Reading 4 Books A Week

For the past few months, I’ve set a personal goal of reading 4 books per week. Needless to say, it’s simultaneously been a perpetual struggle and a constant joy. So, why am I doing this to myself?

A while back I set myself a lifetime goal of reading 10,000 books in my lifetime (a feat that many great authors, statesmen, and philosophers have done over the ages). I realized that in order to reach that goal before death (and assuming I lived for many decades to come) I would have to average three to four books a week for the rest of my life. Sounds straightforward, but trying to balance in work, marriage, a new baby, mortgage payments, and just life in general tends to make finding time for reading a real challenge. Not to mention finding time for writing. Despite it all, I’ve found it an invigorating experience and my reading pursuits continue to keep me on my toes.

So what favorite books have you read lately? About how many reads do you manage per week? How do you make time to read in addition to setting aside time to write?