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Notes -
I read 15,539 pages last year, according to Goodreads. There might be a handful of physical books, PDFs of books I read from my computer, and rereads left off there. And all the kids books (we read Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe, Charlie and the Chocolate factory, and a whole host of small picture books I cannot remember the name of. If those count then I beat the sheer number of books you read, though not page count.)
With four young kids, I seldom get an hour to myself before 8 PM, and even after 8 PM I am often interrupted. Most of my reading happens in snippets on my phone. Sometimes I'm able to read a physical book in the play area and the kids will leave me alone, sometimes the youngest ones want to sit on my lap and rip the pages up. I think I will get back to reading more once the kids are older.
Edit: What I think is more important is how much you're taking away from the books you read. Are you reading to spend the time on something or are you reading to pull something away from the book? Are you getting a good mix of genres and styles or are you interested in a specific topic?
I follow https://closereads.substack.com/ and their Daily Poem podcast and read along with everything but the Monthly Mysteries (I just don't care about mystery novels.) Having a group to discuss the novels with is great. Outside of those books, I read Sci-Fi/Fantasy and Philosophy/Theology/Spirituality. Occasionally I read a parenting book, though less so now that I have the hang of it.
I think those books certainly count, and I harbor a certain amount of jealousy that you have kids to share that with. I do not envy the lack of leisure time however! Grass is greener I suppose.
Edit: Thank you for that substack recommendation! Sounds perfect for me!
Most of my long-form reading in the last decade has been with my kids, and I think it's really highlighted the distinction between "leisure time" and "free time".
On the one hand, those hours (and others doing enriching things with family) have been some of the most enjoyable of my life, spent at activities of my own choosing, so how can I not call that "leisure time"?
On the other hand, up until I had children, everything I did in my free time was something I could start doing on a whim and stop doing on another whim and restart on a third whim. But in that sense, many of my leisure activities today are less "free time" than my actual job is - I have a great relationship with my boss and coworkers doing work I love, but I also have a lot of savings and a decent resume and saying "I quit" about my job would still feel less encumbered by obligation than saying it about e.g. reading with my kids.
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