I agree that budgeting time is the key, and when I decide I do want to be reading more books, I’ll make a concerted effort to do that, as you describe. I’m not really bemoaning the fact that I’m not; it just occurred to me to wonder why exactly my voracious consumption of books has eased off (for now).

While I recognize that age, ill health and responsibilities mean that I’ll never recapture that level of immersion in the printed word, I feel I owe it to myself to at least make time for a couple of books a month, plus some short form fiction. And the effect it has on my psyche is immense. It makes me less grouchy, less irritable, less judgmental, more patient and more easily able to get into the flow during the day. In short, reading makes me a better person (or at least more tolerable to be around).

Please don’t take that as arrogance or dismissive of other media (such as video games or comics or graphic novels). Far from it. I value those too. For myself though, right now, I’m just mostly directing my attention to good fiction (meaning fiction I’m interested in, and not something I’m reading because I was told it was good).

In particular, I’ve been on something of a Michael Chabon kick of late. So far I’ve read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (a book I think you as a comic book geek would adore) and Summerland. I also just finished the audiobook version of Manhood For Amateurs (a collection of Chabon’s essays). I think I need to get copies of The Mysteries of Pittsburgh and Yiddish Policeman’s Union next.