I used to care a great deal about reading progress. Where was I in the book? How much was left? How many books had I finished this year? These numbers were clear, and it was easy to mistake them for a clear understanding.
Later I noticed that what stayed with me was rarely the moment I finished a book. It was the page that made me pause.
Keep your half of the conversation
I divide my reading notes into two parts: what the author says, and what it makes me think about. The first can be short. The second can be messy.
When I read a sentence about attention, for example, I might write down the conversation I interrupted that morning. When an idea connects with life, the note begins to belong to me.
Perhaps the value of a passage can be measured by the pause it invites.
This is not a method for every book. Reference books are for consulting; novels have their own rhythm. I just want to remind myself that reading need not become another task to complete.
I read a little more slowly now. I am also more willing to open an old book again.