My Reading Philosophy in 17 Guidelines

I read a lot, and have many opinions about how and what I want to read. These guidelines reflect my current reading philosophy. I expect everyone has their own opinions about reading, so though my wording is authoritative, I’m speaking to myself here 😉

1. Read according to whim. Read what I’m in the mood for, even if a different library book is due back to the library soon. Reading is for pleasure, so I should honor whatever I’m feeling. Library books can always be borrowed again.
2. Treat my TBR as a stream to dip into, not a to-do list. I know I won’t get to all the books on my TBR. I’m not obligated to read everything I get from the library or buy. Always be curating an array of library books to give myself options.
3. Read fiction in as few sittings as possible, but take my time reading nonfiction. Immersive storytelling benefits from few interruptions. Nonfiction benefits from reading only short amounts at once and reading multiple books at once. Always have at least two nonfiction books going.
4. Quit nearly as many books as I finish. There are too many books out there to sink time into books I’m not enjoying. Read enough books that there’s less pressure on any given book to be fantastic. I want to gamble on new authors and different types of books — finishing every book I read probably means I’m not reading widely enough (and definitely not quitting enough).
5. I owe a book nothing and can DNF it at any time. If I’m on the fence about a book I’m reading, try telling a friend about it. Really, just imagine telling a friend and then don’t bother because I’ll always realize I should quit it. Fridging is cause for an immediate DNF. If I put a novel down and don’t feel the urge to go back within a week, bail.
6. Don’t be a completionist. Dip into nonfiction, skip ahead, read out of order, skim. Even if I don’t finish a nonfiction book, I still learn from the chapters I did read.
7. There are few, if any, universally good books that everyone will enjoy. People read for different reasons, and people have different tastes. Just because a book was recommended to me doesn’t mean I have to read it. Generally ignore book recommendations from people I know IRL unless I know our tastes align. (Liking Becky Chambers is often a sign that we don’t enjoy the same things in a story.)
8. Read no books out of obligation. Be wary of “classics” or anything I feel I “should” read.
9. Be honest with myself about what I want to read. With fiction, that means recognizing when a plot is not of interest to me. With nonfiction, that means considering why I want to read something — is it because I agree with the premise already, or want to signal I’m the type of person to read this? (If so, don’t read it.) Remember that I don’t especially enjoy short stories and essays are a hard sell. Don’t get suckered by beautiful YA covers. Avoid anything marketed as “heartbreaking” or “bittersweet,” and treat “literary” like an air raid siren.
10. Invest time curating what to read. Maintain a TBR list calibrated to my tastes and reading goals. Vet additions to my TBR by reading reviews — and listen to my spidey senses if I have a bad feeling about a book. Occasionally try a book without reading any reviews first, simply because the blurb is good or I trust the person who recommended it.
11. Actively seek to diversify my TBR, but read nothing solely for diversity that I wouldn’t be interested in otherwise. The premise must interest me, and the reviews shouldn’t indicate my pet hates. A book is not necessarily good just because it has good representation.
12. Hold very long books to a higher bar; I could read multiple books in the space they take. Read more novellas. Avoid series longer than a trilogy (besides romance standalone style series). It had better be a damn good story for that kind of time commitment.
13. Don’t immediately start reading a new book when I finish one. Put the kindle down for at least half an hour first to give the last book time to settle. Try not to read books in the same series directly after each other.
14. A book’s design is integral to the book, and the reading experience is part of how it is judged. Don’t bother reading poorly designed books (e.g. small or pale type, bad hand lettering, oversize pages, too-wide columns of text).
15. Let it sit a bit — but not too long — before writing a review to give myself time to transition out of the spell of story and think critically.
16. Be fair and generous when writing reviews, but not uncritical. Read other reviews to guide my reflection on different aspects of the book. Recognize that what didn’t work for me might not bother someone else. Leave only five or one star ratings, otherwise let the review speak for itself. Very few books deserve a one-star rating; reserve them for harmful books or books that destroy a long-standing character/series. Always write reviews for indie authors — and assume they’ll read them.
17. Books are not inherently better than any other storytelling format. I love reading, but it means nothing if someone else doesn’t. It does not make me any better that reading is my preferred entertainment or learning format.