Three books

A list of three can be finished. A list of thirty is a wish. Write the three titles where you will see them in the morning.

Stay with the paragraph until one sentence feels heavier than the rest. That is the one worth keeping. The others can wait until you know why you marked this page.

Write enough that tomorrow’s you can find the spot without rereading the whole chapter. A name, a page, and the question you had not answered yet are usually enough.

One at a time

Finish or abandon a book before you open the next. Abandoning is allowed. Pretending to read five at once is not a plan.

Stay with the paragraph until one sentence feels heavier than the rest. That is the one worth keeping. The others can wait until you know why you marked this page.

Write enough that tomorrow’s you can find the spot without rereading the whole chapter. A name, a page, and the question you had not answered yet are usually enough.

When to stop

Stop when you can say what the book is doing. If you cannot, read one more chapter and try again.

Stay with the paragraph until one sentence feels heavier than the rest. That is the one worth keeping. The others can wait until you know why you marked this page.

Write enough that tomorrow’s you can find the spot without rereading the whole chapter. A name, a page, and the question you had not answered yet are usually enough.

Put the date on it

A due date from a library is better than a mood. It asks for the book back, not for an essay about the book.

Stay with the paragraph until one sentence feels heavier than the rest. That is the one worth keeping. The others can wait until you know why you marked this page.

Write enough that tomorrow’s you can find the spot without rereading the whole chapter. A name, a page, and the question you had not answered yet are usually enough.