Benefit From 50 Books Each Year...
If you're anything like me, you love reading. As I discovered as a child, books are an excellent way to learn about the world, solve your problems and stay entertained. But could there be an easier way to get access to a lifetime of material? When I was researching how to read more books in my spare time without spending hours each day on the internet and wasting money on new editions of the same titles, I discovered that it's possible for humans to read fifty books each year by simply reading one book per month!
All you have to do is take just ninety minutes every month — usually arriving on time or a few minutes early — for uninterrupted text-based activities. You can also do this on your lunch break, on the weekends or any other time you have free time. Over the course of a year, you'll have read more than 50 books and will be able to discuss their content at length with your family and friends.
I've found that the best way to make the most out of my reading is to use the "spoon-feeding" technique. Just ninety minutes per month is all it takes to finish a book!
This is a great way to keep people engaged in their reading and create a habit that lasts for life. All you need are six single-serving containers — plastic cups work great — some paper clips and a decent pen. (Be sure to choose a pen that works well on coloured paper.) Each month, you'll read the book out loud and clip the pages together with a paper clip. When your ninety minutes are up, write down what you learned from the book. Then, take the container and write down your reflections in a separate sheet of paper.
At first glance, this may not seem so easy or affordable. But if you do it right, this activity will last for life. Here's what you do:
Find a book that's right for you. This can be anything from a self-help book, biography or memoir to a cookbook or novel. The key to the "spoon-feeding" technique is that you read the entire book in one sitting.
The best time to do this is during your lunch break, but it could also be in the morning over breakfast or at night before bed. Since my job involves plenty of reading, I like doing it during lunch so I don't spend another three hours in front of my computer screen each day when I could be having more fun.
If you don't have an hour of free time from noon until one, consider doing it in two half-hour sessions. This also works when you're at home since you're more likely to get distracted from your TV show or favourite podcast. If you can, I suggest writing at least one page of notes for that month, as this will help keep your memory fresh for the next month and the next book.
You may feel a bit awkward reading in front of others — even if they're just friends or family — but I've found that most people appreciate this personal activity and others will take interest in what you write down.
Make sure that your book has a good index or table of contents so you can find the sections you want to read. This will help you avoid picking apart a book for beneficial quotes and spending too much time on content that doesn't interest you.
If possible, writing your own journal entries from the author's perspective will make your reading even more powerful, but this is up to you and how much you enjoy journaling in the first place.
I've found that keeping a physical book also makes for better reading material because I'm less likely to surf the internet or check my phone when I have my journal, pen and notebook in hand.
Try this for a month and see if it works for you. If you stick with it and start building your own library, I know that you'll be able to continue reading long after the year is up.
Good luck!
This month's book: "Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania" by Erik Larson
This non-fiction book tells the story of the sinking of German U-boat U-20, which torpedoed RMS Lusitania — one of Cunard Lines' record breaking ships and largest vessels at the time — killing 1,198 passengers and crew in 1915.
It's about the worst news that Cunard had to face at the time, and Larson doesn't shy away from showing how unprepared the company was for a disaster of this magnitude. The author manages to include very little text in a lot of detail and delivers a book that is both informative and a fascinating story.
Although this book won't make you fall out of love with the genre or literature, it is a great way to enjoy history without spending hours on an empty stomach.
This month's pen: Lamy Safari ballpoint
This pen has been my favourite pen for almost a year now. It's slim, sleek, comfortable and writes smoothly with smooth lines. If you're looking for an everyday pen that can write on most surfaces and gives you a unique writing experience, the Lamy Safari is a great choice.
I only write on white paper, so the low sheen finish of this pen won't obstruct my writing but will prevent it from running and leaving smears. This makes their ballpoint pens ideal for journals and note-taking too, as they don't smear as easily when used with light colours like yellow or orange highlighters.
The Safari ballpoint is also one of the pens I used to write about fifty books in one year and helped me stay focused on my reading experience.
For more information about the Lamy Safari, check out my blog post all about it .
This month, I've been wanting to try out the Bellroy Mini Cross Body and as I'm on my way to Chicago for a visit from my parents, I thought this would be a fantastic opportunity.
I simply searched for the mini version of their small card holder on Amazon and it arrived in just three days. As soon as I got home from work today, I immediately unpacked everything to see how easy it was going to be to carry around the essentials.
The Bellroy Mini cross body is a beautiful minimalistic product made of premium leather with an unfinished look and top customisable features.
Conclusion:
This mini cross body was everything I expected from a high-quality product and is easily one of my favourite purchases ever. I've been carrying it around all day and it feels so light, but yet able to carry all my essential daily items.
I've been using this bag every single day and have not yet had any issues with it either. The leather is beautiful, the strap is high quality and the interior pocket is spacious enough for even my most delicate things.
Once again, I'll be making a post on Amazon if you're interested in finding out what's included in the various products they sell such as fountain pens, wallets or other accessories.