Small Changes Can Make a Difference • John Charles Fleming

One of my resolutions in 2019 was to read more books. While I certainly read a lot of “short form” content on a daily basis, I hadn’t really read “long form” content, especially fiction, for several years. I wanted to bring this relaxing experience back into my life. I set a goal to read at least one book a month. I also decided the best way was to make the “small change” of allocating some time to reading every day. Wasn’t sure if I could pull it off.

Goodreads had a Reading Challenge that I joined to track how many books I read. Amazon also had a Kindle feature called Reading Insights that made keeping daily reading on track pretty easy. I did pretty well developing a daily reading habit and exceeded my goal by reading 25 books in 2019.

In 2020, I set a goal to read at least two books a month. I was able to maintain a daily reading habit and exceeded my goal by reading 30 books. In 2021, I raised my goal to three books a month. I managed to exceed this again. I read 44 books last year.

I read a mix of books last year. A number of them were police procedurals from the Harry Bosch and DCI Ryan series. I had started each of these long-running series the year before and have gotten just about current with both. I also read The Lincoln Lawyer, another series by Michael Connelly whose storyline intersects with the Bosch series. I started reading Ken Follet‘s books which somehow I had never read. I read a number of non-fiction titles including The Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick. I read a number of science fiction and fantasy books including The Three Body Problem and two books from the Wheel of Time series.

I have always believed that the best way to change your behavior is to identify small changes you can focus on every day. I did this when I quit smoking in my twenties. I have also done it, with less long term success unfortunately, when I have focused on improving my health by changing my eating habits and exercising daily. Reading every day with a monthly target has helped me bring reading books back into my life.

January 3, 2021
Reads

Echo Park by Michael Connelly — Latest Read

Just finished Echo Park by Michael Connelly. Another well constructed, fast paced story. There were some compelling scenes and specific lines that really stood out.

January 17, 2021
Reads

The Three Body Problem — Latest Read

Just finished The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu. Unfortunately, another "high acclaimed" Hugo Award winner that disappoints.

January 19, 2021
Reads

Cragside by LJ Ross — Latest Read

Finished Cragside by LJ Ross over the holiday weekend. This was a quick read. Like most of LJ Ross's work, not the deepest, but a relaxing, enjoyable read.

February 14, 2021
Reads

The Great Hunt by Robert Jordon — Latest Read

Finished up the second book in The Wheel of Time series, The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan. Like the other books in the series, this one is a "long" read with a prologue and fifty chapters.

March 21, 2021
Reads

Mayflower — Latest Read

Just finished up Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War by Nathaniel Philbrick. This book explores the history of the Plymouth colony over a 71 year period from its charter in 1620 to its absorption into the larger Massachusetts Bay royal colony in 1691.

September 1, 2021
Reads

The Lincoln Lawyer — Latest Read

Got to the point in Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch book series where the characters Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller really cross. Decided I would stop and go back and read the Mickey Haller books starting with The Lincoln Lawyer before reading The Crossing.