Disappointing
In 2005 I read ten books. Ten. In a year. That’s less than one per month. This might be so-so for the average adult American*, but for me it’s pretty pathetic.
Not that I’m some speedreading superstar, but I can read. I like to read. I read voraciously when I was younger, and I credit much of the knowledge and love-of-learning I have today to those early bookworm tendencies. Nowadays I seldom set foot inside a library, and I usually only buy books as gifts. I do read every day, but it’s all news and articles and short essays, and all online. Stupid interweb, why are you so distracting with your flashy lights and attention-span-killing, always-on entertainment?
But wait, it gets worse. I read a book today. Turns out it’s the SECOND book I’ve read so far this year. It’s May. That’s pathetic.
Who am I? What have I become?
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* I’ve been trying to find good statistics on this, but so far nothing solid enough to link to. There seems to be overwhelming evidence, though, that book-reading falls off dramatically starting around fourth grade. So maybe I’m not alone. Still, it’s sad.
Tags: miscellany
May 14th, 2006 at 12:12 am
i think the avg american’s book-read rate is somewhere short of a whole number. I have no idea and no data with which to back that up, but it would not surprise me. You, your friends, our mutual friends, and I most assuredly shatter the curve. Dont feel so bad - once i hit this law school thing, my reading of non-law books is down to about one or two, too.
So try not to be yourself up.
May 14th, 2006 at 12:14 am
* that should be ‘try not to *beat* yourself up. Its hard writing commentary after an exam, a tamale dinner, one margarita, probably 1/3 of helping Lauren finish hers, and the tequila shot the other classmate owed me from last week as the result of a bet she lost on the placement of the accent-mark on “futbol” [it belongs over the “u”]
May 14th, 2006 at 10:48 pm
What a dorktastic bet—I love it.