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Well,it’s not just my wife and I. We’re not the only hardcore readers too distracted & agitated these days to settle in to a good book.

Can you relate?

@donalynbooks expressed exactly the startling lack of reading motivation I’ve had lately. https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=reading-joy-time-of-coronavirus-distraction-donalyn-miller

Spring Break is typically a time when I do a ton of reading, happily burning through my TBR pile, visiting favourite bookstores and either building my tsundoku acquisitions, or finding must-read-now gems.

In the last 3.5 weeks, I read only one book...

Was doing a re-read of @cherie_dimaline’s TheMarrowThieves for an @change4chwk book club (had to be canceled). I love the book so I kept going here and there.Although it has some bleakness,it’s ultimately a book of hope and transformation.I wasn’t avoiding it.I just couldn’t read

I wasn’t exactly doing nothing during our hours of indoor isolation and social distancing,but I sure frittered away many hours in unfocused screen time.
I did also pour myself into a lot of vital,rewarding &distracting (in a good way) community activism to get through covid days.

I just couldn’t read.That’s kind of my core thing.

In the blog post at the top of this thread, @donalynbooks talks about this same uncharacteristic inability to commit to reading for pleasure in these strange times.

She suggests some good ways back in.

Thankfully,I had just made it a goal of this long weekend to find my joy in reading again.
It took me until Saturday,but I started in on a #graphicnovel; I knew the shorter text chunks and the visual elements would be easier on my distracted brain: Monk! by @Youssef_Daoudi_

I can’t claim to be a person who has had a great understanding or appreciation of jazz, nor any real knowledge of Thelonious Monk, but I’d seen the GN at @luckysonline & nearly bought it for its beauty.
As covid shutdowns were being hinted at weeks ago,I’d tried to gather books.

I’d ransacked @ReadLearnPlay’s public library catalogue putting the max allowable (60) books on hold. With shutdown imminent,I hoped they’d all arrive at my branch for pick up in time.I only got about a dozen before they had to close. Monk! was part of that limited stockpile.

Anyway, it turns out today, upon reading the blog post, Ms. Miller suggests that same strategy of starting with graphic novels as one way back to reading. She has some other great ideas, too. I might follow those leads.

I think I’m back. Enjoyed @Youssef_Daoudi_’s book immensely

Another benefit of starting with that book is that it seemed foolish to not listen to the music of Thelonious Monk at the same time, so I read with earbuds in, listening to tons of his music as my soundtrack. It made the experience so much stronger. It helped block out and escape

This also kickstarted my interest in music,which is usually a daily exploration for me.
So, this morning I read the Titanic I Survived GN by @laurenTarshis (from school Lib work pile). And started Mr Stink by @davidwalliams (my son’s book,planning to buy one to add to Lib col’n)

I even picked up an intriguing @carinbondar book bought at @ZeBookMan that I’d set aside as chaos set in & read several chapters.
And as I sit here, listening to a weekly discovery playlist,typing this thread,I feel like I’m back in reading form.

Thx folks for helping me along!