Thursday, November 8, 2012

Polyamorous Reading

me reading
Ocular proof I started this Harkness book in July, having excitedly preordered it, and I am still damned reading it.
Books I am in the actual middle of reading, a partial list in no particular order:

Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness.
If I Am Missing Or Dead: A Sister's Story of Love, Murder, and Liberation by Janine Latus.
A Wanted Man by Lee Child. (Previous post on my Reacher habit here.)
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett.
First Shift by Hugh Howie.
Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James. (Whatever.)

Books I have completed lately:

Before I Go To Sleep by S. J. Watson. (OMGZ page turner.)
Heaven is Here by Stephanie Nielson.  (Darned inspirational, really.)
What Really Happened: John Edwards, Our Daughter, and Me by Rielle Hunter. (NOT PROUD, OKAY?)

I never used to be like this, but I've kind of become a starter and not a finisher of books. I've never felt qualms about abandoning a book that isn't good, but lately I'm abandoning books that ARE good and that I enjoy. Yet I managed to watch all of season 1 of Homeland in the last two weeks. Hmmm.

Part of the issue is a formatting problem. I can't decide whether I still like reading physical books or prefer the kindle version. I look at this list and see that the three books I finished lately were all ebooks, and of the unfinished list, only one is.

What are you reading, and do you have commitment issues too?


10 comments:

Christian said...

Lately I've been telling students they're "allowed" to start books and not finish them ever, or start books, put them aside, and then start other books, and maybe get back to the earlier books, or not, or even finish and then reread books, that it's acceptable, even preferable, to have a whole big stack of books they're slowly trudging through, with only some of their attention focused on completion. This tends to blow the minds of some of my students.

Amy said...

We recently read Before I Go to Sleep in book club...really good! I enjoyed it. I finished A Wanted Man a couple weeks ago, do you like it? Next for book club is Call the Midwife-- have you heard of it!

Elizabeth said...

I've been doing a bit of this, too -- reading a few books at once, some on my Kindle and others the real thing. I finally realized that I can't read NOVELS well on the Kindle. There's something about the speed that I read (very fast) and the Kindle's inability to change pages quickly? I don't know what it is, but it's bugging me. On the other hand, I go through the non-fiction/memoir thing very quickly anyway, so the Kindle works fine. Right now I'm reading Michael Chabon's novel and have a huge tome waiting for me when that's finished whose title I've forgotten.

Anonymous said...

I am guilty of reading multiple books at one time as well. Just terrible. So terrible in fact, that I do believe that was one of my New Year's Resolutions! I just get excited about books, and if another good one comes my way, I'll start it with no loyalty to the one currently being consumed. I am a book slut!

Anonymous said...

State of Wonder is good. Finish it! I also read Patchett's Bel Canto, which I didn't like as much, but I liked it enough to finish it, and it left an impression on me.

I think I'd read more books if I read multiples at the same time - then I could pick up what I was in the mood for.

Pam said...

after wasting an incredible amount of time reading the first 4 Game of Thrones Books, and 1Q84, I feel totally justified to start and then abandon any book I want. I don't really get the kindle format though. I'd much rather have a real book, but when I'm sewing or walking I listen to books on my ipod. I find that is a good way to get through books that I like but wouldn't otherwise start or finish. My favorites lately that I have read are Round House (Louise Erdrich) and The Casual Vacancy. On my ipod The Fall of Giants and Winter of the World. (Ken Follett)
You turned my on to Lee Child, but what do you think about Tom Cruise playing Jack in the movie? I'll go see it, but it seems wrong.

Cassi said...

I am not good at that. It was okay back when I was reading one book and reading another book to Emma, but I sort of have to finish a book before I start another. However, I will definitely stop reading a book if I don't like it, and I've shared that with Emma. Reading is supposed to be enjoyable --why read something you're not enjoy (and that isn't a textbook)?

I just finished the latest Louise Penny (Inspector Gamache) book.

AlGalMom said...

Because my kids are only allowed books from the children's section of the library (and not allowed to be there alone, and I am not crazy enough to take them into the main part of the library for more than 5 minutes) I read primarily juvenile fiction. And I am really enjoying the Mysterious Benedict Society books. Also, there's a charming series called The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place that I'm hooked on. I read the second book in the Guardians of Childhood series, and was annoyed by the awful writing (and, I suspect, editing) but enough engaged by the plot that I finished it. OH! And you (and by you, I mean y'all) really should read "Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson--oh my gosh it was so good although terribly painful to read. I'm waiting for the sequel, "Forge" to be returned to the library, although I know it won't give me any of the resolution that I admire the author for omitting, even while I hate her for being true to the story instead of making me happy during the last chapter. It was excellent, though...some impressive historical fiction. I will snatch up "Fever: 1793" if I can find it, too.

The only books I have read in "e" form are the Liturgical Mysteries by Mark Schweitzer, and that's b/c they (at one point) only cost a dollar and were freaking hilarious. I just haven't found a good way to curl up with an e-reader....they're not as cuddly as books, I guess?

Veronica said...

I am usually guilty of reading multiple books at the same time. Right now, though, I am just guilty of checking out books from the library, leaving them stacked on my nightstand for a few weeks without cracking them, and then returning them. I do read many, many, many student essays, and many, many, many Richard Scarry books.

Just me and the dog said...

I'm definitly a finisher. But I too tend to have 3 or 4 books going simultaneously. At the moment I am plowing through "a song of ice and fire" (audio book) as well as an audio book collection of aphorisms by Rudolf Steiner. I'm reading an e-book by Rudolf Steiner too, (a different one), as well as a bunch of chick lit books from the local library. If I really can't get into a book I'll put it down without shame.