I think there's some great tactical advice here, and I absolutely agree that asking yourself why and how you read is so important. Reading has such a moral high ground in culture, which can actualize bastardize it's best purpose.

My main curiosity around this is if you only rely on what "stands the test of time," then it seems highly likely that you will only consume what has passed the tests of "the powers that be," which might be why so many of our "greatest writers" are old white men, approved by other old white men. So on the one hand, I agree that it's important to find ways to not get caught in the fads, but on the other hand, I'm struggling to think about how you surface the timeless voices that go unheard do to silencing by those in power?

I wonder if others have thoughts on this?