i can't remember the last book i read, or how james joyce killed my reading mojo

When I was a kid I practically lived at the library. I read in the bath, on the toilet, and at various mealtimes. Every month I’d pour over the Scholastic Book Club flyers and choose random books to buy (and by random I mean ran-dom …all I know is somehow I ended up with a copy of Penny and the Four Questions, which I think was aimed at Jewish children—but hey, it taught me everything I ever needed to know about Passover and yes, I still know what the four questions are). I’m half convinced my reading habits were the cause of my terrible eyesight. Granted, I wasn't the most discerning reader...I read a lot of junky chapter books (somewhere in the garage a large collection of BSC books are collecting dust) in my youth and of course, later, the adult equivalent—chicklit. Not to worry, I managed to polish off a few good ones here and there.

But somewhere between 16 and 23 I think I lost my reading mojo. I’m not sure what happened. Was it the mind-numbingly tedious close reading of James Joyce in high school? Did I overdose on textbooks in college and my reading habits just never recovered? Has my day job completely dulled my brain? Or, more likely, have I just succumbed to the quick and easy entertainment provided by our instant gratification culture?

Honestly, it’s not that I’ve completely stopped reading. I think I've read maybe 10 or so books this year. But most of them have been the kind of bestseller non-fiction, goes-down-easy sort of books (all the Malcolm Gladwells, Sway, etc.) which, granted, are interesting and fun but maybe not all that challenging. And the fiction I have read has been pretty unmemorable. It’s not that I don’t want to read, I do. I still read reviews and make mental notes about interesting titles and I even still buy books sometimes. I just don’t read them.

I find it hard to actually sit down to read. It's like if it doesn't grab me within the first chapter, I can't be bothered. Getting through a novel is just too difficult. Books require so much concentration. Not to mention patience, a virtue I sorely lack. And TV and movies and the internet are so easy. No patience, no concentration required (unless you’re a LOST fan). I don’t mean to imply that it’s mindless entertainment because let’s face it, I adore my TV and I’m near-obsessive about my Netflix queue. I get a lot of satisfaction from a great show or movie. But I miss the pleasure you get when you finish the last page of a Really Good Book. You know, the kind where you’re sad it’s over. It's been a long time since my last RGB.

So what to do? I hesitate to make reading a chore, but should I just force myself to pick up my book instead of turn on the TV after work? Schedule reading time into my Outlook? Should I buy a Kindle? Will the ooh-shiny new technology lead me into reading again? How do I recover my reading mojo? What's the last RGB you've read? Maybe if I read one, it'll snowball?

Ten-year-old me would be ashamed.