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I often just note down the books I’ve read. It is not often that I even mention the books that did not make the cut. One such recent book is the Furiously Happy book by Jenny Lawson.
This book was just too incoherent that I couldn’t bring myself to get past 30 minutes of it. I was listening to the audiobook version. At the end of my train ride, I was dying to switch it off as I just couldn’t take it anymore.
Your mileage may vary, as it has been on top of the book charts. But I’m actually not here to tell you how bad the book is. I’m here to tell you why is it important to discard a book.
The urge to “finish” a book is real. Somehow, there is guilt attached if I “fail” to finish a book. I used to laugh at my dad for not being able to finish a book. Now, I realise he was actually the wise one, and I, the stupid one for allowing every single word to pour through my brain. That is not the best use of time.
The better use of time is to have a purpose while reading a book. And then continually find that purpose in that book. As I read non-fiction most of the time, this comes in handy as the eyes will then be trained to look for things that meet that purpose. Suppose if I read a running book, and all I want for now is to improve my form, I will look for the methods that meet that purpose. If the running book also talks about diet, I will most likely skim if not skip through that section.
I still have the nagging feeling of “don’t waste the book” mentality baked into my psyche, consistent with the age old mum’s advice of “don’t waste your food”. I realise for books, just as with food, the words or food that I don’t consume will probably do my mind and my body more good than consuming them.
What have you said no to recently?
