Summer Is for Reading
How to Tackle That Growing TBR Pile
“In my favorite local restaurant, I can just use the word effluvium a few times, and people will automatically understand that William Faulkner is one of my major influences.” —from “A Foolish but Lovable Airport,” in Ate It Anyway: Stories by Ed Allen (University of Georgia Press, 2003)
A Step Back…
I used to read all the time, but especially in summer: in the back of our van on family trips, in bed late at night and again in the morning before getting up, on the beach.
On lunch breaks. On the city bus. On airplanes. At the hairdresser. At doctor’s offices. In coffeehouses.
These days, I still read all the time, but all too often my reading takes place on my computer screen. Online journals. My editing and coaching work. News articles. Substack posts. All of which are also important.
But I love the feel of a book in my hand, turning paper pages. The tactileness. The pull and sway of something immutable. When I’m holding a physical book in my hand, I’m more apt to savor it. More apt to come back to it. To think about it. Ponder.
Whenever I get a new [or used] book, I feel a surge of excitement. I can’t wait to read this!
But what has commonly happened over the past few years is that I’ll start a book and then get distracted by another one I want to read and then get distracted by work or other things I want or have to do and then, suddenly, I have a bunch of half-finished books beckoning me. While some people can read multiple books at once, I, for the most part, absolutely cannot. (I can, however, easily work on multiple writing projects at once. 🤔 Go figure!)
A a result, my TBR (to-be-read) pile of books keeps multiplying with a fervor that I can’t keep up with.
So, recently, after picking up two more books from my local indie bookstore, I took a step back and asked myself this:
Why aren’t I making time to read all these books? Am I living my life the way I want to?
I think it’s generally good advice that whenever we don’t feel aligned with our own values—our own sense of self—to take a step back and ask questions. For me, the question I ultimately asked myself was particularly pointed: What’s stopping me?
…Two Steps Forward
I already have dedicated time each Monday night that I spend on my own writing, so it didn’t take me long to realize what I needed to do, and I quickly made a pact with myself to create dedicated time to read each week. Not on the computer. Not work reading. Not literary journals. Actual book reading.
What does dedicated time for reading look like for me?
It takes place outside of my living space. At home, I’m often distracted by all the things I have to do (particularly because I work from home), so it’s essential that I go to a location where my mind is free, where I can breathe and relax. For me, this is usually a coffee shop—and, since it’s summer, preferably one where I can sit outside.
I’m not allowed to combine the book reading with work, i.e., I am not to take my laptop with me and am to avoid responding to work emails, etc. during this dedicated reading time.
My goal is to aim for a two-hour-minimum slot of time. Breaks for staring into space or refilling coffee, etc. are allowed.
Finally, this dedicated time gets written on my calendar, just like any other appointment or obligation I have throughout the week. I can, of course, read at other times during the week; this scheduled focused reading time is simply to ensure that it happens at least once per week (much like with my dedicated weekly writing time).
In today’s dedicated reading session, I read, from start to finish, the entire novella Aura by Carlos Fuentes, which I just picked up a couple of days ago after a discussion with some writing peers about magical realism.
Other books I’ve picked up recently include Best Microfiction 2026, which contains two stories originally published in Hot Flash Literary, the journal that I co-edit with Tina Carlson; The Last Day (stories) by Kim Magowan; Bougainvillea (a novel) by Shirley Hilton; and Neverafters by Mikki Aronoff, Christine H. Chen, and Amy Marques (which I’ve already been enjoying in small bursts here and there).
What are you reading this summer?
I read every am from 430 to 5:30, when my mind is fresh and the house is silent. I always read at the right-hand end of the sofa (dubbed the Man Couch. Side table holds the stack of 3 or 4 books in queue. I track my reading on Goodreads, using its 3 categories of wanna read, reading and read. I keep want to read list short (3 to 5) so as not to be overwhelming. My read list is approaching 500, going back maybe 10 years.
Why so darn early? Because my mind is most alert and focused at that hour. And the house is quiet -- Cherie does not stir till 530 or 6. It works well because I go to bed at 8, giving her an hour's quality time with a book.
I finally told myself I couldn't pick up any more books until I have read the ones already here. But then I found that I just wasn't reading! I like your idea of setting aside a special time, away from home, so that I feel as if I am retreating or enjoying a mini-Artist Date, as Julia Cameron suggests. A fun environment may make the book feel more exciting. Or at best, I will then read enough to know whether the book is worth continuing. Thank you!