Finding a Reading Schedule That Works

I'm a bit of a fussy reader sometimes. I don't do very well in Book Clubs because I don't really like to be told what to read, when. When the mood takes me for a story, or a place, or a character, I reach for those books - and often I'll binge on them until my desire is sated. This is particularly true for Agatha Christie books, Montalbano books, Sherlock Holmes and so on. Reading books like this with strong characters or place/time settings can lead me to look for other books along the same lines. 

I read through these books quite quickly and then move on to the next one straight away. I would like to spend more time thoughtfully contemplating each book, and perhaps being mindful of what I have read. Did I like it? Why? Why not? What do I think the author was trying to say with this book? Was it purely entertainment or is there some deeper message? This is very much in-line with a classical education, read the facts first, analyse what has been read, offer an opinion/evaluation about it. 

Now, I'm not planning to write long reviews of every book I read or analyse them til the cows come home but I am wanting to think about them. I have taken the time to read them, it is only right that I think about them and how they made me feel. Sometimes mulling over a book can be just as enjoyable as reading one. Making assumptions about books or their authors can mean that we miss out on so much of what a book has to offer; taking the time to really engage with what we are reading can help us to avoid making these assumptions. Understanding what the author is trying to say, or going even further and looking up the context that may have inspired the novel or short story is a wonderful way to help broaden our minds whilst reading. It shouldn't be a race to finish books, it should be a slow, marathon of enjoyment, understanding and even at times, immersion. 

I wanted to branch out a bit more in my reading in the last couple of months and took inspiration from Susan over at her blog. She devised a simple reading program which I have adapted slightly for myself. I am now reading one ancient classic, one modern classic (from the last 200 years or so), one non-fiction book and one spiritual book. I don't mind reading more than one book at once - in fact it helps me with my fussy-ness, because I can read a chapter and then switch, or pick up the book that most interests at that point throughout the day. Also, I am not interested at the moment in reading new releases so this works really well for me. 

Currently I am reading The Odyssey by Homer, which I am so close to finishing. I have really enjoyed the re-read of this book and have been listening to podcasts and reading other's opinions of the story as well which has made my reading of it so much richer. I have also been taking extensive notes. This is what I was talking about above; by engaging with the epic I am getting so much more out of it than simply a quick read through and then put it back on the shelf. After this I plan to start Marcus Aurelius' The Meditations which I'm really looking forward to. 

For my modern classic, I just finished Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, which I absolutely loved! I was going to start Mary Shelley's Frankenstein but Sherlock called and I picked up A Study in Scarlet instead. This is a re-read and I plan to do The Sign of Four next, followed by Frankenstein. I recently watched the 2017 bio-pic Mary Shelley which has inspired me to look more into Shelley's life when I am reading the novel. 

For my non-fiction book I am reading the biography of A Brief Guide to Agatha Christie: Queen of Crime by Nigel Cawthorne. I don't often read biographies but I love gaining insight into the life of one of my all time favourites authors. There was so much I didn't know about her life, so I've really been enjoying this and I am seeing so many connections between her real life experiences and her stories. 

And for my spiritual book I am just finishing For the Family's Sake: The Value of Home in Everyone's Life by Susan Schaeffer Macauley, which is a re-read but one that really speaks to me and my heart. Next I plan to read Ask the Beasts: Darwin and the God of Love by Elizabeth A. Johnson. My spiritual/religious books don't have to be from a Christian perspective (although these two both are) - I just like to read books that make me think in a spiritual way and I am really looking forward to reading Johnson's book. 

My plan is to try and read a chapter (the same as Susan suggests in her plan) of each of these books each day.  I haven't been this organised in my reading of these books so far (I tend to just have them all at hand and pick each one up as the mood takes me), but will try to commit to this schedule. I am still on leave from my teaching job, so I have time in my day to dedicate to this and I am really looking to reading each of these books. None of them seem like drudgery to me at the moment. 

Do you follow a reading schedule? Do you like to read more than one book at a time? I'd love to hear about it in the comments.