Perhaps you’ve been there. The children are hungry for dinner. The laundry heaps on the bedroom floor are waiting for a fold. Your friends’ texts remain unopened. But you only have six chapters left in that book you’ve been anticipating for months.
If that describes you, then you have an unhealthy book/life balance. If you don’t correct this immediately, you’ll wind up naming your cat something like Mrs. Bennet, buying t-shirts with cute bookish phrases on them, and comparing all men to an Archer, Porter, or Callahan brother.
But never fear! I have twenty tips to help you find a healthy balance between your real life and your fictional life.
- Utilize the bookmark. You know… that one your kid made in preschool ten years ago. Dig that out and use it to pause your reading until tomorrow.
- Avoid the library. If the temptation to stop in is too high, take a different route.
- Keep your To-Be-Read stack under three books. Your bedside table and your wallet wi
ll thank you. - Limit yourself to one chapter a day. Imagine how peaceful you’ll be knowing you don’t have to solve the mystery, discover the secret, or read a kissing scene that same day and exhaust yourself.
- Don’t read after 8 pm, or you’ll risk dreaming all night.
- Don’t read before noon, or you’ll risk daydreaming all day.
- Unfollow all authors on social media. If you don’t know when their book is releasing, you can’t camp out at your local independent bookstore to get it first.
- Just say no to street teams.
- When someone offers you a book suggestion, politely reply “No, thank you. I’m watching what I read.”
- Avoid finding new authors to read, lest you’re tempted to read their entire backlist.
- Doubly avoid debut authors. They are just getting started and might provide you with decades of new tempting stories. It’s one thing to choose a book over your children. It’s a whole ’nother thing to choose one over your grandchildren!
- Imagine the hero in the romance novel looks like your old Geometry teacher. Do you really want to read about him kissing anyone?
- Steer clear of reader blogs like InspyRomance, reader groups like Janine Rosche’s Reader Gathering, and book clubs like The Love | Wander | Read Book Club. The last thing you need is peer pressure to read the dangerous new books out there.
- Avoid sales. If you buy the $50 hardback library binding of a book instead of the $1.99 ebook, you’ll own less and read less.
- Have real conversations with your husband instead of fictional ones with your book husband.
- Actually go to that social gathering instead of faking sick to stay home and read.
- If tempted to ask someone what their favorite book is, find a more boring topic of conversation such as “Does Chris Hemsworth look better with short hair or long hair?”
- If someone asks you what your favorite book is, curtly reply Goodnight Moon and end the conversation.
- When you love a book—really LOVE a book—keep silent. You don’t want to leave a review or share about it on social media. That would only encourage the author to write more books.
- Skip the book and just watch the movie. It takes less time, and it’s probably better anyway.
What tips would you add? Which one might you struggle with? Commenters will be entered to win a $10 Amazon gift card that you should NOT use on a new book (wink, wink).
Must be 18 to enter. Winner must be a US resident and have a valid email address capable of receiving a digital Amazon gift card. Contest ends May 1, 2021 at 11:59pm.
Prone to wander, Janine Rosche finds as much comfort on the open road as she does at home. This longing to chase adventure, behold splendor, and experience redemption is woven into her Madison River Romance series and Whisper Canyon series. When she isn’t writing or traveling, she teaches family life education courses to college students, takes too many pictures of her sleeping dogs, and embarrasses her four children and husband with boy band serenades.
Welcome to Inspy Romance, Janine! As a retiree, it is easier to balance real life and fictional life. While working as a teacher, especially in the sandwich years of caring for aging parents, my youngest son still living at home, and grandkids; fictional life was only during school vacations. Reading has changed over the decades with ebooks and social media. Only in retirement did I sign up for street teams and follow my favorite authors on Facebook. The most difficult one to follow on your list is #1. Starting in my teens and later as a young mom, I always wanted to finish a book in a day. My oldest son teases me. He remembers mom’s summer reading day. Breakfast is on the table, lunch in the refrigerator, unless you are bleeding or dying DO NOT DISTURB MOM! Best wishes. Enjoy your weekend.
Welcome Janine, what a brilliantly funny debut!
Love this list! #7 is a definite struggle for me, though I did get a kick out of the “just say no to street teams” one. I think you covered all the bases quite well.
Welcome! I laughed all the way through your list!! Even when I was working outside of the house, before becoming Mom’s caregiver and working from home, I’d be reading every night!! I’ve never NOT read! I really don’t have a problem putting a book down to do what I need to do, though I will admit sometimes it’s really hard!!
#3 and #20
My TBR is rarely ever under three books. And books are way better than the movie! :D
This is a hilarious post! I struggle the most with saying “No” to street teams. I just can’t help myself. I love helping authors release their new books. 😀
This list is uncomfortably funny:)
Love your list! And I did used to read under the covers with a flashlight as a kid… For some reason my parents always figured it out! :-)
Welcome to Inspy Romance, Janine! Thanks for the treat of your debut post on this rainy Saturday morning. Now I’m headed upstairs to my laptop to see if I can coax readers into breaking your rules… ;)
This was so funny! Welcome Janine
This was such a pleasure to read! I definitely need help with #3! (wink)Thank you for this post and welcome to InspyRomance!
If I had to add one, it would be “Don’t you dare try to multitask. Reading while stirring a pot on the stove or waiting in the car pick-up line will only leave you with burned dinner and a honk from the mom behind you.” ;-) Great list!
Those are hilarious!!! #8 is my pitfall! lol
I would also add to avoid starting a series until it’s completely finished so you’re not satiating yourself in between new releases with even more of your obsession. ;)
I work at a library, so I can’t avoid it unlessI want to lose my job….. which I certainly don’t want to since I’m surrounded by books there! Haha!
Janine, this was such a great post, and I’m in soooo much trouble! I’ll never even get close to having a healthy book/life balance. Luckily, I’m retired and I have quite a bit of free time to read. Also, I’ve saved a LOT of money by not going to stores and impulse buying, so I have more money for books!
“Mom’s summer reading day” sounds amazing!! I’m glad you finally have time to read. Thanks for all your teaching years!!
Thanks, Dianne! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
We have so many great authors with a fun social media presence so I understand!
Reading every night is a great plan! I need to get into that habit! Thanks for reading!
Say no to book clubs–you don’t need that kind of pressure. lol
#20 I have always found the book way a lot better thane the movie. I am a one book at a time person. Have a great weekend d and stay safe. I love your list! :)
#20 I have always found the book way a lot better thane the movie. I am a one book at a time person. Have a great weekend d and stay safe. I love your list!
Do NOT ask family and friends for book recommendations.
I read the list and I don’t feel guilty at all.
Can you imagine if you had to get rid of your TBR except for three books?!
I’m sure those authors ADORE you, Nicole!
#3 and #10 definitely! I always have a ton of books to be read and more titles to look for after that and I’m currently working my way through a series of 15+ books from a backlist.
Ummm…..well, I’m sorry but I can’t follow these rules….lol!
A TBR pile UNDER three books?? Impossible! Unfollow authors?? NO way! Steer clear of reader blogs?? What are you kidding me?!?! Oh yeah, and the book is ALWAYS better than the movie!
No can do….but I thank you for the laughter Janine, I needed it :-D
(I’m beyond hope…..bwhahahahaha!!)
Right?! Imagine writing it!
You know they were secretly proud!!
Thanks for having me!
Thank you, Angeline!
Three SHELVES is way more reasonable!
I’ve totally done the book in hand, stirring the pot move!
That series suggestion is gold!!
Okay, okay. You’re allowed to break the rules I guess ;)
Thanks, Winnie! Retirement sounds divine!
Stinking book clubs ;)
True, but I always look forward to the movie anyway!
Then break the rules with gusto!! Authors will thank you!
Oh! And request ZERO books from them for Christmas!
15 books?! Wow!! Go on with your bad self, Jessica!
In this case, I do not have children or grandchildren. This list is funny. I think I would have a problem with all of them. I love to read. I am disabled so I do not get out much. Thank you for coming up with the list. God bless you.
Rule I’d add is delete all websites that sell books from you saved websites and browsing history.
Hardest rule for me is not joining street teams and debut authors cuz as a reader I like helping new authors find their grove especially when their debut work had good main structure just missing like more plotting details to make the story more complete & make the ending make sense. Besides debut authors are way easier to get caught up on reading their work.
Unsub from all catalogues that may even remotely mention books What you don’t know you won’t be tempted to buy.
Unsub from all author newsletters.
(Now to follow my own suggestions ;) )
Welcome to Inspy
Just wondering did you know that if you live outsides the states you can still get amazon giftvouchers. (I have a dwindling balance there from gift cards but live in Australia)
Hi Janine, Welcome to Inspy Romance! We’re glad you’ve joined us. Since I’m known to complain that I don’t have enough reading time, I can happily ignore most of your suggestions, lol. This year I’ve actually made a dent in my tbr list and, at last count, I’ve read a few more books than I’ve acquired. But, to be fair, I’m not counting the 99c or free books I’ve bought to be ‘supportive’ rather than planning to read sometime this year. If I add those numbers in, I’m back in book hoarding territory. Not having KU or a book subscription service, and losing my library login details, has also helped control my bad hoarding habits. Thanks for sharing your fun post. 😊
“Limit yourself to one chapter a day.” Seriously??? I can’t imagine that LOL
Wait…it’s not hoarding if it’s books, right?
Oh, the agony! I cannot imagine being helped by any of these rules. I LIKE my addiction. Besides, most of the bill collectors send second notices, don’t they?
One suggestion you missed was wrapping your books (or ereader) in duct tape. If that doesn’t work, wrap your hands together with duct tape. If that doesn’t work wrap your head in duct tape. In the immortal words of Dwayne Johnson in the move Skyscraper: “If you can’t solve the problem with duct tape, you’re not using enough duct tape.” (Yes, I am clearly of the male ilk.)
Welcome to IR, Janine! Yours is clearly a welcome voice. Thank you so much for a good chuckle. You are precisely the kind of person who should be writing stories for the rest of us to enjoy, IMHO.
Hilarious post!
Lol! ;)