It's mid-year and for some of us it means a long holiday; particularly for those of us in the USA. However, here in Australia, it's Winter and has been pretty cold lately. Actually, I'm tackling a slight head cold (and believe me, I'm not the happiest person when I've got one of these - but then, is anyone?).
So, at this time of the year - when it's holidays or when you've come down with a cold or flu - how do you tackle your Mt To Be Read? Is it oranised on a shelf a little like mine? Or is it first come first read as you peruse your shelves?
For me, I have the system in place like I do because it keeps me from re-reading the same old books over and over; thus pushing myself into a far-too-comfortable rut (which was why I joined Bookcrossing; so I could venture outside my comfort zone and read a wider circle of authors). Reading the same material may seem like a safe way of being in the world. However, it can be also bad for you. I think we all know somebody who keeps on reading the same old series of books they used to read when they were young; and they are your age. You wonder why they do it, but you feel horrible about wanting to tell them it's not good for them. This person/s could be a family member, but yet you still can't say anything because it's still too delicate matter to be approached. Don't worry about it. If they are happy doing what they're doing, well, that's good. Just keep to what you want to read and see how far you can go.
Books are wonderful things to read - no matter what age you are. However, I've been using them as a learning instrument for so long that a good story is hard to come by; and once I have my teeth into one, I rarely let it go. Sometimes I may re-read a book once or twice, but then I have to move onto other material. It's just the way it all works.
And you know, reading is a lot like food. We are what we read. I used to read poorly written books (without knowing any different) until I began reading Stephen King and then I expected other authors to raise the bar. When I found the ones I had been reading didn't write to the standard he did, I started looking around to find authors that did. And so my education - my real education - on reading and being entertained by the greatest authors around (alive and dead alike) began. And you know, I'll still be learning up until I'm a very old lady... my education still won't be finished.
I generally keep the books I intend to read/use for Bookcrossing and for my reading project RAB-PIA in a bag of some sort. The current read I will have out in my room somewhere. After I'm done with that, I'll put it in another bad for books I intend to release.
ReplyDeleteI ran out of books to read earlier this month and won't have access to any more until I go home in August. (I have some books at home waiting to be registered. I couldn't bring them with me to my sister's for the summer due to luggage space constraints.)
I'm pretty random about the books I obtain, though most of them tend to be romance novels. I've been working on a novel that involves two romances: a human one and a dog one. (There won't be any sex or nudity involved, though, like there often is in today's romances.) I tried to make it presentable for formal publication this month, but that ended up not happening. My new goal is to have it ready for formal publication, as well as to show my family in time for my dad's birthday in October.
Actually, I used to be a pretty reserved kind of person when it came to my writing. However as the years have gone by, I have become less restricted and not worried about who I'm going to offend. What I write is what I write; and if somebody doesn't like it, well they don't have to.
ReplyDeleteAt first my Mum thought what I wrote was really horrible, but then when my brother read some of it, he said that I had been writing this kind of 'stuff' since high school and I shouldn't edit myself just because my parents might not like it (or other people who know me).
So, what I've done is have a certain kind of writing for my family and a certain kind of writing for everyone else. It's hard to do, but I find it good challenge.