BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKS.

So I want to talk about something different today.

And that something would be books.

As of right now, on my GoodReads account, I have 100 books on a to-read list, with 3 listed as currently reading.
Actively reading is Anthony Ryan's Blood Song, which is the first in a trilogy titled "A Raven's Shadow". This book had a great start, but has started to dwindle (on page 399 of 575) and drag on. But the book is due back to the library on the 30th of this month so that is my motivation to finish it. So there is that.
Way back when, I started George R.R. Martin's A Clash of Kings which is the second book in the "A Song of Fire and Ice" series. I am a little shy of half way done with that book, but I don't remember what happened and since I had binge-watched the show, the events of the show blurred together and it would probably be wise to reread the first book so that I have the events of the books separate from the show.
And bear with me, but my brother and I have similar tastes in reading materials. When he was still living here with us, I would sneak in his room and steal the book that was next in the series. Well he is now 2ish hours away and I can't drive right now and a 2ish hour drive for a book is a tad ridiculous anyway. So. I have his copy of Sceptors by L.E. Modesitt Jr. held hostage (which is the third book), but I don't remember what has happened enough to feel comfortable just jumping into it, so I borrowed the first two books in the series from the library so that I can reread them and then move onto Sceptors. I also have my brother's copy of Ordermaster which is interesting in how Modesitt writes the "Saga of Recluce" series, and seeing as they read as a history of a nation instead of following just one person or group of people, I wanted the preceding book Wellspring of Chaos as well as the following (which is not following chronologically) Natural Ordermage. But seeing as that is a borrow from my brother and not the library I can hold those three hostage technically indefinitely.

But the other thing is I also have a bunch of books that I've gotten for cheap or free on my kindle that I have not added to my GoodReads list. So at the beginning of the year I pledged to read as many books this year as I can to lower the list of to-read books. I set a realistic goal of 25 books (basically 2 books a month plus one more), and to date I am one book ahead of schedule because it doesn't count them until I mark the book as completed. I also am not counting rereads, although they technically count on GoodReads. If I counted them, I would be much closer to the goal of 25 books. Part of the problem is that I do not have a job that allows me enough money to buy the books myself so that I do not have them in either print or on my kindle, and not all of the books on my list are available to be borrowed from my local library. Another part is that a lot of the books are part of a series, and for a good chunk of them I haven't read the preceding book in a while so I don't remember what has happened and therefore I would feel better rereading at least the most recent book to familiarize myself again with the plot lines and characters and the relationships between characters. Another point is that a few of the book series I'm reading are still on going so the authors are releasing books which then adds to the number of books on my to-read list just by being part of something I'm already reading.

The other, more frustrating part of the problem? I don't want to read. I just want them to have been read. Like, I love to read. I full on call myself a lover of books and reading, but I just don't have the patience right now to sit down and just read a 575 page book like I use to. Back in 2007 or 2008 I read the book East by Edith Pattou, which is 498 pages, in like 6 hours. I am not kidding. I got home from school, took care of our dogs, started reading, took a small break to feed our dogs and cat, and didn't stop until I was reading the last word. At like 9pm. I would have gotten home at around 3pm. I just want to be able to do that again.
Now Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Frost and Starlight was released earlier this year and I full on read that in one sitting, a few days after it was released, but that was also only 229 pages and I absolutely adore both of Maas's series ("A Court of Thorns and Roses" and "A Throne of Glass") so that has something to do with it. 

I kinda wish I had the patience to just sit and read right now, but as it is I can't even do that with books I genuinely want to read. Like I was stoked that the library has all three books of Anthony Ryan's series, and I started off strong, but now I'm just lagging. Uggh.