Reading Guilt

reading and journaling in Gothenburg, Sweden

I haven't done much since I've been home except read. In the three weeks I've been home I've read 11 books, which is more than I've ever read in such a short period of time.

So far I've read 51 books this year, which is amazing! I read 49 in 2017 and 40 in 2016, so my reading life is only improving.

However, instead of being proud of myself for those 51 books (and rising, since I will definitely read more before the year ends), I keep finding reasons to feel guilty. 10 of those 51 have been audiobooks, do they really count? (Answer: yes, yes they do.) One was a comic book. About 50% have been YA, therefore not "serious" books.

Why can't my reading habits be like that woman I'm friends with on Goodreads, who has read 54 physical books this year and they're all literary and smart?

Then I remind myself that these thoughts are dumb. As long as I keep reading things that I enjoy, I have no reason to be critical of myself. I'm reading (and supporting libraries in the process) and that's all that matters.