I’ve have once again taken up the hobby of reading. It was something that I’ve always enjoyed (relatively speaking, since when I was young and didn’t quite know how to work through my learning disability, I HATED reading). I notice that every now and then my attention wanes and I forget to read something new, so I get bored. Lately I’ve had LOTS of something new to read courtesy of my sister from another mister in CA. She is a voracious reader and has turned me onto a few new book series/authors. I won’t claim I read many intellectual pieces, and I have been know to read quite a few trashy romance novels, but I tend to read what interest me regardless of the genre.
The BBC top 100 novels you should read list has been going around on the social networks and it has come to my attention that I should like to read most if not all of those books on that list. So I took to compiling the last few years of BBC book lists into an all encompassing reading list for myself, and it’s time I started to work my way through those book. Yup, I’m about to start embracing some of the classics! The thing is about the classics, I actually really enjoy reading them. (okay, I have a small confession to make, I don’t actually read, read all of the books, I tend to listen to a lot of audio books while at work (during the mundane, tedious, mind numbing paperwork that ensues every day). But listening to someone else read you a book counts to me and offers quite a bit of education and entertainment). The only problem I see with audio books is that some of the narrators are such a snooze to listen too (and no, authors do NOT make good narrators, in fact, I think they make some of the WORST narrators). When the snooze fest happens, I take to actually reading the book.
I don’t want to say my taste in literature is simple, but sometimes it is. I read a book and either enjoy it, or don’t. I either am entertained enough to read through a book, or am not entertained enough and quit reading (I’ll generally give a book about 100 pages before I give it up as a lost cause). I do rarely find a book so tedious that I can’t finish it but on occasion it does happen. I don’t read into a book (if you understand my meaning). I don’t read a book and tear it apart. I don’t analyze and scrutinize every little detail of a character and decipher what they are doing and why they are doing it. I don’t debate the stupid details. This is probably why I wouldn’t do well in a book group. If I was, it would go something like this.
Book Group: Did you like the book?
Me: Yes, very much so.
Book Group: So why did you like it?
Me: Because it was good. (nuff said).
Yup, it looks like I’m a simple person.
So here is what I’ve learned in the last couple of years re-discovering my new/old hobby:
1) I enjoy reading the classics, although some books intimidate me, like Gone With The Wind. Understanding that some classics do intimidate me, I still fully intend on reading them.
2) Switching between the written modern English language and the written 1800’s English language can sometimes be an exercise in the bizarre.
3) I enjoy trashy romance novels, especially of the paranormal variety. Vampires, Fairies, Witches, Ware-animals etc, will always hold a soft spot in my heart. I like the mythical and the magical.
4) Young adult books are great reads if read in the correct context, ie: you realize you’re reading a book specifically written for young adults.
5) Exploring other books and series from one of your favorite authors can lead you to a whole different reading genre you never thought you’d enjoy.
6) Historical fiction: A history hater’s best friend. I hate history. It’s dull and boring. Give me a historical fiction book and I’ll learn to love history. (Which makes no sense as to why Gone With The Wind intimidates me. Maybe it’s because I’ve never had any love for the Civil war era. But someday soon I will explore that intimidation and hopefully get over it!)
