I'm not here to talk about particular books or recommend them to you or even tell you how they made me feel. I'm here go off on a tangent about some feelings I've had for a long time.
I read a LOT of books. And so, I read them very quickly. Sometimes I may be accused of skimming if I get bored. (I'm ashamed to admit that I did this sometimes towards the end of Mockingjay.) I probably do not give these books as much attention as I would if I read them slowly and meticulously, fully absorbing every word and contemplating its meaning. But then, I would not be able to make it through nearly as many books.
And that, dear reader, is my dilemma. Does the number of books that I have read justify the fact that, for many of them, I can hardly remember much more than a vague idea of "Cancer book about a girl who moved to Promise, Maine. There are flamingoes involved." (In the case that you are wondering, that book is called The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder, and yes, that is her real name, and I completely loved it but can barely remember the name of the main character. Oh, wait. I think it was Cam.)
I feel as if I am not able to fully appreciate all these books I've read. But I don't want to slow down. I just love books so much that, while the books-to-food metaphor is very cliche, I just swallow them whole instead of slowly savoring.
But then, you have to argue, what is the proper way to enjoy a book? Selecting a new one from the bookstore that looks nice, and just diving in? A slow anticipation as you approach the release date of the newest installment in your favorite series? A long to-reads list on Goodreads that you slowly plug along through, relishing the triumphant press of the "I'm Finished!" button as you close the cover to a wonderful new read? Personally, I fall into the latter category.
But is that healthy? Is this unsustainable pace okay? Am I disrespecting the authors by reading such a large number of books? Or am I appreciating new authors by that same large number? I have all of these questions that I know I must somehow answer for myself.
And I have to decide that my way of reading is okay, because I will never change. I read because I like stories, so I can get sucked in, so I can be whisked away to the life of a girl who has adventures much more exciting than mine, and I can feel what she feels. (Or boy, I'm not too picky.) I read to escape things that I should be doing otherwise. Sometimes I even read to feel smart and literary. I read to write, because what's a writer without a bookshelf full of enjoyable lessons? I read because I have a passionate adoration for the written word. I'm a reader.
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