The news is so overwhelming right now, so I've sworn off it in the evening and am limiting day time check-ins. This leaves me more time for reading actual books! I've also joined a couple things to inspire my reading. I'm doing the slow read of War and Peace on Substack, daily chapters I read at lunch. I'm also listening to a book on audio as I'm subscribed to Evelyn Skye's writer's bookclub. And lastly, I'm reading a book I bought that's different from my usual read. I'm reading it before bed, but I'm not really enjoying it. I'm one of those that has a hard time not finishing a book. I think I'm the eternal optimist, always expecting it to get better, right to the final page. And I've always got some books on writing that I'm reading.
I remain torn about The Berry Pickers—I too am reading it but not enjoying it. Is it giving me insight into self destructive behavior… maybe? I still struggle with protagonists who remain determined to be unhappy. And people, too, probably.
Some years ago my word of the year was Pleasure and partnof it was deciding to read books only for pleasure. Which meant not reading books because I should, or because I started and therefore should finish , or because someone recommended it or it is a bestseller.
I read for pleasure and if it's not giving me that by page 100 I do not finish the book! Changed my reading! I now seem to read only 4-5 star books 😍
I stopped reading any book I don't like years ago. Maybe I'll pick it up later for a second try but not very often. Why waste time when there are better books just waiting to be picked up? But go back to "Berry Pickers"--it's such a good book. I want to discuss it so badly but I'm not currently in a discussion group (I did do it online but it's not the same). I started "Eddie Winston is Looking for Love" by Cronin yesterday & I think it's the perfect Valentine's read for me this year. I just had lunch with two former discussion group members (I recently retired from the library & don't feel comfortable going back to the group I ran for 20+ years) and intergenerational uplit is what we all said we want/need right now. Too much going on in the country to do anything very heavy (though I'm always up for WW II Resistance stories which I now find inspirational).
I think I would say I’m enjoying the read, but not the story—which is probably exactly as intended. I just hit the moment where she finds out last night, so I’m sure the next time I pick it up, I’ll finish it.
Sometimes I finish a book I don’t care for because it’s a book club book. Sometimes I finish a book because a friend recommended it, and I’m hoping it gets better. Occasionally, I finish a book I’m not enjoying reading because I know I’ll enjoy having read it. One of my book clubs recently read Virgil’s Aeneid. It was a slog to get through it, but totally worth it —although partly just because I like saying I’ve read The Aeneid. 😂
I might finish a book I don't like because I'm reading it for my book club or because someone I trust recommended it so I think it might get better, which I think are good reasons. Or I might finish it because it's a book I'm "supposed" to like or I spent money on it or I already read half of it, which are less-good reasons.
But also, I love reading so much that even reading a blah book is more fun than almost anything else.
This is a VERY GOOD POINT. I like the act of reading even when I don’t love the book. (I just feel like I’ll like the act of scrolling through fashion SUbstack more…)
Oh wow, perfect description: "Because right now, it’s not enough for a book just to be good. It has to hit some sort of wild sweet spot of better than scrolling but not much harder."
I totally get that, but right now I'm finding myself seeking solace in demand-my-full-attention books. Not tooooo hard, but fully involving.
The news is so overwhelming right now, so I've sworn off it in the evening and am limiting day time check-ins. This leaves me more time for reading actual books! I've also joined a couple things to inspire my reading. I'm doing the slow read of War and Peace on Substack, daily chapters I read at lunch. I'm also listening to a book on audio as I'm subscribed to Evelyn Skye's writer's bookclub. And lastly, I'm reading a book I bought that's different from my usual read. I'm reading it before bed, but I'm not really enjoying it. I'm one of those that has a hard time not finishing a book. I think I'm the eternal optimist, always expecting it to get better, right to the final page. And I've always got some books on writing that I'm reading.
I remain torn about The Berry Pickers—I too am reading it but not enjoying it. Is it giving me insight into self destructive behavior… maybe? I still struggle with protagonists who remain determined to be unhappy. And people, too, probably.
Some years ago my word of the year was Pleasure and partnof it was deciding to read books only for pleasure. Which meant not reading books because I should, or because I started and therefore should finish , or because someone recommended it or it is a bestseller.
I read for pleasure and if it's not giving me that by page 100 I do not finish the book! Changed my reading! I now seem to read only 4-5 star books 😍
I love this… and there are GREAT books that give me pleasure! It doesn’t necessarily mean laugh riots.
I stopped reading any book I don't like years ago. Maybe I'll pick it up later for a second try but not very often. Why waste time when there are better books just waiting to be picked up? But go back to "Berry Pickers"--it's such a good book. I want to discuss it so badly but I'm not currently in a discussion group (I did do it online but it's not the same). I started "Eddie Winston is Looking for Love" by Cronin yesterday & I think it's the perfect Valentine's read for me this year. I just had lunch with two former discussion group members (I recently retired from the library & don't feel comfortable going back to the group I ran for 20+ years) and intergenerational uplit is what we all said we want/need right now. Too much going on in the country to do anything very heavy (though I'm always up for WW II Resistance stories which I now find inspirational).
I think I would say I’m enjoying the read, but not the story—which is probably exactly as intended. I just hit the moment where she finds out last night, so I’m sure the next time I pick it up, I’ll finish it.
Sometimes I finish a book I don’t care for because it’s a book club book. Sometimes I finish a book because a friend recommended it, and I’m hoping it gets better. Occasionally, I finish a book I’m not enjoying reading because I know I’ll enjoy having read it. One of my book clubs recently read Virgil’s Aeneid. It was a slog to get through it, but totally worth it —although partly just because I like saying I’ve read The Aeneid. 😂
Relate!! Sometimes I finish a big current literary read mostly for that reason …
I might finish a book I don't like because I'm reading it for my book club or because someone I trust recommended it so I think it might get better, which I think are good reasons. Or I might finish it because it's a book I'm "supposed" to like or I spent money on it or I already read half of it, which are less-good reasons.
But also, I love reading so much that even reading a blah book is more fun than almost anything else.
This is a VERY GOOD POINT. I like the act of reading even when I don’t love the book. (I just feel like I’ll like the act of scrolling through fashion SUbstack more…)
Oh wow, perfect description: "Because right now, it’s not enough for a book just to be good. It has to hit some sort of wild sweet spot of better than scrolling but not much harder."
I totally get that, but right now I'm finding myself seeking solace in demand-my-full-attention books. Not tooooo hard, but fully involving.
I find that’s so hit or miss! I’ve had some lately (Margo, The Wedding People, Like Mother Like Mother, Death of an Author) but now I’m slumped again.