About this quote

We live used to instant replies and quick fixes. Reading asks you to slow down and return on your own terms. Make small choices that support that habit: leave a bookmark, write one margin note, or schedule two short reading sessions each week. Do that and books stop being objects you race through and become steady resources you can rely on.

When to use it

• Studying for finals at the library: I shut my textbook at midnight, put a bookmark in, and said aloud, 'I'll pick this up tomorrow—books wait.'
• Researching a client pitch at the office: I left my stack of articles on my desk and told my teammate, 'I'll come back to these after lunch; they'll be here.'
• Bedtime with my child: I closed the picture book on the shelf and told my partner, 'No rush, we'll read the whole story tomorrow.'
• Recovering from burnout at home: I told myself, 'I'm not finishing this today; one chapter a week is fine' and left the book where I could find it again.