Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Bookworm

I love to read. I have loved reading since I was little. It's always been an escape for me to immerse myself in a story. Unfortunately, I enjoy reading SO much that sometimes it's a distraction from my normal life. In college I wouldn't allow myself to read for pleasure because I wouldn't get my homework done. These days I won't pick up a book until I've done everything I need to do for the evening. Otherwise it just won't get done. Even with that restriction I have to be careful how late it is when I start reading because I'll keep telling myself-- just one more chapter-- until like 2 am.

My one big dilemma with reading is that there just isn't enough time to read everything that I want to read. So every time I go to choose what book to read, I debate about whether to read something I've never read or to re-read a book I already know I like. I'm sure I think about this WAY more than I need to, but I hate wasting time on a book that isn't good. I'm realizing, as I'm writing this, that I'm quirky about reading, so let me explain some stuff.

First of all, I don't decided whether a book is good or not based on if I like it. I've read plenty of good books that I didn't like for one reason or another, typically because I didn't sympathize with the characters. Bad books are ones that are poorly written, have lots of plot holes, or are simply unbelievable. Good books make you buy into the story, no matter what it's about. Bad books don't do that which is why I hate wasting time on them.

You might ask, if you don't want to waste your time, why not stop reading when you realize it's no good? Well, because I finish books. That's just what I do. I can think of only one single book in my life that I quit reading because I thought-- this just isn't worth reading. I've left other books unfinished because I got distracted by work or school or life, but usually I just read the whole thing. Some stories start slower, sometimes it takes a little time to get attached to the characters, sometimes a plot twist at the end makes the whole book worthwhile, so I try not to judge prematurely.

Because of this need I have to finish the books I start, I have a particular way of deciding what to read. If I'm choosing (for myself) a book I've never read, I will pick a classic, or something from an author I've read before and know I enjoy. On the other hand, I am willing to read almost anything if someone recommends it to me. (The one exception being romance novels. I don't read those.) This is because, in my experience, people rarely recommend bad (per my definition above) books. I am open to all types of books- classics, contemporary, science fiction, fantasy- I just want a good story.

Anyway, the point of all this (if there was one, I'm still not sure) is that for the year that I'm 26 I want to keep track of what I read. I have no real concept of how much I read, so it will be interesting to see. I'm not going to post reviews of what I read, because I have a hard time going beyond-- I liked it or I didn't like it-- without getting into a discussion of the book and this blog is less a discussion and more me rambling at you. I'm just going to keep a running reading list on the side bar.

So, are you all weird about reading like I am? What do you like to read? And, most importantly, do you have any recommendations for me??

8 comments:

  1. Read "The Power of One" by Bryce Courtenay. It's mine and Brandon's all-time favorite book.

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  2. I like reading true crime. It appeals to the psychologist in me... getting in to the heads of the perpetrators of heinous crimes and finding what makes them tick. It also appeals to the district attorney in me... seeing how the machinations of the legal system come together to bring the perpetrator to conviction. And it's got to be real - real people, real feelings, real events - nothing fabricated.

    I got started as a teenager with Truman Capote's classic "In Cold Blood" and haven't quit since, despite your mother's assertions that it'll rot my brain (as if my brain's not rotten enough all ready). I've read some good ones over the years, like Norman Mailer's "The Executioner's Song" and Vincent Bugliosi's "Helter Skelter." And I've read some bad ones, which shall remain nameless.

    Bottom line is, they're all good, and I'll just keep sprinkling some anti-brain-rot on my morning cornflakes.

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  3. I'm the total opposite! I'm really liking fluff books that dont really teach me anything right now! How to be lost is a good one!

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  4. I think my sister-in-law took all those pics. I also loved the power of one (see Amy comment above). One of Caleb and my favorites.

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  5. I always HAVE TO finish a book too. This post could have been written by me. Luckily my in-laws are both librarians and have yet to recommend a bad book. I recently read The Book Their and like it and the Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz who I normally don't love but I did love this series.

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  6. Book I quit reading because I thought it was Bad: Wicked. Book I hated until the end, where the plot twist made it all worthwhile: My Sister's Keeper (Jodi Picoult). Book I couldn't put down if I tried: Angels and Demons (Dan Brown). The only book worse than romance is teenage romance (*a-HEM* Nicholas Sparks, you STINK, but your books make good movies). I'm sure anything I've read, you've read, too, so I'm afraid I don't have any recommendations! :( Try again later.

    You're the only person I've ever met who was so into reading that they could zone out to the point of not noticing if someone were talking to you. That's SERIOUS. Me, I just count down the minutes until Patrick takes his next nap so I can pick up my book again (vaccuming be damned!) and try to put him down for extra naps if the book is extra good :)

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  7. I like to read, but I have the opposite problems as you.. I fall asleep after about 1 page, no matter how good the book is. Therefore, I get my boos read one page at a time. It's frustrating, but it doesn't stop me. I have to read with absolutely no distractions, even by my own thoughts. If I'm frustrated about something, I think reading will take my mind off it, so I read an entire chapter, (if I don't fall asleep) and realize I don't remember one word I read. :( Also, no music on, no one talking on the phone in the other room, nothing. But I love reading! Weird. I only read non-fiction. I can't stand anything made up. As Im writing this I realize that everything I'm saying goes for movies too. We watched Iron Man the other night and it's a great movie, but the end part where the 2 iron men are fighting I just could NOT get into. Im rambling now. bye

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  8. ...because ONE Iron Man is TOTALLY believable :)

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