Reading Afflictions

Everyone has their habits while reading. For some it may be the time of day the decide to open a book, others it may be what genres they read or sipping a large cup of hot chocolate while digging into their newest novel. I’m fairly flippant in what I buy. Sometimes I’m in the mood for a certain author, or the next book in a series I’m reading comes out, or I feel intellectual and look for some business book, or its payday or a Tuesday, or... and so on. There is always an excuse to add to my collection of novels.

               The older I become and the more I discover about my own ways, I’m realising that I may have formed an affliction of some kind, rather than your normal reading habit. You see, when I buy a book I become fairly excited about the prospect of the new story and immediately want to start reading. Not straight away – buying a book and opening it before I even get handed the receipt in the shop and then walking out bumping into everyone would be a serious issue indeed (and maybe there are people who do it?) – But I certainly start within a day or two of the purchase.

                That’s where the problems begin.

                I never finish enough books to cut down on the ‘Reading List’. I read swiftly through the first few chapters, and then find a new shiny story to start, read a few chapters, and buy another, and so on. Thus, reading list grows. It’s outgrowing the ‘Read’ list these days, and shelves to hold them in the flat. I just get so interested in something new that the old dulls and new brightens. Even though I have much to read I still buy new stories. An affliction I tell you.

                I’ve concluded thusly: Supply X Time X Speed = shit loads of books to read.

There’s a steady supply of novels, books and eBooks overflowing in the ‘Reading List’ and my own reading cannot catch up. I’m fairly certain I’ll die having read much less books than I’ve bought.

This has me wondering: what other afflictions and weirdness is there out in the reading wilderness? I’m sure if we diagnose them early enough something can be done about them...