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A non-reading reader


I don't get a lot of books in the mail during my online trading. That's fine with me. In fact I kind of discourage people from sending me books.

That's because I never read them. I want to read them. But I don't.

There are several really good books sitting on my bookshelf right now that I want to read. They've been sitting there for one, two, three, five years. Waiting.

This would be surprising to anyone who knew me 30 years ago. I read books and magazines just about every day. I couldn't get enough. Book-reading was one of the top five things that I did. I could get through an entire book in one or two days.

Now it takes me two years to get through a book. No joke. Two years.

This is the product of a busy life plus three blogs. I know nobody wants to read this, but I am looking forward to wrapping up the two set blogs I'm running, just so I will have more time to read books.

I've become a "non-reading reader." During the first 25 years of my life, "reading" meant opening a book, it meant turning pages. If you weren't doing that, you weren't reading.

But I still do read. A lot. I read all the blogs and read online in general. I "read" Twitter, if that can be considered reading. And I read at work. Reading is my job. I read and edit stories, read the wire, read online stories. It's all I do there is read.

That could be another reason why I don't open a book. I'm worn out on reading.

Jim from the blog cards as I see them sent me a book by Tommy Lasorda, called "My Way". We Dodger fans know good "Lasorda propoganda" -- as gcrl called it -- when we see it, so I was happy to get this. However, even though Jim said it's a quick read, who knows when I'll get to it. There are already so many other books waiting to be read.

I also received a few cards with the book.


Four very welcome Dodgers from 2017 Finest. Although this isn't the greatest Finest design, I still love the brand and will continue to say that if Topps wanted to create excitement around its flagship brand, then it would make Finest flagship as a 700-card set instead of whatever total Finest is now.

(This will automatically elicit horrified comments from those who don't want flagship to look anything like Finest).

(This will also cause some people to sniff about how unrealistic and impractical my suggestion is).

(I don't care what anybody else thinks, I think it would be cool).



Jim also sent a needed 1975 Topps buyback card for my quest. This is the 190th card accumulated. I hope to go over 200 as soon as I have cash after the holiday rush.

Most of my "book reading" comes when I am on vacation or if I'm sitting in a waiting room. That's about all I can fit. (I also don't watch TV, except for baseball, so it's not TV that's taking up all my time).

The 1971 Topps blog will wrap up in a couple of months. The 1985 Topps blog will finish at some point in 2018.

After that, I expect to be a voracious book-reader once again.

I have a lot of catching up to do.

Comments

Jason T. Carter said…
I completely missed the fact that Jim had a new blog. Adding it to my RSS reader now. I feel so out of the loop.

JT, The Writer's Journey
Base Card Hero said…
Congrats on the 190th buyback. I myself have been hoarding Minnesota Twins buybacks. This "new nostagia" lets me buy cards I have already purchased.
RAZ said…
I usually read several books each time I am away from home at a military school. Then I get home with big plans to read a book a month or something and wind up not reading any books until they send me away for more training.
Rob said…
Or...you could start a 1991 Topps blog! *ducks quickly as objects are thrown at him*
DMA said…
I'm in a similar position as you regarding books -- I basically read and write for a living. I love books, but I frequently end up going a year or two at a time without reading one. I did recently start again -- I just finished The Bad Guys Won!, about the 1986 Mets, and now I'm following that up with reading a novel.
Unknown said…
Johhny Briggs from my hometown of Paterson NJ... he is a good man
acrackedbat said…
I often choose to read books and blogs over actual blogging. It is a difficult choice but time is what it is. I can't do both with only a couple of free hours a day. Thanks for blogging in lieu of reading Night Owl!
Fuji said…
I loved reading books when I was a kid... but over the years, I've lost the motivation. I have a few books waiting to be read. Wonder. Ball Four. Benchwarmer. All purchased and eager to be read. Maybe one of these days. Until then... I'll just stick to reading blogs.