Books Anonymous: Are You Hooked on Books?

Are you an addict? I’m an addict and a big one, a book addict. It seems I have no self control when it comes to books. I pick one up and start reading. I reach a certain point (usually the 2^nd to 4^th chapter) when I can’t stop reading. The house could be burning down around my ears and my eyes wouldn’t move from the page. It’s sad but simple fact. 

I have tried to restrain myself, but my efforts always end with failure. So what's my solution? I stopped reading, which then affected my writing. It's a proven fact (I’ve tested the theory myself) that if you want to be better at the craft of writing then you need to read every day. This made my so-called solution no solution at all. Is there a real solution to the problem?

Oh, I know… How about becoming more disciplined? -yeah, tried that. I suck at it. It then occurred to me that I couldn't stop reading because I became so involved with the characters and story I was reading. The thought occurred to me. What if I switch from reading whole books at a time to reading a short story every day? Now that would be more manageable. 

So that is my new goal to read one short story every day. I don’t know how it will go, because I just started this endeavor at the beginning of the month. I am glad to be reading and I can already feel the dam in my head starting to break open only after a week of reading. For now it seems I've found a way to get that addiction under control and still benefit from the wonderful world of reading!