A couple of weeks ago, I had lunch with my friend Sarah. Knowing my love of Little Free Libaries, she mentioned she's noticed a bunch in her neighborhood. My ears perked right up and I asked her if she'd take me on a Little Free Library tour.

It was windy and cold on the day we chose but we did not let that stop us. However, we did decide to make it a driving/walking tour of Longfellow, instead of just a walking tour. This was a great life decision.

We pulled up the Little Free Library map as our starting place but in the course of the afternoon, we found at least a handful of LFLs that were not registered and therefore weren't on the map. 

We didn't make it to every LFL on the map either but in the course of 2 hours, I believe we stopped by 17 LFLs. It was so much fun! I could not get over how creative people were or the variety of books people left. Here are several of the best ones.

At our first stop, we found the most darling bookmarks and library borrowers cards. I haven't seen that before and I loved the idea!

A number of churches have LFLs. This was at a UU church, complete with its own bench. And it boasted a vintage book about Mary Lou Retton. (Neither of us took it.)

A little country Western flair.

One of my favorites of the day! A Dr. Seuss quote, bright blue, with a bench on the side.

A twofer! The one on the left is for children's books. The one of the right is for grown-ups. Plus, this is right next to Dowling Community Garden.

THAT BENCH THOUGH. I need it in my life.

This was the saddest thing. And this LFL was outside a church no less! There are plenty of times I leave a book without taking one or take a book without leaving one. I figure it all evens out in the end. But to clear out a whole LFL? This person must have been very desperate to resort to this. After this stop, we started noticing a number of the books had this very stamp or else a sticker. 

It's a house mini-me! We saw a couple of these and they always make me smile.

This was my favorite of the day. It had beautiful windows on each side. And that sun! 

Bird houses! There was a plaque on the side that said this was an Eagle Scout project. How cool is that?! 

I didn't think I would find any books I wanted but I came away with some amazing finds. I was especially excited about the old copy of The World According To Garp, which is my third favorite John Irving novel. Tomatoland has been on my TBR for ages so that was a fun find as well. And I decided the Maisie Dobbs novel was a sign I should actually try the series so many friends rave about.

I also had fun being a book pusher with Sarah. There were a number of old favorites I told her she just had to read. We both walked away with good books!

I definitely want to go on another Little Free Library tour. Minneapolis- really, all of the Twin Cities and their suburbs- has a TON of Little Free Libraries that are worth exploring. Although hopefully next time, it'll be on a sunnier, less windy day.

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A couple of months ago, I started keeping a bag of books in my car just for Little Free Libraries. That way I always have a book on hand when I stumble across a new one or the ones in my neighborhood are looking low. 

It's also a nice way to pass along Advance Reader Copies and books I don't plan on rereading. I try to be careful about what books I buy in the first place , as well as what ARCs I say yes to, but book storage is always an issue for me. Always. Little Free Libraries helps me out on that front, so long as I don't always find a book or two that I need to take home.

In any case, it pays to be bookishly prepared!

When I visited my friend Anne of Modern Mrs. Darcy a few weeks ago, we wound up doing this on a much larger scale. Anne's book situation was out of control and my INFJ self itched to help her get organized. Before Anne knew it, I was "making" her go through her stacks and figure out what she was keeping and what she could let go of, like duplicate copies and ARCs she probably wasn't ever going to get around to reading and books she didn't actually like.

IT WAS SO MUCH FUN.

And I'm not just saying that because I wound up with a pile of books to take home.

The next morning we decided to share the love with a few of the Little Free Libraries in Louisville. There were way too many culled books to do it at once but we estimate we left around 35-40 books between four LFLs.

If I was still a child I would not be able to dream up anything better than a Little Free Library tucked behind a tree house. Can you even imagine?! 

This one was only a quarter full when we got to it. Heh. Not anymore.

Anne stopped by this one about a week after we'd filled it up and said it was depleted again. It must be a highly trafficked LFL but I'm concerned that so many people are not following the practice of Take A Book, Leave A Book. I mean, it's okay if you find something you want and you don't have anything to give but that should not be your standard operating procedure. Ahem.

Sometimes we'd rearrange the books within the LFLs. Highlight some favorites, move them around so it was more aesthetically pleasing. Normal book nerd stuff.

Miraculously, I only found one book I wanted in return- a vintage Nancy Drew mystery- and Anne didn't find anything she wanted. 

Who gets rid of vintage Nancy Drew?! 

When we returned home from our mission, I commented something along the lines of feeling like Robin Hood. We couldn't make the comparison work- we weren't stealing books from the rich, after all. And then Anne said it was more like Sisters of Mercy.

Yes. That's us. The Bookish Sisters of Mercy, dispensing books to anyone in need or at least anyone who frequents their Little Free Library. 

Looking forward to the next time we strike! 

The more I read, the more I read. This has proven true the last few years but especially this year. While I've consistently read more than 100 books since 2012, I somehow managed to read 313 books in 2016. That is an explosion compared to 2015's respectable 141 books.

There were 366 days in 2016, which means there were only 53 days where I did not finish a book. 

And y'all, I promise I did things other than read this past year. I may be an introvert but I'm a social one and like to have plans at least a few times a week. 

For the past month, I've thought about what factors might have led to 313 books. There are the usual suspects: I read more than one book at a time, I read every day, I'm a really fast reader, and I always have a book with me. But I've been doing this for years so that cannot explain how I doubled my reading intake.

I seriously doubt I'll be able to replicate this feat in 2017, if only because I'll be starting full-time work (hopefully soon.) You never know though. I love how many books I was able to read because the To Read list never stops growing, always spurring me on. 

Here's how I did it:  

I read primarily ebooks.

This was not intentional, at least not at first. For years I only used my Nook if I traveled or if a publisher sent me an ARC. I preferred physical books- and still do. But with most of my books in storage when I moved to San Francisco, it was so much easier to simply check out ebooks from the library. Bonus: no worrying about returning books on time, which would have been tricky given how my local branch's limited hours conflicted with my work schedule. I also have the Nook and Kindle apps on my phone so it's easy to resume reading at any time.

A couple of years ago I read an article by someone who said they were going to stop using their e-reader because they noticed they were reading faster (swiper keep swiping!) but losing comprehension in the process. I haven't noticed a loss in comprehension but I do think there's something to their swiping theory. When you're swiping pages, there is a strange temptation to keep going that is not as apparent when you're physically turning the page of a paperback book. I'm more aware of how often I'm finishing a page on an e-reader and subconsciously want to maintain that pace. 

I still read physical books this past year and it did seem to take me longer. I haven't tracked page numbers vs. content vs. time spent reading vs. format so I can't be sure. But this does seem a likely factor.

Limited or no TV.

When I'm in for the night, I love watching a couple of TV shows or Hallmark movies to unwind. This past year I've lived in places that either did not have a TV at all or did not have cable or where I had limited access to the TV for various reasons. I kept up with my staple shows either on my laptop or my housemates' iPad when it was available but that was about it.

The plain truth is I'm not a good binge watcher so while I have Netflix, I can go weeks without using it. If I try watching something on my laptop, I usually get distracted by all the internetty things.

This simply meant reading became my primary downtime activity. Instead of reading before bedtime like I usually did, I'd start reading after dinner. Presto changeo.

Shorter books were in the mix.

This was purely accidental. I had no idea The House On Mango Street clocked in at 110 pages or Another Brooklyn- at least the e-version- was a little over 100. I also read a number of romance novels that were in the 175-225 page range and I can knock those out in a couple hours. This helped me realize I have a page length preference. Some of the most well developed stories seem to be in the 300-400 page range. That's not true across the board and I still read shorter novels but I'm paying attention now.

I moved across the country and only work part-time (aka stress and transition!)

In October I moved from San Francisco to Minneapolis. I have a bunch of friends here but I'm still building my community. Once the cold hit in December, I was ready to hibernate until spring. I'm working part-time remotely for my SF job and working as a Virtual Assistant while looking for a full-time job here. Since I'm not working 40 hours a week, this has meant more time to read. It's nice but I'm really looking forward to the routine of working in an office so hopefully this will happen soon.

I also turn to books more when I'm stressed or in a season of transition. Books provide some normalcy when the rest of my life is upside down. Plus, the library helps keep this the cheapest entertainment around.

I started listening to audiobooks.

I tried listening to audiobooks in my early to mid 20s and could not get into them, usually because I was too distracted. I'd try listening on a road trip and 20 minutes would go by and I'd realize I'd gotten lost in my thoughts instead of paying attention to the story.

In the intervening years, however, I've become a big podcast listener so I thought moving across the country would be a good time to try again. I listened to Meghan March's Beneath This Mask and was completely hooked. I've listened to a few more since and am starting to figure out which narrators I like and what types of stories keep me focused. My preference is still to listen when I'm going to be on the road for a fair amount of time but I'll also listen while I eat a meal or have at least a 25 minute drive. 

Related:

Favorite Nonfiction of 2016

Favorite Fiction of 2016

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On Sunday August 2, 2015 I finished reading my friend Amber Haines' excellent memoir Wild in the Hollow and promptly entered it into my book log next to the number 1000. Then I sat back with delight.

It was the 1000th book I've read since I started keeping a book log.

(And yes, I did put some thought into which book would be #1000. I cannot imagine a better choice than Amber's book, her lyrical prose sweeping over me like poetry. 5 stars all the way.)

Ever since I was a young girl, people have commented on how much I read. I learned how to speed read in 3rd grade, thanks to an actual lesson plan.

In April 2005 I started wondering exactly how much I read from month to month and year to year. I bought a blank 8x10 journal and on April 15, I entered the first book: Little Altars Everywhere by Rebecca Wells.

This is how many books I've read each year since:

April 15-December 31, 2005: 42

2006: 55

2007: 107

2008: 77

2009: 80

2010: 100 (a goal for 31 Things Before Turning 31)

2011: 71

2012: 102

2013: 140

2014: 133

January 1-August 9, 2015: 95

Since tracking my book habit, I've learned the more I read, the more I read. I've also learned I read more in times of stress, grief, and transition. Lord knows I've had more than my fair share of each of those things this past decade. Clearly I'm on target for besting last year's number, thanks to the stress and transition of 2015.

Reading is a sacred and essential part of my self-care routine. There's nothing like losing yourself in the pages of a good story or learning something new. While not every book has received a Pulitzer or advanced society, I believe I'm a better, smarter person for all the reading I've done. Even if I'm not always sure how to pronounce my new vocabulary words.

The biggest reason I've read 1000 books boils down to my love of reading but I realized I have 3 practices in place that helped me reach my goal.

Here's how to read a 1000 books:

1. Read more than one book at a time.

I try to have at least 4 or 5 books going at once in a variety of genres that are read at different paces and different times. Right now my primary book is Peace Like A River. My bus book (new category!) is Housekeeping. Nonfiction/thoughtful reads: Jesus Land and Spinster. Backburner: Embracing the Body (this one is so good that I want to digest it slowly.) Usually poetry book is in the mix but I forgot to set one aside before my books were put in storage.

Primary books are to be consumed. If for some reason, my primary book isn't especially gripping, I'll start something else.  For instance, Peace Like A River is really good but the slower pace makes me think it might be best to save it for the bus, even if I'm at risk of crying while riding. I want to read it but I don't necessarily want to pick it up when I get home from work. The whole trick is surrounding yourself with books you both want to read and will read.

This strategy accounts for why some days show me as having read 2 books. In most cases, I'd started reading them days before. Although I have been known to read a novel in a day. What can I say? Speed reading + book nerd...you do the math.

2. Read every day.

No matter what's going on in my day, I try to at least read 30 minutes before I turn out the light. (I don't read fiction right before I go to bed, unless I want to risk staying up all night trying to finish it.) Riding the bus, if I manage to find a seat, also provides me with some built-in reading time. I also tend to read for longer chunks of time on the weekends.

This is a matter of figuring out what works best for you. Some of my friends listen to audiobooks while cleaning the house or running errands. I can't focus on audiobooks so my pre-bedtime routine ensures I'll always have at least a little time each day.

3. Always keep a book with you.

There are so many hidden opportunities to read! I keep a book in my purse at all times because you never know if a friend will be running late to meet you for coffee, how long you'll sit in the waiting room, or what the line will be like at the post office. The times I haven't had a book with me, I've regretted it. A more worthwhile way to wait instead of scrolling through your phone.

If you haven't started a book log yet (or don't use Goodreads regularly), it's never too late to start. Here's the next 1000!

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When I recorded the Enneagram podcast with Tsh on The Art of Simple, I was surprised by the response to what I thought was a throwaway line.

I was talking about wings, specifically my 5 wing, and how I've embraced my introversion since entering my 30s.

In that context, I said, "I've always been a big reader but now it's become a coping mechanism, and again, it can be a good thing or it can be a way of hiding. I'm trying to figure out where that switch really happens."

It can be a way of hiding.

People emailed me, they brought it up in conversation, Anne even wrote a post, which was the kick in the pants for me to finally write this post I've contemplated for the last year and a half.

I have always been an avid reader. From the moment I figured out how to read, I began trying to figure out how I could do more of that. I learned how to speed read in 3rd grade (it was a legit lesson). I co-captained Battle of the Books with my best friend in 5th and 6th grade and I believe our grammar school still holds the winning record.

I could go on and on about my book nerd qualifications but you get the picture.

In 2005, I started recording what I read. At the time, I averaged 4-8 books per month. Since then, I've seen a steady increase in how much I read overall. My current average is 10-12 books per month. The biggest reason why I read more is because I read multiple books at the same time. I also read more in January and February (cold = hibernate) and when I'm on vacation.

I realized, however, in 2007 I was turning toward books in an unhealthy way. That spring I experienced two major losses. It was the hardest time of my life, especially because I worked as a hospice social worker.

After work, I'd collapse on to the couch in my apartment with a book in hand and I'd read and read and read. My 2007 average was 6-8 books per month. I read 12 books the month after Grandma died, a number that would have been even higher had I not gone on a previously planned canoe trip in the UP.

Initially, this form of self-care was healing and good. Because of the nature of my work, I had no way of escaping grief and loss for the majority of the day. I needed to be left alone for a while. I needed happy endings and other people's problems when I came home. I read Christian fiction, Maeve Binchy, and the last two Harry Potter books.

But as the months passed, my reading habit didn't back down and by the time I read 19 books that October, I realized I was turning to books more than I should.

Because of my book log, the evidence stared me in the face. I hadn't completely disappeared from society but it was a marked difference from my usual routine. Like I said, at first self-care via reading was healthy but it became a way of hiding, a way of buffering myself from the world.

Since then, I have noticed my tendency to hide behind books in times of grief and high stress.

I'm never going to give up reading, nor am I going to give it up as a form of self-care. But I do pay attention to how much I'm reading.

If the monthly tally seems on the high side, I ask myself what's behind the number. Am I hiding? Or did I stumble on to a number of must-reads?

Sometimes you read the first book in a series (Outlander, Cinder, Daughter of Smoke and Bone) and you simply have to read the rest to find out what happens. This also happens when I find a new-to-me author: Kate Morton, Ruth Reichl, Barbara Brown Taylor, Tana French.

Some books take longer to read due to content or sheer number of pages. For instance, I finished Hillary Clinton's Hard Choices last week, which comes in at 600 pages. It was a fascinating account of her time as the US Secretary of State but this was no fast read. But sometimes I'd rather read about someone's life, instead of engage with my own.

When I realize I am hiding, I have a simple choice: I can keep piling on the books or I can reconnect with my community. Sometimes both responses are right, at least for the moment, but I strive to err on the side of connection with others.

These days books and I are on good terms. Reading was a big part of the reason why I stayed sane while moving to a new house last month. But I'll continue to keep an eye on how much I read so a good thing remains a good thing.