Okay, as far as I know, Dave Ramsey never created a reading method. But, he is the inspiration for a method that I am using. You see, I have a problem. I begin reading a book, usually non-fiction, and another one on my shelf, or on my library’s shelf, catches my eye. I think, “Oh, I’ll just read one chapter.” Or, “I’ll skim it and put it on one of my reading lists.” But that chapter, or that skimming-of-chapters, turns out to be so riveting that I can’t put it down. I therefore become indebted to two books. Then, yet another one grabs my attention and the process repeats itself. It can even three-peat. I am currently reading four books. I finished one last week, otherwise I’d have five going. That’s what I refer to as “reading debt”.

My current debt includes the following:

The Life of Washington – Anna C. Reed

You’ve Got a Book in You – Elizabeth Sims

The Story of the World Volume 2: The Middle Ages – Susan Wise Bauer

The Heaven Tree Trilogy – Edith Pargeter (This is technically three books. Yikes!)

The book on the bottom is not on my on my debt list. It’s a reference book, which I absolutely adore, called Honey for a Woman’s Heart by Gladys Hunt. It is brimming over with book recommendations. I give it five (hundred) stars.

I just finished reading aloud Hank the Cowdog to the kids, and I’m about to begin reading The Peterkin Papers.

Whenever I get into reading debt, and it happens frequently, I use the same method that Dave Ramsey advises to eliminate financial debt. He says we should pay off the smallest of our debts first, then apply the money that went toward that bill and add it to what you are paying on your next smallest, and so forth. I think he calls it a “snowball method” or something like that.

I’ve discovered that it works on books, too! I’m currently applying it to my stack of “to-reads”. I’m within 80 pages of finishing up one book in my pile. When I’m done, I’ll move to the next book which I am closest to finishing, and so forth. That doesn’t mean I won’t sneak some peeks at the others in my pile along the way, after all, I like variety and I do have a lengthy book list.

If you’re in a heap of reading debt like I am, perhaps Dave Ramsey’s method can help. Instead of monthly payments, I suggest daily installments of time – they really add up! And this is one kind of payment which should be fun to make, preferably with a cuppa java nearby.