Taya Starling

So apparently people thing I’m crazy for taking on my 2015 reading challenge of 52 books in 2015.  I’d like to point your attention towards former American president Theodore Roosevelt who read at least a book a week (WHILE BEING PRESIDENT) if not several books A DAY.  I mean okay granted good ol Teddy was a well known speed reader (can that be one of my super powers puhleeeease?) but still homeboy read more books a year than most people read in a life time nowadays.  Seriously, chew on that for a second.

I’d now like to turn your attention towards the amazing Austin Kleon (whose books are awesome awesome and i highly recommend).  Mr. Kleon read over 70 books last year alone. SEVENTY.  SEVEN, ZERO.  So now 52 doesn’t seem so crazy huh? And for those moments where I’m in need of a little extra motivation, I like to reflect back on an entry Mr Kleon posted a while back:

1. Throw your phone in the ocean. (Or, keep it in airplane mode.)
2. Carry a book with you at all times.
3. Have another book ready before you finish the one you’re reading. (Make a stack of books to-read or load up your eReader.)
4. If you aren’t enjoying a book or learning from it, stop reading it immediately. (Flinging it across the room helps give closure.)
5. Schedule 1 hour of non-fiction reading during the day. (Commutes, lunch breaks, and any contained period of idle time work well.)
6. Go to bed 1 hour early and read fiction. (It will help you sleep.)
7. Keep a reading log and share your favorite books with others. (They will send you even more books to read.)

I’d also like to recommend starting a bookclub with some friends- i’ve got The International Bad B*tches Book Club where we work on a loose schedule so there’s just enough pressure to read more but not so much that you pretend you read something that you didn’t actually read…. not that i’d ever think to do that…. ANYWAY, long story short (hahaaaa see what i did there?!) reading is suppose to be enjoyable! So don’t mind the best seller lists, don’t listen to Oprah (i mean… listen to Oprah, she’s OPRAH for gods sake! but maybe you know, don’t pay attention to her bookclub), don’t listen to what your friends or teachers will insist you love, READ WHATEVER YOU ENJOY.  Or as dear ol Teddy said, “Personally, the books by which I have profited infinitely more than by any others have been those in which profit was a by-product of the pleasure; that is, I read them because I enjoyed them, because I liked reading them, and the profit came in as part of the enjoyment.”

And be sure to check out Austin Kleon at his own site: www.AustinKleon.com