My current reading philosophy is to have approximately three books (or more than three books, but spanning these three categories) going at any given time:

1: Some sort of “stretch book.” Generously defined, this means something that is challenging in some way: either in form, content, or both. Lately I’m making a concerted effort to read more classics/older books, which mostly fall in this category.

2: Some sort of non-fiction. Generally my least favorite category, but I’m trying.

3: Some sort of absorbing fiction. Usually I read this on Kindle, and it could be anything from a lowbrow mystery to highbrow literary fiction, but it’s something that I can read with easy enjoyment. This constitutes the vast majority of my reading right before bed, or during slow times at work, when my mental capacity may not be high enough to grapple with something more ambitious. I tend to move through these books very quickly, so they constitute the bulk of what I read.