♪♪ >> Adia: I HAVE AN ANNIVERSARY COMING UP.

NOT A WEDDING ANNIVERSARY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

SOMETHING MUCH MORE PERSONAL AND A BIT MORE EMBARRASSING.

IT'S THE THREE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF STARTING TO READ “BLACK LEOPARD RED WOLF” BY MARLON JAMES, AND, AS OF TODAY, I'M ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF THE WAY THROUGH.

NO SHADE TO MR. JAMES.

THE BOOK IS FANTASTIC; DENSE, BUT FANTASTIC.

THE PROBLEM IS 100% ME.

YOU SEE, I HAVE ANOTHER MILESTONE TO COMMEMORATE.

I FINISHED CIXIN LIU'S “THREE-BODY PROBLEM” IN TWO WEEKS.

THE DIFFERENCE?

AN EXTERNALLY-IMPOSED DEADLINE AND A DEEP FEAR OF VIOLATING THE SACRED LIBRARY HONOR SYSTEM.

HERE'S THE THING: “THREE-BODY PROBLEM” WAS A “LUCKY DAY” BOOK, WHICH I'VE LEARNED IS A GENIUS MARKETING PLOY TO MOTIVATE SLACKERS LIKE ME.

A “LUCKY DAY” BOOK IS ONE THAT CANNOT BE RENEWED BECAUSE OTHER PEOPLE MIGHT BE ITCHING TO CHECK IT OUT.

FOR THOSE OF US WHO THRIVE ON EXTERNAL PRESSURE, COUPLING THAT WITH POSSIBLY FABRICATED SCARCITY IS ALL THE MOTIVATION WE NEED.

IT'S LIKE THE LIBRARY DARED ME THAT I COULDN'T FINISH IT.

“OH, YOU THINK I CAN'T READ THIS?

YOU THINK MY KIDS AND MY MULTIPLE JOBS AND MY PREFERENCE FOR TURNING ON THE TV AND ZONING OUT ARE GOING TO STOP ME FROM SHOWING YOU UP?

BET.

WATCH ME.” OF COURSE, THE LIBRARY STILL WINS.

THEY'RE GETTING PEOPLE TO READ MORE.

SNEAKY.

NEVERTHELESS, I WAS FEELING COCKY, SO I CHECKED OUT ANOTHER BOOK.

IT MIGHT NOT BE A “LUCKY DAY” BOOK, AND I MIGHT ONLY BE 20 PAGES IN AFTER ALMOST TWO WEEKS, BUT I AM DEFINITELY GOING TO FINISH IT.

DEFINITELY.