I do not know if reading makes you smarter, but I bloody hope so.
Similarly, I do not know if blogging makes you smarter, but I still keep going. This is the first blog post in a while, and whilst some have questioned whether my efforts are waning, I can assure you they are not. It is simply a case of the items currently in process being more long term orientated.
Over the past twelve months I have gone on to read thirteen books, with fourteen likely to be completed before the year end. I have never been a big book worm, only occasionally reading the odd book on the train or on holiday. The inspiration to read a book a month came from my girlfriend. She loves to read, and it amazes me how many books she gets through. Every so often she will read a book and add it to my reading pile as a must read.
This was not the toughest item on my list. It simply required me to manage my day better. Rather than reading the newspaper on my commute, I now commit to a book and consume my news online in my lunch break.
The books that make up my list are as follows:
- Eeny Meeny
- The Symbol
- American Sniper
- Bale Biography
- The Metamorphosis
- Perla
- Roy Keane The Second Half
- Cockroaches
- Freakonomics
- Bad Boy
- I Am Pilgrim
- Silkworm
- The Girl On The Train
- The Son (in progress)
Although books may not be the most exciting item on my list, it has certainly allowed me to push me to explore something I have often dismissed in favour of other activities. The power of a good book is something I did not truly understand until recently. I can only wish more people shared this enthusiasm for reading.
And in standard fashion, I leave you with a book related joke:
I went to the book store earlier to buy a ‘Where’s Wally’ book. When I got there, I couldn’t find the book anywhere.
Well played Wally, well played.