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Musing Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB that asks you to muse about one of several “bookish” questions… or, you can just ramble on about anything you like that pertains to books! You can join in by clicking the graphic above. Go ahead–it’s fun!
Here’s my musing for this week–
I spent the past week out of town on a trip for work—it involved a fair amount of time in airports and on planes, plus a week’s stay at a very nice hotel. My days were filled with meetings and other obligations, and when I got back to my room each night my brain felt stuffed–all I wanted to do was veg out in front of the TV until I fell asleep.
I’d spent a pretty good chunk of time deciding on which books to take with me on this trip, and in the end I took one hefty library book that I’d just started (We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas—more about this book in my WWW post later this week!) plus my kindle (loaded with dozens of books for every occasion!). However, to my surprise, I did absolutely no pleasure reading on my trip until I was on my way home.
This trip was really tiring–both mentally and physically—for a lot of reasons. I knew this would be a demanding trip, but I’d fully expected that I’d be able to escape, at least for a little while each day, by reading something for fun. I was surprised to find that this wasn’t the case–I didn’t crack open any “free reading” books until the last day of my trip when my meetings were over and I was waiting to go to the airport. At that point I parked myself in the hotel lobby and read until I caught the airport shuttle—then I read at the airport waiting for my flight, and then I read for about three of the four hours that I was on the plane going home. I felt as if I’d been going through “reading withdrawal”—and I guess I was. Until I knew that my responsibilities for the week were over, I just didn’t have the energy to immerse myself in any fictional reading, but once the week was over I just couldn’t get enough!
I think this is the longest I’ve ever gone without reading anything for pleasure since I was in graduate school (MANY years ago!). I think that somehow I just knew that my brain couldn’t handle any additional information of any kind last week—but now that I’m back home I think I’ll be doing a lot of reading to make up for that lost week!
How about you? What’s the longest you’ve ever gone without reading anything for fun? Why weren’t you reading during that time, and how did you feel about it? Please share!
Musings From A Bookmammal 
September 15, 2014 at 8:07 am
What a great post. I find certain vacations make it impossible for me to read. Disney is an exhausting trip and because we spend so much time walking around the parks, I’m usually too tired to read. I read in the airport coming and going, but not much while there. Since I make a point to read at least every other night when I’m home, I was okay with not reading much while we were away.
Hope you’ll visit my blog today. I share about my summer road trip where I got to fulfill one of my dreams: http://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/2014/09/musing-mondays-september-15.html
September 15, 2014 at 12:42 pm
Very true–it isn’t often that I’m too tired to read, but when I am I don’t want to read just for the sake of reading–if I’m too tired to enjoy what I’m reading, better to wait until I can appreciate it!
September 15, 2014 at 8:51 am
I can relate to the full-brain feeling after a workshop or conference! And it seems, when I pick up my Nook again that it’s a long-lost friend. And I fall in love with reading all over again.
September 15, 2014 at 12:42 pm
What a great way to phrase it! I agree!
September 15, 2014 at 9:07 am
I can’t remember the last timeI went without reading for fun. I guess retirement is the reason.
September 15, 2014 at 12:43 pm
And that would definitely be one of the advantages of retirement! 🙂
September 15, 2014 at 10:19 am
I can’t remember a time when I went that long without reading but I do empathise with the brain overload situation. Glad you had a good time and now you can fully immerse yourself in your books 🙂
September 15, 2014 at 12:43 pm
Yes–I have a feeling I’ll be doing lots of reading in the next week or so to make up for my reading draught!
September 15, 2014 at 11:45 am
about 7 or 8 years ago, I was having a problem with cataracts, first in one eye and then after that in the other–when I finally began the process of having replacement surgery my vision was still good for large events like driving and walking, but impossible for typing or reading, the letters smeared– and I finally gave up until after the second surgery (which isnt as horrific as it used to be), as my bifocals just couldnt handle the rapid changes in vision. So I’d say probably a year of doing without.
My first day with the first new implant, however, was a joyous reunion with anything that had words in it….=)
September 15, 2014 at 12:44 pm
Wow–that must have been difficult to deal with on many levels. And I bet you appreciate reading now more than ever!
September 19, 2014 at 7:43 am
after wearing glasses for 50 years, cataracts were a miracle in the making. I left the surgery not needing anything stronger than readers. Utterly miraculous. and yes, I read steadily, constantly, and there is always a paperback in my purse for emergencies. =)
September 15, 2014 at 12:50 pm
Nice post! I think I’ve gone up to about a month without picking up a book, I think it was during a reading slump, and also a move. And moving is always draining so no reading got done there either.
September 17, 2014 at 1:06 pm
Plus, when you’re moving all your books are packed! 🙂
September 15, 2014 at 1:24 pm
One of the best features of eBook readers – so much easier to pack for trips!
September 17, 2014 at 1:06 pm
Very true–I love my “real” books, but my kindle travels with me wherever I go!
September 16, 2014 at 10:06 am
I’ve gone through some month-long periods without reading fiction for pleasure . . . usually because of something going on like a move or a lot of work stuff . . .a few times because of a reading slump. Usually I need to have a newly released book that I’m very excited about to help pull me out of the no-reading zone. I’ll be interested to hear what you think of We Are Not Ourselves . . . I thought it was powerful, but had a few issues with it (the structure and the meandering beginning–just felt it could have been better focused and shorter).
September 17, 2014 at 1:07 pm
I’m hoping to finish We Are Not Ourselves this weekend–I’m liking it, but the subject matter is pretty sad right now.
September 16, 2014 at 5:59 pm
A few weeks, usually when something else was going on.
September 17, 2014 at 8:07 pm
I’m not sure the longest that I’ve gone without reading, but I do know that I am terrible at reading when I go on work trips — even when there is time for reading. I hope you find more time for books this week!
September 18, 2014 at 5:56 pm
Agreed–it always seems as though there’s so much going on during business trips, and even when there’s down time it’s hard for me to get into a reading mood. But now that I’m back home I’m definitely making up for lost reading time!
September 21, 2014 at 9:35 am
Bar prep – for obvious reasons – put a big curb on my pleasure reading. I was just too exhausted from all of the information that I had to get into my brain, but even then I never went more than a few days. This is probably largely because we don’t have a TV in the bedroom so unless I’m able to just collapse into sleep (which doesn’t happen very often) reading before bed is part of my ritual — being at a hotel changes that for me. 🙂
September 21, 2014 at 10:07 am
Like another commenter, I had to stop reading for a while because of major problems with my eyes — part of the treatment was putting in eyedrops every 4 hours that dilated my pupils and made it impossible to read. I was miserable not being able to read — audiobooks were a poor substitute.
September 23, 2014 at 4:10 am
During my teen years, I was either too busy studying or partying to read anything for fun. But since then, it’s been books all the way.