Looking back on my reading journey this year, according to WeChat Reading statistics, I spent 148 hours reading in 2024, averaging 24 minutes per day. I didn’t meet my Goodreads challenge goal, and my reading volume dropped by half compared to last year.
Books Completed in 2024
- The Miracles of the Namiya General Store
- Siddhartha
- Hello, Money
- When Breath Becomes Air
- Everything I Never Told You
- The Philosophy of Retail
- The Logic of Live Commerce
- Solo E-commerce
- The Strange Painting Case
- Lost Past and Future Crimes
- A Room of One’s Own
- If We Can’t Travel at the Speed of Light
- Astrology Murder Magic
- I Met Humans
- The Truth About Selling
- The Temple of the Golden Pavilion
- AI Helps You Win
Reading Scenarios
In 2024, I subscribed to WeChat Reading. Except for “The Temple of the Golden Pavilion,” which I read in physical form, all other books were read on the WeChat Reading platform.
My primary reading device was a tablet, followed by PC. Unconsciously, I developed an unhealthy bias, believing that reading non-fiction works on PC was more “serious,” while after the tablet became my main reading device, I perceived reading on phones as too casual and frivolous.
The dramatic decrease in my reading volume can be attributed to losing my before-bed reading habit and failing to develop a post-lunch reading routine. Another major reason was my stubborn belief that reading shouldn’t be fragmented, which led me to rarely read on my phone during brief moments of free time. Perhaps the correct mindset should be that reading, like watching shows, is simply another form of entertainment, and serious reflection should come after enjoyment.
I rarely read in front of familiar people. They tend to view novel reading as unproductive and consider reading social science books a waste of time unless the knowledge can be immediately applied. My reading hasn’t been entirely for myself.
Choosing Reading Materials
I have many conflicting thoughts about reading. Should I read novels or social science books? Should I casually read light novels or focus on classics?
Should reading be serious? I recall once wanting to follow Leung Man-tao’s “1001 Nights” reading list, and recently, I’ve been curious about Ted Gioia’s Humanities Course recommendations. Embarrassingly, I even asked ChatGPT to recommend books that could help me mature (it suggested Western classics).
Regarding the choice between fiction and non-fiction, there are different perspectives: Bill Gates reads over 80% non-fiction, while Obama’s non-fiction reading comprises less than 20%. So what should one choose? A Quora answer suggests:
Non-fiction is how we transmit knowledge.
Fiction is how we transmit wisdom.
Both are good and necessary.
However, this might just be readers flattering themselves, implying that reading automatically brings knowledge and wisdom. In my heart, perhaps reading is sometimes a form of self-comfort. A recent video about “how to become smarter” mentioned, “we want to sound smart in conversation just enough so people respect you but not too much to the point where people think you’re a nerd.”
Honestly, having doubts or curiosity about this topic probably indicates infrequent reading, or perhaps not having fallen in love with reading yet.
Why Read?
I feel incomplete in many ways, so I seek completion through reading, perhaps expecting too much from it. I want to change, but I know reading alone can’t transform me or my circumstances. Reading can be a sanctuary, though sometimes it’s also an excuse. Why do I read? I don’t know. But surely reading can’t be the worst choice.
What should I read? Naval tweeted, “Read what you love until you love to read.” I don’t know if I’ll ever fall in love with reading, and often don’t know what to read. But that’s okay - I’ll just keep reading for now.