Seasons of a Reading Life
Learning to love the ebbs and flows.
by Kristen Pittman
At the end of June, I packed six books for vacation. I finished only two.
Reading four of those books in two weeks at the beach was a reasonable goal for me. The extra two were to be icing on an easily made cake. So, you can imagine my dismay when I came home and returned most of them to the top of my “To Be Read” stack.
Truthfully, falling short of my reading goal wasn’t just the story of my summer vacation. It’s been the story of my whole summer season.
This lull was almost imperceptible—except for the obvious vacation miss—until I opened my reading journal last week. I was surprised by the number of books logged as complete. Fewer than I thought. As I stared at just how many spaces were still blank, there was a small sense of failure.
Here’s the thing: as so much of life does, my reading life ebbs and flows.
In some seasons, reading happens as easily as breathing. It is the thing I will prioritize and order my free time around. In other seasons, reading is more work. I find myself giving way to other demands on my time, to other things that take higher precedence. Sometimes those things are outside my control. Other times they are within my control, and I choose them over reading anyway.
Take this summer for instance. Had you asked me in May what I envisioned for my reading life this season, I would have said I’ll be reading wherever and whenever I can—by the pool, on the beach, and on the couch next to my husband. Paring down my “To Be Read” list is what mattered most to me.
But as summer break got underway, what mattered most began to shift. Swimming in the pool with my daughters mattered more than sitting in a lounge chair reading. Going for walks on the beach or playing late-night games with my extended family mattered more than finishing another chapter. The shared experience of finishing a show with my husband mattered more than ticking off one more TBR.
Even so, reading at least something every day still matters to me. So, I toss my Kindle in the pool bag for the hourly 10-minute swim breaks. I keep a physical book on my nightstand or on an end table in the family room. An audiobook is constantly queued up on my library app and earbuds sit on my kitchen counter. I’m making it as easy as possible to pick up a story whenever I get the itch.
In this season, the success of my reading life is measured less in hours and more in minutes.
Maybe you are like me, and you find yourself in an ebb. I hope you’ll hear me when I say that’s okay! We’re allowed to choose what matters most in this season of our reading lives. It’s okay if powering through another book isn’t as important as going for an evening walk.
This season won’t last forever. As surely as life changes, this ebb will shift into a new flow. Reading will be at the top of my activity list again, and I will log hours and hours. Not too long after that, the flow will shift back into an ebb again.
Seasons change. Capacities, priorities, and even book availabilities change. Our reading lives are allowed to change, too. They are allowed to ebb and flow. Neither season is a success or a failure.
July 15–31: Submissions are OPEN!
September 10: Red Rex release (preorders are open!)
November: Above, Not Up release (preorders open in September)
We’re taking time this summer to reintroduce some of our favorite books—this time by category! Which of our middle grade books is your favorite? Share the intro slide it on social media today.
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New moon of the soul
groping towards God—
can I cross the empyrean
to clasp your hand?
Jen Rose Yokel
This is so relatable, even in these later years with all our children grown and gone. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for this Kristen! As a parent of two small boys my reading life is on a low ebb and despite my better instincts I notice a guilt about that creeping in. This is a great biblical reminder!