The Read Well Podcast

Episode: Too Many Books to Read, Too Little Time | EP114
Host: Eddy Hood
Date: October 20, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Eddy Hood dives into the ever-present struggle facing avid readers: feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of books to read and the guilt that often accompanies being "behind." Eddy shares personal anecdotes, psychological insights, and actionable strategies for managing the weight of an ever-growing to-be-read (TBR) list, advocating the philosophy that it’s more important to read well than to be well read.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Universal Feeling of Being Behind in Reading

• Community Feedback as a Trigger: Eddy starts by referencing feedback from his community—many readers feel overwhelmed by reading obligations and guilty when unable to keep up, even expressing reluctance to consume additional content (00:30).

• Bookstore Overwhelm: He describes the sensation of walking into a packed bookstore: excitement quickly turning to paralysis and guilt over unread books at home (02:10).

  "I go in hopeful...but I don't buy anything. There are many times I go to a bookstore and I don't buy anything simply because I get so overwhelmed by the number of books there."
  — Eddy Hood (02:36)

2. Personal Sources of Reading Overwhelm

• Book Acquisition: As a future bookstore owner (Edgewater Bookstore), Eddy gets inundated with new releases—hundreds in a single catalog alone (04:05).
• Book Clubs: Balancing his own Read Well Podcast Book Club, where slow, intentional reading is practiced, with readers who sometimes participate in multiple clubs at once (07:00).
• Academic Commitments: Eddy is pursuing a philosophy degree (with an English lit minor), which brings a heavy reading workload (09:00).
• Work Obligations: Required reading at work, such as business books like Traction, further adds to the reading pile (14:50).
• Personal Library & Aspirations: The ever-present stack of unread "must-read" books (e.g., Gravity’s Rainbow) and newly discovered series (Annihilation) feed the sense of being perpetually behind (16:22).

3. The Mental and Emotional Weight

• Psychological Impact: Eddy discusses how the joy of reading can morph into guilt and frustration due to time constraints and life demands (18:14).

  "I feel guilty as a reader. I feel like I'm...falling behind. I feel a psychological pressure, a weight."
  — Eddy Hood (18:25)

• Prioritization Reality: The concept that "not having time" is often an issue of deprioritization, not lack of time. Rearranging priorities can offer relief (20:10).

  "It's not that you don't have enough time. It's that you've moved [reading] further down the list."
  — Eddy Hood (20:46)

• The Trap of Speed Reading & Skimming: Rushing to finish books for the sake of completion can rob us of retention and real engagement. "Getting through" books is not the same as reading them (23:12).

  "If you’ve ever said to yourself that you’ve read lots of great books but you don’t really remember what they were about...it’s probably because you were reading from behind."
  — Eddy Hood (23:39)

• Losing the "Space Between Books": By constantly jumping to the next reading obligation, readers lose the reflective period essential for synthesis and growth (25:45).

  "There is some really valuable space between books that will make you a better reader. That is part of the reading experience."
  — Eddy Hood (26:58)

Practical Tips for Dealing with a Backlog

1. Accept the Inevitability (29:05)

• Admit that the feeling of being behind will never go away—there will always be more books than time. Embrace the perpetual nature of the TBR list.

  "Just embrace that. Embrace the fact that you are going to have a to be read list at all times."
  — Eddy Hood (29:47)

2. Use the "Envelope System" for Book Buying (31:00)

• Borrowing from Dave Ramsey’s financial advice: set a monthly cash budget (an "envelope") for book purchases to control new acquisitions and reduce overwhelm.

  "Set up a budget for yourself every month of how many books you can buy...this limits the onboarding of new material to process or to read."
  — Eddy Hood (33:06)

3. DNF (Did Not Finish) Without Guilt (37:16)

• Not every book is worth reading. Use a page limit (Eddy uses 50 pages) to decide whether to continue. Give yourself permission to quit books that aren’t resonating.

  "I DNF books all the time...I give every book 50 pages. At 50 pages, I make a critical decision."
  — Eddy Hood (37:30)

4. The Deep Reading Reset: One Paragraph at a Time (39:55)

• If anxiety sets in, slow down and deeply read just one paragraph—dig into it, reflect, annotate. Quality reading feeds the mind better than racing to "get through" books.

  "Commit to reading one paragraph of your book deeply, thoroughly and thoughtfully...your brain is going to crack open and go, 'Whoa, there are ideas in here.'"
  — Eddy Hood (43:19)

• Example in Action: Eddy illustrates this with a close reading of On the Genealogy of Morals by Nietzsche, unpacking each line. The difference in comprehension and satisfaction between speeding through and reading deeply is palpable (40:10–48:32).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Prioritizing Reading (20:46):
  "It's not that you don't have enough time. It's that you've moved [reading] further down the list."

• On Buying Books (33:54):
  "It's the sense of...life is getting shorter and shorter and the book list is getting longer and longer."

• On Permission to Quit (37:30):
  "You don't have to finish it. You can DNF this book. Do not finish. That's perfectly fine."

• On Slow Reading (43:19):
  "If you commit to reading one passage in your book deeply and slowly...your brain is going to crack open and go, 'Whoa, there are ideas in here.'"

Important Segment Timestamps

• Why Readers Are Always Behind - 04:05
• Book Club Reading Philosophy - 07:30
• Academic Reading Pressures - 09:00
• Workplace Assigned Books - 14:50
• The Mental Toll & Prioritizing - 18:14 to 20:46
• Speed Reading and Loss of Depth - 23:12 to 24:30
• Reflective Space Between Books - 25:45
• Practical Tips Overview - 29:05
• Envelope System for Books - 31:00
• The 50-Page DNF Rule - 37:16
• Demonstration of Deep Reading - 40:10 to 48:32

Book Recommendation

• Book of the Week (49:45):

  • Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World by Maryanne Wolf
  • Recommended for its blend of scientific insight and practical wisdom on how deep reading changes the brain and enriches our lives.

  "If you want a book that will teach you about the art of reading well...Read or Come Home is a fantastic book."
  — Eddy Hood (50:12)

Closing Thoughts

Eddy concludes by encouraging listeners to read slowly, take notes, and apply the ideas—the podcast’s guiding mantra. He reminds readers that feeling perpetually behind is universal, but with thoughtful prioritization and deep engagement, the reading life can remain rewarding, purposeful, and enriching.

For more resources, daily reading tips, and Eddy’s book notes, visit thereadwellpodcast.com

Summary by The Read Well Podcast Summarizer — designed for readers who want the wisdom without the overwhelm.