Reading Lists – or how other people’s expectations of my free time are unrealistic

Part 1 of the "What I'm doing the summer before my Fulbright" Series

What was the last book you read?

When I meet a new person, there is always the requisite introduction followed by forced small talk about the weather.  But one of the questions that my introverted brain will inevitably dig out of the meager "small talk" repository in my head is, "What books do you read?"  And this can be a make or break in a relationship, because the books someone reads can tell you a lot about a person.

You read "50 Shades of Grey" how many times?

Fiction or nonfiction? Fantasy, historical, romance, or mystery?  Paranormal romance? (Apparently, it deserves its own category now if you check your local bookstore.)

When you find someone whose literary interests coincide with your own, it is a beautiful day -- and not just because you live in California, where it's always sunny.  The number of roads down which your conversation can travel multiply rapidly.  Will you discuss the intricacies of Harry Potter?  A biography of Nelson Mandela?  Or perhaps the latest sports book on evolution of running as a sport?  With all these options, you might even be able to imagine having a second conversation with this person.  Heaven forfend.

In contrast, when you discover that someone has not read some book was absolutely pivotal in your development as young adult, this revelation can drastically alter your opinion of someone.  This doesn't  necessarily mean you suddenly think "YOU'RE A TERRIBLE PERSON," although this sort of reading prejudice can happen, especially when exclusively fiction readers meet exclusively nonfiction readers.  It's not that you have nothing to talk about; it's just that you're silently judging them for constantly ignoring reality by partaking only in fantasy-land or for having such a poor imagination that reading about dragons seems unappealing.  The fact of the matter is if you're going to talk about books with someone, it usually helps if you have similar interests.

This is where reading lists come in to play.  As a recent college graduate, I have had a large amount of free time on my hands.  I leave the country in August, I've already been accepted to graduate school, and I have a part-time job for June and July so there's not much else I can add to fill-up my schedule.  As a result, I have found myself perusing various websites for good books to read.  At the start of the summer, all I could think was "I should read EVERYTHING!"  I'm a naturally introverted person so increasing the number of easy conversation opportunities I have with someone seemed like a great idea.

But the truth is everyone and their mother has a list of books for you to read.  And honestly, everyone should read this particular book or this one or you just aren't a true American, renaissance woman, young adult, etc.  As a result, I've come away from my reading quest a bit bemused.  It's amazing to me how much I'm supposed to have read at this point in my life, and I'm an avid reader.  As a young child and teenager, I devoured books, getting through piles higher than me and my sister combined on a regular basis.  Of course, college hindered my ability to pick my own reading as readings for various courses took over my life.  As a chemistry major, most of this reading was "Defining the Hamiltonian" or "The C2 Symmetry Group," not exactly "classic" literature in the same way that a humanities major might describe it.

No, guys.  It's PARTICLE in a box.

For four incredibly busy years, I learned more and more about science, while falling far behind on the books I "should" have been reading.  Where was the literature from Bradbury, Hemingway, or even Stephen Hawking?  Yeah, you get some of that when you're at small, private liberal arts college, but there are hundreds of books beyond those that somehow I was supposed to read, according to these reading lists.

So when you're this behind on an impossible list of reading, how do you catch-up?  Short answer is: you don't.  And this is where I get a little pep-talky.  Don't think of it as being behind!  In the end, I have had to remind myself, "You've got a lifetime of reading ahead of you. You don't have to read all of the world's books in one summer."  If you know me, you know I'm just determined enough (read: stubborn) to think that I could catch up on four years worth of reading in one summer, but it's just not going to happen.

Another important note (this is a no-brainer for most people) is find books that interest you.  Just because a book is a classic does NOT mean you'll like it.  Similarly, just because a book is popular doesn't mean you have to like it.  I mean...not everyone was meant to understand Justin Bieber's life and enjoy his autobiography.

At the end of the day, how do I pick which books to read with so many from which to choose?  My policy after my initial enthusiasm waned is: one book I know I'll like and one risky book.  This idea was adapted from the rule some of my good friends in college had: do something smart and something stupid every weekend.  Here there isn't really a stupid option, just a book you might not normally read -- perhaps longer or more dense than your normal picks.  When I get to a really tough book on my reading list (Ulysses, I'm looking at you), I power through a chapter or two before switching over to something a bit lighter and easier to read.

It ain't a sprint, people.  Just gonna take that reading list one book at a time.  What are you reading this summer?  You can see what I'm reading in the right sidebar.