Mortality (measured by books)

No one likes to think too much about there own mortality, but there are times in our lives when we are struck by how short this life really is.

Perhaps you realize it when an acquaintance of similar age unexpectedly passes away.  Or maybe it hits you on a milestone birthday (never thought you’d be this old, right?).

A Reader’s Respite recently faced our mortality whilst organizing our bookshelves.  Here’s how we figure it:

We have approximately 2,847 unread books  on our shelves.  If we continue at our normal reading pace of approximately 100 books per year, it will take us 28.47 years to read all of the books currently in our abode.

Normally A Reader’s Respite wouldn’t be so quick to give away our age, but with the Grim Reaper inching ever closer, we’ll throw caution to the wind and tell you that we will be 68.47 years old by the time we read every book that we’ve amassed.

And none of these tricky mathematical calculations factor in books yet to come and library treasures.

So it is that we are faced with the grim reality that we may very well pass from this world without reading some very important books. 

Of course, we should be disturbed by the fact that passing away without reading certain books that we really want to read is apparently more upsetting than, say, leaving our loved ones behind.  But that’s another topic altogether….

In the meantime, someone please promise to bury us with our unread books.  Maybe you can take it with you.