I should infinitely prefer a book
I love to read. I really do read all the time - now that my hair is long again, I love to set a book open on the counter and read while I’m drying it. I find it makes the time spent go much faster. I read while cooking, while eating, and while exercising (if at all possible). I completely agree that you should read where you want, that you shouldn’t apologize for what you read, and that if you don’t like it you should stop. And I have been known to read the last chapter first myself. I do tend to finish a book if I start it, but that’s just me. Sometimes I wish I had enough willpower to stop reading a crummy book. I can only read one book at a time or I get confused and forgetful (but I read very quickly, so it’s not a big issue for me), and I hate reading a series out of order.
I think people get intimidated by books and reading (and librarians) - I see that a lot at work. People feel the need to apologize when they’re asking for a romance novel or something on the best-seller list. Here’s a “secret” - we like to read fluffy stuff sometimes, too.
My friends read, but we don’t read the same books. A lot of my friends like Christian fiction or Christian living (which is generally non-fiction, sometimes self-help) books, and I don’t read that genre as much. I do like books with religious themes, books that cause me to think about whether I agree with what the author is saying about God or religion. I read mysteries, popular fiction, young adult/children’s literature, and classics. I’ll read non-fiction if it’s biographical, like Traveling Mercies or Girl Meets God or Madeleine L’Engle’s Crosswicks journals, but I don’t read much non-fiction at all. So, in a sense, reading makes me lonely. I love to talk about what I have read - to discuss the themes and what stood out to me, and what I didn’t like about a book. But none of my friends are interested in the majority of the books that I read, even when I’m reading something at the top of the best-seller list. I don’t think I’m a reading snob (except maybe regarding the Left Behind books), so why don’t my friends and I enjoy the same books? Why haven’t my friends even heard of the books I’m reading? One of my friends suggested that it’s because I read more than the average person. I have no idea if that’s true or not. I always give books as presents, because it’s easy for me to think of the perfect book for someone. But no one ever gives me books.
I think the connectivity is why I enjoy the concept of an all-city read. I love the idea of people coming together to talk about literature. I wish I had more people to talk to about books. I think I need a book club.
I am currently in between books, but not for long - today I should receive the first in a series that has been recommended to me several times, and I’m looking forward to one next month in a series that I already love. And Brian thinks I would enjoy Dracula, so I plan to try that soon, as well.
Reading is as essential to me as eating and breathing. Is that so odd?
“She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain.” ~ Louisa May Alcott
March 26th, 2004 at
that was a wondeful post Kari! we need to talk books more…
March 26th, 2004 at
I read lots of non fiction.. .isnt that funny… but I also read fiction as well.. the funny thing is.. my favorite writers.. saul bellow.. garrison keillor… eb white… thurber…hemmingway… they all have something in common.. they all write fiction based on their own lives.. I think I just can connect better to whats going on.. when I know that they KNOW what they are talking about… I read more than any of my friends do… and I cant talk to them about literature either… yesterday I was asking a friend of mine if he’d ever heard of something.. and he was like “did you read that in a book”.. and I said “yeah”.. he said.. “well then Ive never heard of it.. you are ALWAYS talking about some crazy something that NOONE has ever heard of”.. I laughed.. and we went on about our buisness.. but later.. I thought how sad it is.. that they dont know all the things that are out there.. because they limit theirselves… and are too impatient to sit down and read… I dont know.. I hear ya though.. I know where you’re coming from…
we can talk books whenever you want…
hasta
March 26th, 2004 at
Well, I look at books as I do music. I am lucky that I have found friends here in Huntsville that enjoy the music that I do.
All I can say is that you will find those who read as you do if you seek them. I was part of a thriving Tom Clancy community for years.
March 26th, 2004 at
yeah, like I told you yesterday, most of my friends don’t read. They would rather watch TV. I guess reading’s too much work for some people. I think it may be because a lot of people suffer from atrophy of the imagination…reading is just too much work for them.
March 26th, 2004 at
That’s interesting, Geof, I just realized that the music thing is not nearly as important to me. I do like to share lyrics with Mike sometimes, but I am much more likely to read him a passage out of the latest book I’m enjoying. I can enjoy music in a solitary state, but I like to enjoy books in community. (Maybe I should have been a high school English teacher. heh.) And, with music, it’s never going to be, “Listen to this beautiful bridge.” It’s always, “Wow, these lyrics are amazing.” I’m much more focused on words. Music is a language I don’t really speak.
Trey, I like to read biographies and journals because I am interested in people’s stories. I like to hear how people live and what they think and what makes them tick. I think it’s easy to tell when people are writing about things they don’t understand.
Alisa, what are you reading these days?
I like the phrase “atrophy of the imagination.”
March 26th, 2004 at
I’m the almost the total opposite of you when it comes to music. I can stand the most inane lyrics if the music is really great. But I also love great lyrics.
I just realized that I’m fortunate to have a couple of musician friends who really love music, even if our tastes aren’t exactly the same. But I generally don’t share what I think is musically cool with people. I used to tell Sarah “whoa, did you hear that chord??? that was cool.”
I don’t do that any more..heeheheh.
March 26th, 2004 at
I have often thought that for such a musical person, I have rarely ever heard you talk about music.
March 26th, 2004 at
Kari, have you ever thought about writing a book?
March 26th, 2004 at
heh. Yes, I would love to write a book . . . I think I need more life and more perspective first, if that makes sense. Some of my ideas need more maturity than I have right now.
March 26th, 2004 at
Have you thought about getting into a book club for 20 somethings in your area?
March 26th, 2004 at
Well, interestingly enough, I was on the reference desk with my boss this afternoon, and I asked him about book clubs in the area, and it seems that we need something like that at the library. So I’m going to ask him if he’ll let me start a book club (it will probably be mostly attended by older women, but that would be a start) and I think he’ll be pretty agreeable to it. So that’s kind of fun.
March 27th, 2004 at
Kari, I always look at lyrics first too — in fact, if I can’t read the lyrics or understand them, I won’t purchase the CD! I’m very picky
I was so nose-in-a-book-24-7 when I was growing up, but lately that’s been impossible… hopefully after April 1 I can do it again… and if you tell me what you’re reading, I will rather happily pick up a copy and chat about it with you… if you love Madeleine, you could only have good taste!!
March 28th, 2004 at
Since getting rid of my TV, I find that I can now read when I’d like to without feeling like I’m missing something on TV. And Brian, I feel you on music, I love to discuss chords, progressions, regressions, developments, themes, modality, counter themes, etc…
March 30th, 2004 at
at the durham library..around christmas every year, they put on a annual list of good books to read covering all genres of literature(children’s fiction and nonfiction, adult fiction and nonficition, etc.). Maybe you could put in an bid to start(or at least think about) doing one for your library.