couch to 5k for reading week 6: how reading makes you feel more sane, thoughts from Henry Eliot, and reader comments, plus! a very personal list of books I really could not put down
I have also noticed a difference this week, and my reading hasn’t been wholly consistent. But I have got more calm and focussed when I am reading, and that’s made me feel more that way afterwards. I even spent the whole evening the other night reading when home alone, latterly with some classical music on in the background. Something I would NEVER have done usually when by myself. I’d have put the tv on and skipped from one thing to another to feel I had more obvious company, but it was such a great evening and it made me very happy. And calm. And! yesterday I decided to take myself off to the theatre. I got a cheap ticket and again had a fab evening on my own. Perhaps this is making me feel more bravely calm or quiet? Hard to put into words. You accomplish so much more doing one thing at a time. Book recommendation which seems very relevant: Patrick Brinkley’s “All the Beauty in the World” about life as a museum guard in the Met, NYC.
Finished the Julian Barnes (reluctantly- does anybody else put off reading the last few pages because they don’t want to leave?). I’m doing something similar with the Han Kang.
Bedtime read is a beautiful edition of The Code of the Woosters, and I found Logocomix in one of my bookcases! So that’s today’s 90 minute read.
I skipped around a bit, and then decided to start Week One and do it all properly (with a little notebook to record progress and everything). But for some reason, I decided that the film I would watch in week one - really paying attention to - would be Taxi Driver, and I spent quite a lot of time working out how to look away. It's a beautiful film in many ways, but it's really hard to watch with an unflinching gaze.
Anyway this made me wonder what we're avoiding looking at when we're glued to our phones. Hopefully not gruesome massacres.
The Track 3 extension prompted a vague memory that I'd tried this before and sure enough I fished out a notebook that I had designated 'Reading Notes' two years ago and filled a grand total of 3 tiny pages. It is now next to my Reading Chair in my Reading Corner and I'm hoping the intention behind all this naming works better this time around.
Being included in a Naomi Aldserman newsletter is a delight 😊 Just here to report that I read my book of the Odyssey for today, came here to read the newsletter and next steps for the challenge, and then I actually had to make myself stay to read the (always engaging) comments because my brain wants to get back to my book. That is definitely some sort of progress... so with that I'm back off to whatever nonsense Homer dreamt up for book 16!
Aargh more books to put on the list, why is there never enough time to read everything you want to read!!! (I have read and loved half of the books on your list Naomi so I feel sure I will live the others, also the Orbital calibration question made me laugh out loud)
Dear Naomi, in the last two weeks of my fourth pregnancy I started your reading challenge and it absolutely enthralled me and took me away from phones and the summer holiday house joy/chaos winking at me. Now, ten days with our newest daughter and the challenge set me up for a much happier post-hatching time while I read in the night and also reading around my bigger girls rather than disappearing into an “add to cart” vortex. Thank you so much! (PS. It’s most short stories I’m managing, although why are so many short stories snatches of devastation?)
Between jobs at the moment and actively, actively looking but I couldn’t have remained sane this past year without my books. I have the opposite problem of giving up everything to be able to read but I have followed this series and program since the get go. I have memorized a poem, talked to people, watched a film and listened to a whole album. All this from my little place in Addis Ababa. Just to show you how far your work has reached. If I love anything more than reading it’s to read about books, write about them and most of all read about people who read. I even read the book A History of Reading- wc I think is the funniest non fiction ever. I thought I would wait until week 8 to post my little comment but I was too excited. A big big shout out to you and the whole community here.
It takes just ten minutes or even five of reading when I put my head on the pillow. Then I wake up one or two hours later, specs still on with the book open on the wrong page. It's been like that for some years now. So, sceptically, I bounced in last week. What a transformation it was. I have been returned to my previous book obsessed life. The following night I dug into a book for a whole hour. Turned over and went to sleep, then woke up an hour later still mentally fascinated by the story. So on went the light and spent the next two hours lost in the pages in order to highly satisfactorily finishing it.
I think that 45 minutes last Sunday has recalibrated my reading habit. I've now finished another novel, reading chunks morning, lunchtime and in the evening - all in one week. Hooray! Thank you. I am thankfully back on my old routine. Goodbye to picking up the mobile for a bit of doom scrolling.
To your question about what happens at the end of the 8 weeks and peer support and encouragement, I would love to find people who enjoy reading the sort of books I do and maybe we form small groups, and meet online and chat. I find book clubs too restrictive as I want to follow my own reading tastes but also want to know what other people are reading.
I feel the same way but not sure if our tastes align from reading your librarything. I’m committed to reading books by women from every country in the world so maybe not?
I read the Calamity Clun in 2 days and now I can't read anything else. I'm still with Meg and Birdie. But now no other voice is reaching me like them. I felt the same with Demon Copperhead.
'The Secret History' is largely responsible for me choosing to take a Classical Studies degree, a decision I've never regretted (though at the time my parents were somewhat baffled by it) - a tremendous read. Ditto 'Piranesi' (I recently finished the same author's 'Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell', a real beast of a book) and 'High Fidelity' (which made me laugh so much, and is so good at describing what it's like to be a certain type of man). I need to re-read 'Dirk Gently' - I have a hardback copy, bought when it first came out - which is also such a great read. RIP Douglas Adams, much missed.
I recently went on a visit to Highgate Cemetery and noticed that Douglas Adams was buried there. Just a small plot and a few trinkets left by fans. Worth a visit if you are in London.
I finally got round to reading High Fidelity - then watching the film - last month! The book and DVD had been on my shelf for a few years since I read Fever Pitch.
Gosh, this is all wonderful. Might have to put Dirk Gently at the top of my TBR pile. 50 times! That's insane.
Anyway I'm trying to follow the challenge - have advanced from Track 1 to Track 2 and read for 30 minutes the other day without realising it. Also the early morning read is particularly good as it makes you want to pick up that book again at least once during the course of the day.
I have also noticed a difference this week, and my reading hasn’t been wholly consistent. But I have got more calm and focussed when I am reading, and that’s made me feel more that way afterwards. I even spent the whole evening the other night reading when home alone, latterly with some classical music on in the background. Something I would NEVER have done usually when by myself. I’d have put the tv on and skipped from one thing to another to feel I had more obvious company, but it was such a great evening and it made me very happy. And calm. And! yesterday I decided to take myself off to the theatre. I got a cheap ticket and again had a fab evening on my own. Perhaps this is making me feel more bravely calm or quiet? Hard to put into words. You accomplish so much more doing one thing at a time. Book recommendation which seems very relevant: Patrick Brinkley’s “All the Beauty in the World” about life as a museum guard in the Met, NYC.
Finished the Julian Barnes (reluctantly- does anybody else put off reading the last few pages because they don’t want to leave?). I’m doing something similar with the Han Kang.
Bedtime read is a beautiful edition of The Code of the Woosters, and I found Logocomix in one of my bookcases! So that’s today’s 90 minute read.
Logicomix: It ain’t Spiderman.
I skipped around a bit, and then decided to start Week One and do it all properly (with a little notebook to record progress and everything). But for some reason, I decided that the film I would watch in week one - really paying attention to - would be Taxi Driver, and I spent quite a lot of time working out how to look away. It's a beautiful film in many ways, but it's really hard to watch with an unflinching gaze.
Anyway this made me wonder what we're avoiding looking at when we're glued to our phones. Hopefully not gruesome massacres.
The Track 3 extension prompted a vague memory that I'd tried this before and sure enough I fished out a notebook that I had designated 'Reading Notes' two years ago and filled a grand total of 3 tiny pages. It is now next to my Reading Chair in my Reading Corner and I'm hoping the intention behind all this naming works better this time around.
Being included in a Naomi Aldserman newsletter is a delight 😊 Just here to report that I read my book of the Odyssey for today, came here to read the newsletter and next steps for the challenge, and then I actually had to make myself stay to read the (always engaging) comments because my brain wants to get back to my book. That is definitely some sort of progress... so with that I'm back off to whatever nonsense Homer dreamt up for book 16!
I'm glad you like my box tracker! I've updated it with specific charts for each track and fixed some errors.
Am on Week 2 now and have gone through 3 books already!
Aargh more books to put on the list, why is there never enough time to read everything you want to read!!! (I have read and loved half of the books on your list Naomi so I feel sure I will live the others, also the Orbital calibration question made me laugh out loud)
Dear Naomi, in the last two weeks of my fourth pregnancy I started your reading challenge and it absolutely enthralled me and took me away from phones and the summer holiday house joy/chaos winking at me. Now, ten days with our newest daughter and the challenge set me up for a much happier post-hatching time while I read in the night and also reading around my bigger girls rather than disappearing into an “add to cart” vortex. Thank you so much! (PS. It’s most short stories I’m managing, although why are so many short stories snatches of devastation?)
Between jobs at the moment and actively, actively looking but I couldn’t have remained sane this past year without my books. I have the opposite problem of giving up everything to be able to read but I have followed this series and program since the get go. I have memorized a poem, talked to people, watched a film and listened to a whole album. All this from my little place in Addis Ababa. Just to show you how far your work has reached. If I love anything more than reading it’s to read about books, write about them and most of all read about people who read. I even read the book A History of Reading- wc I think is the funniest non fiction ever. I thought I would wait until week 8 to post my little comment but I was too excited. A big big shout out to you and the whole community here.
It takes just ten minutes or even five of reading when I put my head on the pillow. Then I wake up one or two hours later, specs still on with the book open on the wrong page. It's been like that for some years now. So, sceptically, I bounced in last week. What a transformation it was. I have been returned to my previous book obsessed life. The following night I dug into a book for a whole hour. Turned over and went to sleep, then woke up an hour later still mentally fascinated by the story. So on went the light and spent the next two hours lost in the pages in order to highly satisfactorily finishing it.
I think that 45 minutes last Sunday has recalibrated my reading habit. I've now finished another novel, reading chunks morning, lunchtime and in the evening - all in one week. Hooray! Thank you. I am thankfully back on my old routine. Goodbye to picking up the mobile for a bit of doom scrolling.
To your question about what happens at the end of the 8 weeks and peer support and encouragement, I would love to find people who enjoy reading the sort of books I do and maybe we form small groups, and meet online and chat. I find book clubs too restrictive as I want to follow my own reading tastes but also want to know what other people are reading.
I feel the same way but not sure if our tastes align from reading your librarything. I’m committed to reading books by women from every country in the world so maybe not?
I read the Calamity Clun in 2 days and now I can't read anything else. I'm still with Meg and Birdie. But now no other voice is reaching me like them. I felt the same with Demon Copperhead.
'The Secret History' is largely responsible for me choosing to take a Classical Studies degree, a decision I've never regretted (though at the time my parents were somewhat baffled by it) - a tremendous read. Ditto 'Piranesi' (I recently finished the same author's 'Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell', a real beast of a book) and 'High Fidelity' (which made me laugh so much, and is so good at describing what it's like to be a certain type of man). I need to re-read 'Dirk Gently' - I have a hardback copy, bought when it first came out - which is also such a great read. RIP Douglas Adams, much missed.
I recently went on a visit to Highgate Cemetery and noticed that Douglas Adams was buried there. Just a small plot and a few trinkets left by fans. Worth a visit if you are in London.
Yeah, I need to go and pay my respects.
I finally got round to reading High Fidelity - then watching the film - last month! The book and DVD had been on my shelf for a few years since I read Fever Pitch.
Gosh, this is all wonderful. Might have to put Dirk Gently at the top of my TBR pile. 50 times! That's insane.
Anyway I'm trying to follow the challenge - have advanced from Track 1 to Track 2 and read for 30 minutes the other day without realising it. Also the early morning read is particularly good as it makes you want to pick up that book again at least once during the course of the day.