I’m always curious to see what other people are reading.
Passing by a young man with a very long bushman beard at 7am on a Saturday morning recently. I had to stop myself from sticking my head upside down, and asking, “what ya readin’ there buddy?” He seemed so engrossed in his book, sitting reading at the bus stop. What was that young man with a long bushman’s beard reading at 7am while waiting for his bus?
I love reading, but too often there isn’t enough time in my day. Certainly not enough time to do all the reading that I would like to be doing anyway. I love reading the Saturday paper, but sometimes I simply have to just not buy it. The pressure to read the thing is too much. Who needs that kind of added pressure? A pile of papers slowly mounting up on the table, taunting me in its silence. If the paper could talk I’m sure it would be whispering.
You haven’t read me yet, have you…
I’m still here…you’ve walked by again and I’m still neatly folded.
Come on now, it’s nearly Friday, and I’m still very much unread…
You know what tomorrow is don’t you…paper day, again.
See how the paper taunts me? How a bundle of paper pages does that, I just don’t know.
Along with the newspaper building up, my pile of books to read is also silently gathering momentum. The beginning of the year, I had set out with a reasonable reading list that I thought was manageable given the slow rate I was reading at the time. That one book turned into two, two turned into three, three turned into ten. I can’t keep up. Have I finished any of them? Maybe one or two… But generally they are all half read. I’m simultaneously reading six books.
Now this, probably isn’t the most clever way to read a book but it’s how I’m slowly creeping through them all. There is the book that doesn’t read particularly well, but I really want to get though it as I think it’s important. There is the light reading book for when I’m so tired just before bed that I can still read a little with an eye stuck shut for want of sleep. There is the informative book that needs to be read with a clear mind, while taking down the odd note here and there. There is the escapism fiction that has essentially only been opened and closed without a proper word been consumed. There are the numerous cookbooks that need to be poured over before I can satisfactorily say that yes, I’m utilising them properly. There is the green building magazine that I adore every page of, so don’t want to flick through unmindfully as by doing that it would almost seem an insult and not do the pages proper justice. Then there is the ever growing list of books that I really want to read next.
My books are pressuring me just as that taunting pile of newspapers. Thankfully these Banana Oat Bars don’t give out that kind of pressure.
Do you ever feel pressure from paper goods?
Banana Oat Bars
2 mashed up bananas
100g melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
3 tbls honey
2 cups whole oats
Mix all the ingredients up in order. Press mixture into a greased pan (I used 23cmx 23cm) and bake at 180C for approximately 45 minutes.
Super easy and perfect to nibble on… while you are reading.
cityhippyfarmgirl 
Wow. You could be one of few people in Sydney with bananas in the fruit bowl! This looks yummy – I make a bar without the butter and adding seeds / nuts – love sesame and pumplin seeds – to make a mashed banana / fruit oat thing too. Probably bad idea to look at your posts first thing in morning and without breakfast in the tummy…
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I think my dear you tried the first prototype of this bar and it has since evolved. Those bananas are sacred round these parts too.
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Yes., yes, yes. I’ve got a stack of books I’ve yet to go through & I don’t want to put them away onto the bookshelves (where they keep yelling at me saying how pretty they’d look once propped up there) because I want to finish them or because I want to make ‘that recipe’ in the mag sitting by the phone….. aaahhhh, the list goes on.
Lovin’ the banana oat bars too. Not sure if I would have been able to restrain myself from the guys reading matter – I think I would have just had to ask. Well done girlfriend, very nice manners you have 🙂
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No one has ever told me I have nice manners 🙂 Next time I’ll just ask.
It’s funny how those books can yell can’t they. The never ending recipe list is a bottomless barrel too isn’t it. Feels good when I can cross them off my list though.
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Yes – I agree with everything you have written here. The reproachful sigh of paper goods, (worst of all are magazine subscriptions that thud relentlessly through the door and sit in their plastic wrappers for months). Have cancelled those, but think may have found answer in the Ipad, where they sit invisible till wanted… Piles of books, and the computer eats so much reading and brain time it is not true…. should be in bed right now…
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The computer does take a lot of those precious minutes. I think if I had an ipad as well, I would too easily get distracted and flick too much instead of reading like I was supoosed to be.
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I have an unfaded, rectangular patch on the carpet next to my bed where my pile of unread books sits. I do read a lot and try to get through a book per week, but the pile never seems to shrink – there is always something to add to it.
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a book a week… I remember those days. I think that’s a good thing though Amanda, a never shrinking pile that gets turned over.
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I can SO relate to this post! I’m a member of three book clubs (I know – I’m insane!) and regularly have three or more books on the go. (Sometimes all the different characters and storylines can get a bit muddled in my head)! I was on the tram last night trying to surreptitously read the cover of the book the guy across from me was reading – he caught me out and held the book up so I could see it and we ended up having a really nice chat about books and favourite authors and not having enough time to read!!
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Keri, I love that story 🙂 That’s a lovely thing to have happened.
Enjoy those book clubs…all three of them!
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Ah, the pressure of paper! Yes. I used to be a novel junkie but these days rarely a novel gets a look into. Maybe over winter…
Borrowing books from the library is the worst – you either have them sitting there unread with pressure mounting before their due back date, or you love them so much you can’t put them down and virtually have to get the librarian to wrench them from your grasp as you enter the building.
Yummy looking bars. I bought 3 bananas the other day as a treat. A treat! I ended up with one and the other two were demolished the moment two of the daughters caught a sight of them.
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The bananas are a treat aren’t they. Every tiny bit is enjoyed.
I can definitely relate to the library books as well. Actually I’d forgotten about that book as well…sigh… that takes the current readings up to seven.
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Green building is something I’ve been thinking about recently. I’m so pleased you featured a copy of it in your photo. Now I know what to buy!
Your bars look like the flapjacks my mum used to make for us as children, and still makes now we are not just small kids. She never put banana, what a good idea!
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Oh please go directly to the nearest newsagent and buy it, I adore the mag! It’s the one subscription we get.
The banana is a good binder in the bars and makes it go kind of chewy when it’s cooked up.
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Aah yes, the ever growing pile of reading material – think we all suffer the same syndrome. Your banana oat bars are a perfect snack to help get through all the reading – that and a cuppa.
🙂 Mandy
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It does seem like a lot of people have the same problem doesn’t it.
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I just took a batch of your banana oat bars out the oven. 😉 I will do a post about them on 15 July – sorry so far in advance.
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Bananas and oats = perfect combination 🙂
I am impressed with your simultaneous reading of 6 books. I don’t think I could hold that many in my head! My limit is usually 3 or 4, at the most, and usually about 2. I do tend to squeeze books in at the expense of other things, but my relationship with newspapers is not dissimilar to yours. There is just so MUCH in the weekend edition! I have developed the sneaky strategy of reading headlines and calling that ‘good enough’.
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I’m happy with headlines too 🙂
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Oh I’m so glad that you mentioned this! I feel very pressured by the ever growing pile of books on my bedside table that have now creeped onto the floor! Meanwhile I’ll just take a break with these delicious oat bars shall I? 🙂
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It really does seem like a lot of other people are in the same boat… I wonder if it’s just a blogger issue
The bars are dead easy and good for a snack!
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I’ve got bookshelves full of books I want to read. I keep buying them, but never seem to have time to get through everything. Before I started the blog I used to read in Italy, but now I spend the time I used to spend reading writing the blog. I have to find a happy medium.
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When you find it…can you let me know too?
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I think I should have my Book Depository account cut off as I keep buying but don’t seem to be getting further through the pile.
The Banana Oat Bars look wonderful and look like a great lunch box treat.
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They are a good lunch box treat. A good substitute for the old muesli bar.
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Sorry for my ignorance…Bananas are rare in Australia? Here they are the filler fruit…cheap and filling, 48 cents/pound
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They are a filler fruit here as well, just not at the moment. We had terrible flooding and a big cyclone wreck the banana growing areas earlier on in the year- so they are going to take awhile to get back to happy banana levels.
I think they are about $12-$13 a kilo at the moment.
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I do feel pressure from paper goods, but I think it is because they tend to get forgotten. These days with electronic means of communication and organization, paper and its peaceful simplicity often gets left behind. (hmm, this line just inspired a post, I might have to steal it, lol). Don’t let the weight of paper bring you down. If you have to put it aside for a time, come back to it when you have time. I believe that it will always be there. 🙂
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There is a peaceful simplicity to it isn’t there. Look forward to the post 🙂
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I read. ALL the time. In the inbetween moments of my day- when traveling- when I should be sleeping- when I’m supposed to be cleaning- when I don’t have anyone to eat with-while waiting for a ride- any moment that isn’t completely used by my own life.
I NEED to read to keep sane.
The bars look good- but I’m NOT a fan of bananas.
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I have tried the same recipe with apple puree Heidi, it didn’t work as well but was certainly edible. We never have excess apricots these days but I think they would work too.
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apricots- now that sounds like a winner. I’ll try it with apricots.
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I have developed a nice defense re unread materials, my brain now considers any book or magazine that’s been out in the open for a week or so to be equal to one that’s been read – it works very well.
No one seems to have noticed that your banana/oat bars have absolutely no sugar! Honey is not the same as sugar – yes. I love how your baked goods always are good for you too. Many thanks.
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I do try and cook as healthy as possible. This bar started off with sugar in it, but it really didn’t need it with the sweetness of the bananas. As it cooks for quite awhile the sweetness intensifies as a banana does when it’s dried.
I like your book defense too. I must try that 🙂 Reading by osmosis?
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Bananas seem to be the fruit of the month – everywhere I turn, there are bananas. I’m not that keen on bananas. I do think your oatie bars sound rather good though.
As for the paper – ahhhhh. I used to read so much and still think of myself as a reader. So have a pile of unread books taunting me and making me feel guilty. Unless I’m on a train these days though I read very little for pleasure other than a couple of pages of a recipe book I occasionally manage in bed before falling into oblivion. Time, time, time – it’s the tyranny of an exhausting job.
As you say though, I find the time for baking. I think that’s because I can pass that off as work in my mind, where as reading is pleasure and a much missed pleasure at that.
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Like I said to Heidi, maybe it would work with fresh apricots?…or chocolate 🙂
Time, time, time…ahh..one day.
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The bars look pretty good but I hardly have time to read. Cooking is a lot more therapeutic for me 🙂
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Yep, constant pressure from paper goods. Sadly these are often of the slightly dull, academic, ought to read variety, rather than the fun, exciting want to read sort.
Love the banana oat bars, would love to have one by my side right now!
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I struggled to keep up with reading before blogging but not it is really really hard – though having said that I do a lot of reading online – now am just off for some night reading – the one thing that makes me really want to shut down for the night – yummy banana bars – simple is good when reading seems so complicated
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I too am a multi reader but not enough time to get through a whole book – at the moment I’m halfway through: When my husband does the dishes, Planning with Kids, Shaun Micalleff’s novella (can’t remember the name), Keith Richards autobiography and last Saturday and Sunday’s papers. I even had the chance to waste 4 hours (YES 4 HOURS) in Brisbane airport on Sunday and forgot to bring any of those and refused to buy something to read. What a loser!
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Oh four precious hours and nothing to read…that must have hurt! Not a loser, I would have done the exact same thing…then probably walked and checked out what other people were reading, (discretely of course!)
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What a great read, visiting here after reading about you on Planning with Kids – hello!
I’ve just got the SMH iPad app so unread papers are not longer cluttering the house and harrasing me with their unreadness. And I can snatch wee bits of reading here and there. If only it were a better read….
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Thanks for reading Seana 🙂
I saw that app the other day and wondered about it. I’m determined to get through a paper this long weekend, surely…surely!
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I can only read one book at a time – and at the moment that is The Flavour Bible 🙂
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Yum! I’m going to have to try these!
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My little ones and I just made these today and WOW…those are deeeeelicious! Thanks for sharing such a great recipe! And I can call them healthy too? 🙂 Yippee!
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Jessica that’s awesome, thank you for letting me know…and definitely healthy!
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