Books
Recommend me some. Anything--modern, 'classic,' ancient, whatever genre.
I tend gravitate towards fantasy/sci-fi, but I'm eager to expand that as well. but I've added a threadbare books sidebar that mostly just reflects my plans to reread some of my favorite fantasy/sci-fi series this summer, but I also want some new things.
Real talk, though. I feel guilty about how little I read nowadays. Up until a couple years ago I read in every spare moment. How much I read was a problem sometimes. Books are a brilliant and astonishingly immersive and thought-provoking and I love them. And then:
- It stopped being convenient to peruse a library every day
- I started talking with people during times I would usually read during
- I got a portable gaming device
- I discovered Zelda and the the world of really good, impactful video games
- Dungeons & Dragons
- Academics got time-intensive
- I got a smartphone and can now waste time very easily
Most of these are good things, except that not hanging out in the library is a pity, and much of the time I spend on my phone I really do think is wasted and would be better spent reading (or, you know, doing homework).
Yet, I don't think books are inherently more meritorious than other types of media. I don't regret any of the time I've spent playing or re-playing games, or planning/playing D&D. Videogames and tabletop RPGs have certain unique merits and unique ways of making me think and experience. The problem is, after discovering those things, I miss the reading experience and its unique merits. I am, in fact, nostalgic for the days when I read exclusively, without any real devotion to videogames or D&D.
Also games tend to not expand my vocabulary and impact my syntax as much books, which makes me feel like a less intelligent individual. Which is silly.
Also there's the balance of experiencing new books/games and participating in communities. I love being part of communities, but when every minute spent on a forum is a minute I'm not broadening my reading/playing experience, I feel conflicted.
Also there's this thing where entertainment stops becoming entertainment and starts being an obligation. Which is weird.
Also.
Also also.
Ultimately, the biggest factor is not my distribution of free time between different activities, but rather a decrease in available free time. Which is unavoidable.
tl;dr I don't read as much as I used to, I don't have the backlog of books I want to read that I usually do, recommend some books.
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