Hit 50 books read this year last Tuesday and it changed how I pick what to read next.

I always grab the buzzy new releases but after hitting that number I realized half of them were forgettable. Has anyone else tried setting a minimum page count or something before you start a book?

2 comments

2 Comments

bethcarr1mo ago

50 books is no joke, congrats. I noticed the exact same pattern with my reading habits, but it also shows up in other stuff like binging shows or even picking restaurants. We grab whatever is loudest and newest but never stop to ask if it's actually for us. Now I give a book 50 pages to grab me, and if it doesn't, I drop it without guilt. Treating it like a first date rather than a marriage contract has saved me so much time.

julia921mo ago

Oh my goodness, that first date comparison is spot on. A friend of mine used to force herself to finish every single book she started, even the ones she hated. Last year she spent three months slogging through this dense historical novel that just put her to sleep every night. Finally I told her to just put it down and she looked at me like I had suggested committing a crime. Now she gives things 30 pages and if she's not interested, she moves on and she says her reading life has never been better.