Coming Soon: Reading Lists

I would not consider myself a "reader." I enjoy reading a good book as much as the next guy, but Ive known way too many true readers in my life to include myself among them.

True reader: my best friend, Linnea. When we were kids and had sleep overs, I would always (and I do mean ALWAYS) wake up to her reading a book. It didnt matter when I arose - she would be there, still in her pajamas, nose in a book. Her father was another true reader so Linnea grew up surrounded by books and reading all sorts of stuff. Madame Bovary. Flowers in the Attic. The World According to Garp. There seemed to be no genre she wouldnt read. Heck, Linnea even read our required literature books in school! I never read them, but she did. Thank God she did too, because I wouldnt have passed my AP/IB Honors English classes without her telling me what all those books were about. The funny thing about Linnea and her habit for waking up and reading is that I dont recall her ever bringing a book to sleepovers. She just picked up whatever was around and began reading it. Now THAT is a reader. There have been several times as adults where Linnea and I have slept in the same room and I still expect to see her reading when I wake up. That image of her is engrained in my memory.

True reader: Shar Jorgensen, the mother of another best friend, Kira. Matt and I lived in the small apartment under the Jorgensen's house and during that year Mrs. Jorgensen suggested to me many great books to read. She had superb taste and I always enjoyed the books she recommended. The rotation of books going in and out of her house was rapid. Mrs. Jorgensen was a terribly fast reader and very generous in loaning out her books. I recall her holding a book to read one day - brand new - and the next day she was done with it. That blew my mind because it takes me days/weeks to get through a book. Mrs. Jorgensen also had the uncanny gift of being able to read 3 or 4 different leisure books at one time. I literally can not fathom how she accomplished that, but she did... routinely.

Personally, Im addicted to good books. There are few things in life as satisfying to me as the "high" I feel upon reading a really, great book. The process of reading a well written book is gratifying too, but I want the ending to be good. I want to feel fulfilled upon finishing. I want to feel like the time I spent reading, ignoring everything and everyone around me, was worth my selfishness. The expectation I have for most books I read are quite high and that proposes an obvious problem. Every book can not satisfy. Even a good book doesnt always find merit with me. In short, I am a high maintenance reader or what my sister calls a "books snob." I dont read just to read; I read to feel alive.

I want to start posting about the books I read on this blog. I have a couple reasons for it. One, I dont always remember the books I read. I often know if I liked or disliked the book, but the details of the story become lost. Isnt that weird? It can be frustrating for me. I will often have a strong reaction to a book that a friend is reading, but when Im asked what I liked or disliked about it I cant actually remember. It would be helpful for me to write some notes for recall purposes. Im thinking that by writing about a book, something of it will stick in my head. Secondly, Im guessing that by writing about the books I read, I can narrow down the type of book I most enjoy and therefore chose reading books more effectively. Im guessing this could be super helpful.