How do I read books

 The process of finding books is a fundamental part of the author's overall reading strategy detailed in Book Time #26: How I Read. This strategy relies on prioritizing scholarly sourcing, personal connection, and physical discovery while actively avoiding digital recommendation systems.

Scholarly and Research-Driven Methods

The author's most reliable technique for finding new books is using the endnotes of other books they enjoy. If an intriguing passage is encountered, they look up its source material. However, this method has the practical drawback of creating a reading queue filled with books on similar subjects.

When initiating an "intellectual journey" on a subject they wish to learn more about, the author relies on external resources like the Ask Historians subreddit and fivebooks.com. From these sources, they typically select one or two books, aiming for works published in the late 20th or early 21st century. This period, spanning roughly 1960 to 2010, is considered the timeframe for the finest historical scholarship. Selecting books from this era ensures that the endnotes will be a valuable resource for further reading, and helps avoid interpretations of a period that might be considered "faddish".

Another specific method involves paging through the seasonal catalogs for various university presses. While these publications are often geared toward researchers, the author finds unique "gems" on "oddball subjects," citing examples like Crap: A History of Cheap Stuff in America, Whiskerology: The Culture of Hair in Nineteenth-Century America, and The Things She Carried: A Cultural History of the Purse in America.

Personal and Physical Discovery Methods

Personal recommendations are a significant source of new books, often leading the author to read material they would not have chosen independently. Though they may not always like the recommended book, they are generally glad they read it.

To achieve a result functionally similar to a recommendation algorithm but with added curiosity and discovery, the author visits the library. This method involves picking a section in a branch—such as the Performing Arts Library, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library, or the Grand Army Plaza main branch—and walking the shelves until they feel hungry, thirsty, or under-caffeinated.

When any finding method yields a book that is particularly well-researched and written, the author adds all the author's remaining works to their reading queue.

Methods and Genres That Are Avoided

The author maintains a strong stance against using algorithms for book suggestions, based on both practical and principled reasons.

1. Practical: Algorithmic recommendations are viewed as a "worse version of the endnotes problem," tending to suggest numerous highly similar titles (e.g., 27 other books about the Crusades).
2. Principled: The author attempts to make reading a hobby independent of digital technology as much as possible, viewing reading as time away from computers.

Furthermore, the author almost never buys new releases. Exceptions are made to support specific individuals, such as preordering books written by authors who are friends, or publications by podcasters, journalists, or newsletter writers they follow, even if they suspect they might not like the book. The author acknowledges that finding a consistent way to follow authors for new release alerts is difficult, suggesting that tools like Goodreads or Amazon might offer a solution, but notes this is a "convenience I can live without".

Managing the reading queue is a structured and highly organized component of the author's overall reading strategy, Book Time #26: How I Read. The system is designed to balance the author's preference for physical books, dependence on library resources, and the need to always have something available to read.

The Queue Management System

The author has settled on using a humble spreadsheet, creatively titled "Books," to manage and track their reading list, which includes a "To Read" tab for their queue. This method was chosen after trying and discarding physical notebooks, apps, and complicated pipelines in Notion, finding the spreadsheet to be the right balance of permanence, convenience, and fuss.

The core strategy for managing the queue revolves around maximizing the use of the library:

1. Prioritizing Library Use: The author prioritizes using the library as much as possible, primarily because they live in a Manhattan apartment and lack the space to acquire 50 new books annually. The ability of the library to take books back when finished is considered its "most valuable service".
2. Physical Book Pipeline: The author ensures they are never between books by immediately starting the first 10 pages of a new book upon finishing an old one. To maintain a continuous supply, the system involves requesting three physical books simultaneously from the library. The priority is given to any book that has a hold list and cannot be renewed. When the remaining stack of current reads falls to about 500 pages, more books are requested. The waiting time for holds to arrive typically aligns with the time it takes to finish those 500 pages.
3. Digital Backup: To serve as a backup and access books only available digitally, the author periodically loads as many digital library books onto a Kindle as possible. Although the author does not like reading on a Kindle, noting that it flattens the sense of a book as a "journey through the space," reading a book on the device is deemed better than not reading at all. The author also employs a strategy of borrowing many digital books at once, immediately turning the device onto Airplane Mode, and keeping it there until the books are finished. This allows reading at leisure even if the digital copy is "returned" to the library when the loan expires. The Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), which permits up to 20 simultaneous digital loans, is key to this tactic, relieving pressure on the physical queue management.
4. Interlibrary Loans (ILL): If the New York Public Library (NYPL) and BPL do not hold a book, the author uses the interlibrary loan system. ILL books are treated as "treats," often being old copies from small university libraries. However, this method is less flexible due to difficulties in predicting arrival times, restrictions on renewals, and potential late fees.

Purchasing Books and Queue Insurance

Purchasing books is a secondary method, reserved for specific circumstances: when the library doesn't have the book, when the author wants to own a loved copy, or when a book is extremely long and would be difficult to return half-read. The author also maintains a few unread purchased books on the shelf as the "ultimate insurance policy" in case the primary system fails.

When buying used books, the author checks Bookfinder, an aggregator, and will buy new if the used price exceeds about $10, unless the title is an expensive academic book.

As established in the discussion on finding books, the author almost never buys new releases, reserving exceptions for preordering books written by friends or other content creators they wish to support, even if they suspect they might not like the book.

The author currently has 43 books in the queue (an undercount, as two entries are series). The sheer size of the queue leads the author to adhere to the philosophy that life is too short to finish books one doesn't like, recognizing that they will likely die before reading all the books they wish to read.

The entire system of managing the queue functions like a metaphorical conveyor belt, where books must be consistently moved along to ensure there is always a fresh supply ready for the reader, preventing any "downtime" in the reading process.

The sources detail the author's philosophical and practical approach to the act of reading, including their preferred environments, methods for enhancing focus, and, critically, their criteria for deciding whether or not to finish a book.

The Reading Experience and Environment

The author outlines specific conditions and settings that contribute to their "blissful" reading experience:

• Preferred Pose: The author's ideal reading pose involves a "Cat, coffee, book, bliss" arrangement, although they humorously wish they could read while in a handstand. They also mention that their cat, Harriet, sometimes interferes with their reading or expresses disapproval of a chosen book.
• Aura of Royalty: To feel like a "king," the author sometimes reads in the Rose Room of the New York Public Library main branch. They note that the chairs there are uncomfortable, which enhances the "aura of royalty" by analogy to uncomfortable old thrones.
• Auditory Accompaniment: The author enjoys reading to classical music by listening to WQXR, a radio station. Due to poor reception in Manhattan, they stream the WQXR app by plugging an old phone without a SIM card into the radio.
• Enhancing Focus: The author has recently taken to turning their main phone off while reading on nights and weekends, which has led to reading "a lot more productively".

The Philosophy of Quitting a Book

Central to the author's reading habits is the principle that life is too short to finish books one doesn't like, especially since they recognize that they will likely die before reading all the books they want to read. This philosophy dictates the following approach to abandoning books:

• No Virtue in Finishing: The author explicitly states they do not believe there is any "special virtue in finishing a book". As an example, they mention reading Infinite Jest but not finishing the final 92 pages, noting that they do not regret the unread portion.
• Initial Judgment: The author admits to judging books based on their titles, covers, endnote organizations, and first page contents. If immediately moved, they are willing to give up on a book within the first few pages, though this only happens about once every couple of years when they can tell the author and they "won't vibe".
• The 100-Page Rule: More often, the author gives books a trial period of about a third of their length, or 100 pages—whichever is shorter—to convince them they should finish it.
• Finishing Rate: The author finishes about three quarters of the books they start. They maintain the right to give up on a book at any point.
• Reading to Solve a Mystery: Sometimes, the author concludes that a book isn't working for them but cannot pinpoint the exact reason why. In these cases, they will keep reading to "solve that mystery," sometimes continuing for 20 pages, 200 pages, or even until the very last page.

Pace and Conclusion

The author notes that they finish books faster than they start them. The final 100 pages of a book typically go quickly, either because the content is compelling, or because the author is trying to finish the book rapidly to move onto the next one. No matter how good the current book is, the author is always more excited for the next one.

Once a book is finished (or not), the author logs it in their spreadsheet under a tab for that year. The log includes the Title, Author, Pages, and a DNF (Did Not Finish) column which receives an 'X' if the book was abandoned. The pages column records the number of pages actually read. The author tracks yearly totals of books, books finished, and pages read, and recently read their 100,000th page since starting the spreadsheet tracking method in 2020.

The sources provide a dual perspective on finishing books: the author's philosophical stance on the necessity of quitting and the practical system for logging and tracking completed reads.

The Philosophy of Finishing (or Not)

A core tenet of the author's reading philosophy is that there is no "special virtue in finishing a book". Recognizing that they have a long queue and will likely "die before I read all the books I want to read," the author adheres to the principle that life is too short to read books you donʼt like.

This philosophy translates into practical rules for abandoning a book:

• Initial Abandonment: The author may give up on a book within the first few pages if they can immediately tell the author and they "won't vibe". This initial judgment is based on the book's titles, covers, endnote organizations, and first page contents. However, this quick abandonment only happens about once every couple of years.
• The Trial Period: More often, the author employs a trial period of about a third of the book's length, or 100 pages—whichever is shorter—to convince them to finish it.
• Willingness to Quit: While most books pass this trial (the author finishes about three quarters of the books they start), they maintain the right to give up on a book at any point.
• Reading to Solve a Mystery: In situations where the author concludes a book isn't working but cannot determine the exact reason, they will continue reading to "solve that mystery," sometimes for 20 pages, 200 pages, or even until the very last page.
• Lack of Regret: The author uses their experience with Infinite Jest as an example, noting they read all but the final 92 pages, and their regret is not the 92 pages I didn’t read.

The Act of Completion and Pace

The author generally finishes books faster than they start them. The last 100 pages of a book usually go by quickly for one of two reasons: either the content is compelling, or the author is attempting to get it over with as quickly as possible so I can move on to the next course. Regardless of the current book's quality, the author is always more excited for the next one.

Logging and Tracking Finished Reads

The process of finishing a book is immediately followed by rigorous tracking within the author's queue management system, which is a spreadsheet titled "Books".

• Logging: When a book is finished, the author logs it in the spreadsheet. Each year receives its own tab with the structure: Title, Author, Pages, DNF (Did Not Finish).
• Tracking DNF: If the author did not finish the book, the DNF column receives an 'X'. The Pages column denotes the number of pages actually read, even if the book was abandoned.
• Metrics: The author tracks annual totals on a "Totals tab" for books, books finished, and pages read. Since starting this spreadsheet tracking method in 2020, the author recently surpassed their 100,000th page.

The necessity of returning physical books to the library also influences the process, as the author occasionally purchases a book if it is extremely long and they don’t want to have to return it half-unread.

This system treats reading not as a mandatory completion task, but as a journey, where finishing a book is simply the moment the details get recorded before the reader moves on to the next adventure, always looking forward to what comes next.