Saturday, April 19, 2008

Magazines vs. Books

I have always loved to read and read and read some more. I come from a family of readers and was read to a lot as a child. When I was in college, I didn't have time for selecting my own novels because I majored in English, so I had to read whatever the assigned reading was. I read lots of great stuff, don't get me wrong, but my reading style changed.

You see, I joined a gym and at the gym, I would do the eliptical or the stair climber. This allows a great opportunity for reading magazines. Since I was trying to get in shape and I had no children, I would read magazines like Shape and Self. I liked the information on how to tone up and the tidbits of info on health and lifestyle. The magazine would easily lie open, once I ripped out all of those annoying cardstock inserts--seriously, those things should be banned, and I could read away while working out. The best of both worlds!


Then, I got married and had kids and I stopped working out at the gym. At home I do exercise tapes which don't allow me to read while I exercise. I do have subscriptions to several magazines now though: Parents, Midwest Living (thanks Mom & Dad), Better Homes & Gardens (thanks Sabina), LDS Living (thanks Donna), Family Fun (thanks Phil & Ruth), the Ensign and Ladies' Home Journal. Each of these magazines provides a different and fun reading experience. The problem is that I am also involved in two book groups and so that has kept me really busy reading novels. You see, no one is going to ask me about the character development from the latest magazine I read.


So, what has happened is a pile-up. I have a stack of seven magazines sitting on my microwave right now and they are dying to be read. Do you know what magazine I am currently finishing? Parents December 2007 edition. Sad. You know what's worse, I just got notice from the library that the book I requested is in to pick up and another friend of mine just loaned me another book to read. I'm drowning in words over here.


I never thought in a million years I'd be feeling overwhelmed by my love of reading. The truth of it is, I now have to add to my to do list: read magazines Jan-May 2008.

10 comments:

Tina said...

I hear you sister.

Now that I have (finally) stopped nursing, my allotted reading time has been severely reduced. I find myself struggling to keep up with my two book groups also.

As for magazines, I do subscribe to Parents, but have totally given up trying to keep up. It's hard enough to get the Ensign read every month. Although "Midwest Living" sounds like a magazine I need!

How are you feeling? Baby growing well?

Lacey said...

I'm with Tina, other than a scrapbooking magazine, I can barely keep up with the Ensign!!
Atleast we can take comfort in knowing we can recycle all those magazines!

DKAZ said...

That's why I don't read anymore...not entirely true, but I do only get about three sentences in at a time. We get tons of mags (I get Time, Better Homes, Parents, and Forbes) but barely find anytime to read a little flimsy mag let alone a real book. While my kids are young and I'm busy-reading for pleasure is on the bottom of my list. Maybe one day I'll get past "I Nephi". HA!

kjirsti said...

I admire your dedication to reading. It's something I would really like work on. I love reading, and I want to make more time for it- because it's always there, you just have to take it!

Lara Neves said...

Totally have this dilemma too. I get several magazines and am lucky to make it through the Ensign before the next one comes. Some of my favorites I have a backlog of 3 and 4 months and they aren't even out of the plastic stuff they come in, so Joel asked if he should throw them out. I was horrified at the idea! I will get to them! :)
Then there's book club, and just books I want to read. And I am slogging through a book right now and it's due at the library tomorrow and I've already renewed it once so I have to take it back.

JenW said...

put goose girl on the back burner there missy! you can keep as long as you need to:) i understand that. i have books i've borrowed from kendall's mom and grandma that i've had since before avery was born and she's 8 months old, that i haven't gotten to...one day, huh? so good to have that dilemma though:)

bloggingchristy said...

I'm amazed that you already read all that you do! I used to ALWAYS be reading 1-2 books, now I am literally lucky to read 1 book a month. Although that is the one thing I DO like about nursing is that I sit down to read more! Unless my other kids are in the rom trying to destroy things to get my attention!

Heather said...

First off, I'm totally with you on the annoying cards that come inside the magazines. I'm pretty psycho about removing those the second I get a magazine in the mail!

I need you closer because my reading has gone down the tubes. You were always good about getting me excited about reading!

Julie said...

Sigh... I have slowly let our magazine subscriptions expire for the same reasons... well that, and the houses in BHG were making me too covetous! :)

wackywilsons said...

Such an avid reader and yet you still have time to blog! I love it!

I remember I used to check out the Parent's magazines from the library and even those got piled up on me. Not to mention that you probably feel that guilt to read your scriptures on top of everything else too!

When will the days come where you can sit down and read while the children' "quitely" play together.
yeah right!

Keep it up though b/c you are one intelligent woman and those words are just making you smarter.