I’ve been thinking about writing this post for quite a while. It’s not uncommon for me to take a break from blogging for several months — not a great habit but usually necessary to make time for school — but recently I’ve found that even with the time to do it I just haven’t been reading. Not because I don’t love reading anymore but because it’s summer!
One of the trickiest things for the modern book lover is finding the time for reading between work life and social life. And in Canada with nearly half the year dominated by winter it’s really hard to turn down invitations to brunches, beaches, and BBQs when it’s gorgeous out!
I used to agonize over this quite a bit. How could I call myself a serious reader and scholar if I could happily let my reading list lapse in favour of going out and having a good time? What proper book worm is that social?
Now I don’t really worry about it anymore. I’ve made peace with the fact that there’s plenty of time to read when it’s -30 degrees Celcius outside and nobody wants to go anywhere. So, I’ve declared these last four months my own personal Season.
If you’ve never heard of Season or the “social season” it’s a period of time when Victorian ladies often made their debut into society, usually by moving into London for the summer and going to dinner parties, balls, etc. (You can read about it in almost any Regency period romance). It’s a nice arrangement for a country-and-city mouse like me. I can put aside my novels for a time to soak up the sun and catch up with friends all over the city then retreat back to my hidey hole when the leaves start to change without feeling guilty about not reading. Some of my friends were shocked when I boldly claimed “Who has time to read?” over waffles.
But that’s the truth. It’s a busy world and nobody has time to read all of the time. It’s liberating to give yourself time to enjoy other hobbies and make memories. Accept that you will have times in your life that are busier than others and that’s okay. After all, reading isn’t supposed to be a chore. So, don’t be afraid to leave your paperback behind and go on a picnic. Enjoy the weather while it lasts! Sadly, it won’t be here forever.
I haven’t only been roaming about town. Internet reading counts too! Here’s a short reading list of what I’ve been into lately (read: podcasts!):
- Serial (finally!) and This American Life
- Comedy, theology and other laughs with Pete Holmes
- Learning about bestiedom and menstruation
- Slam poetry about prime numbers
- A story about mayonnaise
- Real estate and urban development in Toronto
- Lila by Marilynne Robinson