A hard-hearted reader
Friday, March 30, 2012 at 9:00AM 
Word count: 347 Reading time: 1-2 mins.
Recently, as I struggled to read a library book, I found someone’s forgotten bookmark at page 50. I fanned through the rest of the pages, looking for any traces of wear. They were pristine, which should have been a warning. It was a new release and I had waited weeks for it so this sign of early abandonment intrigued me. In spite of that alarm bell I kept reading. Finally I’d invested so much time I refused to put it aside. I finished it.
Victor Hugo said, “Short as life is, we make it even shorter with the careless waste of time.” To me, that book was a waste of time. I should have held to my usual rule: if a plot or character doesn’t grab me in the first half hour it’s time to move on. I won’t let a bad book rob me of precious minutes and hours again.
The other side of this coin is when I fall for a book, I fall hard. I borrow from the library to test-drive literature. When I find something I love, I buy it because I know I’ll want to read it more than once.
So can I answer that party question: ‘what is your favourite book’? Nope. I can’t even list my five favourite books or authors. Neil Gaiman summarized my feelings when he said, “Picking five favourite books is like picking the five body parts you'd most like not to lose.”
I can list my five favourite books of the past six months, the books I have bought or will buy, because they have transported me to exciting new places, times, and emotions. In no particular order they are; The Fault In Our Stars (John Green), Perfect (Ellen Hopkins), The Winter Palace (Eva Stachniak), Plain Kate (Erin Bow), and All Good Children (Catherine Austen).
Do you have one definitive favourite book or author? What are your criteria for a good read? Are you perseverant with dull books, pushing through to the end even when they don’t enchant? If not, when do you cut your losses?
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Photo by: Tamás Ambrits
Reader Comments (4)
Wonderful, thought-provoking blog. I really like this topic because often my tastes in books change. Life’s experiences do that to us, I suppose. I couldn’t imagine five years ago, that I would now be a hopeless romantic when it came to my choices for reading. I would have laughed at the thought of reading Jane Eyre, Twilight, or Diana Gabaldon. For years I read non-fiction, famous bios, self-help books, and literature considered a bit more high-brow. I suppose it was an effort to improve myself. HA! Now that I don’t need improvement, I read for whatever mood I'm feeling.
I read differently these days as well. Now I try to read like a writer and look for the magic that keeps me turning the pages. Similarly I try to imagine someone with the same 'entertain me or die' attitude reading my work. That's a sobering perspective!
When I find books I adore, I hold back on reading all that author's work in quick succession which is what I've done in the past. There are at least three books by Ellen Hopkins I haven't read and I'm only just starting with John Green. So if I hit a bad patch elsewhere I can look for these authors to entertain me again.
So glad you enjoyed the Winter Palace! Looking forward to it when it does the rounds. I loved Allison's comment "now that I don't need improving I read what I want".
The Winter Palace is in the cubby - should be on its way to your house this week.