We've all heard this phrase at one point in our lives, whether it be from exasperated friends or annoyed relatives: "You read too many books." I've never taken it as an insult, because hey, reading lots of books is a good thing, right? But from the tone that said person uses, it could be deduced that socially, reading too many books is not, in fact, a good thing.
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Not that I actually care about what other muggles think of my reading habits, but this begs the question: Is it possible to read too many books?
To me, I guess it would depend on the person themselves. In my opinion, it is possible for one to read "too many" books. *dodges missiles* Hear me out, though!
About a year and a half ago, I went through this month-long phase where I would read about a book a day. I was a reading machine; I would read read read and neglect schoolwork and basically be an unproductive poop. My grades weren't very hot, and my mind was so preoccupied by books that I found it hard to concentrate on studying. Basically, my entire life was books, and my grades and relationships were suffering.
Inevitably so, once this reading high faded I found myself in a major book slump. I was incredibly burned out and tired of books and reading. *insert dramatic if slightly cheesy gasp*
My point is, every reader has a limit. It's absolutely none of my business to dictate what defines "reading too much," because everyone has their own pace and reading habits. One person may be able to read 300 books this year; a slower reader like me could do a little over a hundred.
I know I'm just a teenage girl with not much life experience to boast of, but I still want to remind everyone that it's okay to take a break from reading and/or blogging. Know your limits, and don't overwork yourselves. If you feel a reading slump coming on, take a step back and ask yourself if it is because you've been reading your butt off for the past few weeks and your brain is overflowing with all that information. Take a breather. Indulge in your favorite TV show. Play Trivia Crack.
Because, at least from my point of view, reading "too many books" is a very real occurrence, no matter how many times we try to protest otherwise.
Do you think it is possible to read too many books? Or is it just (yet another) product of mind with no basis in reality?
I agree with the thought that someone can in fact read to many books. I think someone can read to many books in the sense that they ignore everything else, like with what happened to you. I also believe that you can read to many books in the sense that you're just reading them to finish them. If you just fly through books after books after books without experiencing them and really understanding them because you want to read 20 books that month or something, then I believe its reading to much. This happened to me where I unnaturally read books fast, unnaturally because I forced myself to instead of just being in the zone that month, and after the month was over I realized that I didn't remember what happened in most of the books. I don't like that month because the reason I read is because I like the stories, and the settings, and the characters, and the act of reading, but because I read so fast most of those things went away and I was no longer having fun reading.
ReplyDeleteGreat discussion topic :D
I hadn't thought about it that way before Summer, but now that you've mentioned it, I definitely agree that it's possible to read too many books. If reading takes away from real life (interacting with friends/family or keeping you from doing your best at work/school), then obviously that's a sign that you should probably dial it back a notch. Wonderful post! <3
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm sure that it's possible. I haven't had reading burnout in a long time, but blog burnout is certainly a periodic malaise with me :-). As someone with a full time job and small child, the idea of having enough free time to burn out on reading seems like a pipe dream for me personally. But my high school age self could have easily imagined it. Thanks for the food for thought!
ReplyDeleteA little over a 100 is slow to you...I must be one of the slowest readers in the world!
ReplyDeleteI think it's definitely possible to read too much though. When I read too much I always end up in a slump for a long period of time which is annoying. That's why it's always good to have a steady flow of books to read.
Great discussion!
It's the most annoying sentence ever, especially from people who probably haven't read a full book in their lives. Like, um, okay, how am I supposed to respond to this statement?? I'll just go on my jolly way and stop reading altogether. /sarcasm
ReplyDeleteHonestly the important thing is that you feel confident in your reading habits, and that you feel like you'll be much happier reading than going out (which is usually the case XD).
Dude, Trivia Crack is life.
Ah, I never thought of it that way; how hard it would be for someone with kids and/or a job to juggle reading. I guess the real question is: is it better to read too little or to read too much?
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting, Jen!
Well, we all have our own pace. :) Controlling oneself is really hard, but thinking of the consequences of reading too much would probably help. Thanks, Francoise!
ReplyDeleteYES. There are some people who have literally READ EVERYTHING. That's why they can only read arcs xD Not naming names or anything...
ReplyDeleteYep, I've met people like that. So jealous of their reading speed. ;)
ReplyDelete