I try to read for pleasure every day, but that doesn’t always happen. Life and TV (on the Internet) usually get in the way.

I also try to plan a Reading Day once a month. On Reading Day, I do not exercise or attempt to try an elaborate new recipe. I do not write or edit or report. I do not go to the movies or watch TV. Instead, I wake up to a pile of neglected books and magazines and spend the day pouring through them.

Sometimes, it is necessary to plan ahead for a Reading Day. If I’m not careful, life will get in the way of this glorious day. But my favorite Reading Days are the ones that just happen. My Karma bank account is full enough and the planets align. All the items on my to do list are flexible and pushing them back feels so right.

Here’s what such a day looks like:

Richard is on a funky sleeping schedule because that is his life. So, when I wake up mid-morning, he is still sleeping. Not sure how the plans for the day will go, I let him slumber and I grab my book. After reading for a while, I fall back asleep. When I wake up, Richard is still sleeping, so I keep reading. I finish my book in the afternoon and decide it is time to eat something.

I spend the next four hours updating my to-read list — something I LOVE to do — and read another book.

All other ambitions for the day are forgotten and I get to live in the world of my choice.

It is lovely and I would recommend it to all.