I have been enjoying the Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks website this week. According to my Goodreads account, I have only finished 15 books so far this year, so I think I’m probably on target for the Bertram Wooster award, but nothing else. (“That is earned by reading one book set in England of any genre but failing spectacularly at all other challenges.”)

I do have a terrible habit of starting new books without finishing the previous ones, so I may have started 52 (it’s only July!). I had decided to place myself on a book-buying ban until I had managed to finish some of the books I’ve started, but they’re difficult to resist.

Since January this year, since I have been largely housebound with chronic illness, I set myself a reading schedule very similar to the timetable I used to use when I home educated my children, as follows:

Morning Time – every day

  • Music
  • Bible/ Religious education/Humanism

Mondays

  • Biology
  • History
  • French (and other Romance languages)

Tuesdays

  • Chemistry
  • Geography
  • German (and other Germanic langages, including Old English)

Wednesdays

  • Physics
  • Social Studies
  • Swedish (and other Scandinavian languages)

Thursdays

  • Astronomy
  • Anthropology
  • Cornish (and other Celtic languages)

Fridays

  • Politics
  • Civics and Government
  • Finnish (and other languages)

Afternoon Time – Every Day

  • English
  • Maths
  • Reading (Literature)
  • Home Economics
  • Other Courses and Extras

It is obviously not generally recommended to try to learn multiple languages at once but my ADHD brain gets very bored very easily, very quickly, so variety is key! Most languages are available on Duolingo and I have almost managed a 200 day streak so far, and for languages that are a bit more obscure like Cornish and Old English, I use Memrise. I have used Audible a lot for their free ‘Great Courses‘ titles for science and history and religious education. If and when I finish any titles I will endeavour to write a review for them. Many of them are expiring as free titles in Audible at the end of July, so I am going to try and ‘get my skates on’ to make the most of them while I can.

I confess that I have largely failed to read anything at all for Maths or Home Economics, although I have a pile of books for each which I plan to get to eventually. The same goes for Civics & Government, except for the fact that I have so far failed to find any good textbook for the UK.

Other courses are usually short course through FutureLearn or Coursera.

What have you been reading? I would love to hear from anybody else like me, readaholics (perhaps with ADHD) who need lots of variety and stimulation (and perhaps who missed out on education due to late diagnosis)!