Purposeful Reading

(Mary Cassatt is one of my favorite impressionists)

How do you choose the books you read? Do you have a method, or just happen upon books that appeal to you and dig in? Most people probably do a little of both, but I find that being purposeful about my reading not only helps me read more than I otherwise might, but has great rewards in terms of benefits gained from good books!

As a devoted "planner" I do plan books on a monthly basis, though sometimes I add new books that come to my attention mid-month, and find myself pushing others back.  My goal is a minimum of four per month, which sometimes I surpass and occasionally I don't meet. In general, however, I choose various categories of books to purposefully move my life forward. What do I mean by that?

Specifically, choosing books that aren't just random picks, but which I select according to areas I want or need to grow in. This works out to the following, more or less:

One book on Spiritual Growth/ Spirituality/ Devotions

One on Time Management/ Efficiency/ Organizing

One on craft (for me, that's writing related)

One fiction, or miscellaneous, for reading pleasure

And one or more for novel research,. (But I don't usually read research tomes cover to cover. Usually, I skim and read portions that address the topic I'm researching at the time.)  

In addition, I always have going my Bible reading, as well as one or more daily devotionals. Since I homeschool, I give myself and my girls the luxury of not starting school at the crack of dawn, which gives me time to do all my daily readings! They get to sleep in while mom reads and prays. I sometimes get them started on their school tasks first, if I'm running late, say, but I love the quiet in the house when I let them sleep. (I have a few older ones who follow their own work and school schedules, but generally, mornings are pretty quiet.)

To do my non-devotional fiction and non-fiction reading, I go to bed about an hour or more earlier than I want to turn out the lights, and read then. Of course, I love to read!

My picks for this month are:

1. In Six Days: Why 50 Scientists Believe in Creation (Spirituality; Apologetics) (Really interesting; but a carryover unfinished from last month)
2. A Praying Life (Christian Growth)
3. The Story Template (Craft)
4. Austenland, by Shannon Hale (Fiction.)
5. The Enchanted April (A 2nd fiction selection since I finished Austenland. Trying to read more old classics.) 
5. A non-fiction book that was an add-in
6. A manuscript of a completed novel by a friend (the name of which I can't give since it isn't published, yet. And I hope it will be published, since it was a page-turner! I read it practically non-stop.)
7. An Ebook on organizing

I also quickly read a daily selection from A Jane Austen Devotional, and  The One Year Daily Insights with Zig Ziglar. 

However, if I'm reading a pick that is boring or in any way inferior, I'm quick to ditch it. Life is too short to waste on poorly written books! Do you fall into the trap of, "I started it, I gotta finish it?" Once upon a time, that was me. NOT ANY MORE.

What about you? Do you plan your reading? Do you need to? I keep a list of each month's books in my day-timer on a page at the beginning of each month, and this way nothing falls through the cracks.