Top 10 Permissions of A Well-Read Life

3:01 pm 6 October 2013
The Little Guide to Your Well-Read Life - Steve Leveen

I was looking trough the paper version of my reading journal when I came across something I forgot was there (two pages were paper-clipped together -- why? I don't know).

 

Before I continue, I should give a bit of background first.  My reading journal is/was based on The Little Guide of Your Well-Read Life by Steve Leveen, who owns Levengers. Levengers sold the "Bookgoraphy" journals (in their Circa format, which I love), and in the front was a list with the "Top Ten (or More) Permissions of Your Well-Read Life". The first ten were adapted from the book and there was space for a reader's personal permissions that didn't fit elsewhere -- or give yourself permission to ignore a "guideline".  Number 6, for instance, would have induced horror in some. :) The list also pre-dates the rise in ereading -- so now that guideline isn't so...horrible (unless you still read paper).  Sadly, Levengers no longer sells the journals.  The journal re-fills, thankfully, are available as Special Requests.

 

So. . .Onward.

 

Top Ten (or More) Permissions of Your Well-Read Life

 

  1. Permission to love, or not love, any book whatsoever.
  2. Permission to read only books that I love.
  3. Permission to give up on a book.
  4. Permission to read more than one book at a time.
  5. Permission to buy a book and never read it
  6. Permission to write in my books.
  7. Permission to read with my ears as well as my eyes.
  8. Permission to read a classic, for the first time, much later in life
  9. Permission to linger in a library even if I prefer to buy books.
  10. Permission to spend as much on books as I do on other great passions of my life.

 

---------

 

Since I read more paper then ebooks, I still don't write in mine (#6), though the ability to highlight and add notes in ebooks is very nice.  With all the "freebies" or inexpensive ebooks out there, number 5 is probably a lot easier to do.  I still cull my paper books from time-to-time.  In regards to number 9, I never understood why anyone would need to give themselves permission for that -- it's like giving yourself permission to breathe!  Now, if the statement had been written in the reverse -- "linger in a bookstore even if I prefer using the library" -- then I could understand it.   And number 10. . .well, I'm a firm believer it that one! :-)

 

Your thoughts?  Do you have any "permissions" you give yourself?

 

(I've decided to make this a "page".  A link is/will be in my sidebar.)