holding. It is, unfortunately, also the type of book best read when you are on vacation with all the time in the world to do nothing but read for hours on end. It is not a book designed for reading in bursts when one finds snatches of time for it.

When you juggle 5 books at one time, as I do, it's easy to lose track of what you have been reading in the different books. Especially if you don't have time to get through more than 50 pages a day. Sometimes, I find myself returning to a book after not having read it for a week, and have to backtrack practically to the start to pick up the plot again. Before work became so hectic, and before the distractions of the Internet and cable TV, I used to read a lot more, getting through 200 pages or more a day and finishing 3 books a week. It was easier to juggle multiple books then.

I suppose one solution is to cut down on the number of books being read at any one time. It just isn't possible. Unless I am on vacation, recreational reading is something I do for short periods each day. As work requires a fair bit of reading of rather dry materials, reading on my own time is preferably non-taxing, non-obligatory and something from which pleasure can be derived. What I read needs to suit the mood I am in. That's why I usually balance a serious novel with something lighter and humourous, together with something non-fictional or autobiographical and a dose of the classics every now and then.