Wednesday, February 16, 2011

On Reading

Traditionally I'm a contemporary reader. I walk into the bookstore and head right to the shelves that hold new authors & new fiction. Because of my tendency to flock to current authors I end up missing out on a lot of classics.

My step grandma reads by the rule of alternating every other book between a contemporary author and a classic. I read by the rule of reading contemporary authors and trying to stick in a classic whenever I remember too.

But how can you resist when they're this gorgeous?

Luckily for the classics our local book store offers classics for much cheaper than contemporarys and when I find myself there with not much money I am drawn towards the classics. But still, I've only read a couple in the past year.

Recently I finished slogging through Jane Eyre, and while the story is wonderful and the text is well written I cannot get over how long it took me. I read this book in 8 weeks, quadruple what it normally takes me to get through a book.

There were times I wished I could put it down and pick up a book from my "read me next" pile but luckily I have trouble justifying putting a book down. Truth be told, I haven't stopped reading a book in the middle since college, and that was just because textbooks are boring.

So I plucked away, until the very last page, when I closed the cover, tucked it away, and picked up a new book.

What's your reading style?

14 comments:

Lindsay said...

I use to read so much and then I stopped. I really want to get back into it again because I have been reading reviews on all these great books. I just don't know where to start!

steph c said...

Good for you! I'm really bad at reading classics.. it's on my list of things to do more of. I tend to get really ADD when it comes to reading.. if I'm not fully into the book, I'll stop and read something else. Right now I have about 3 books that I've read about half-way through and have yet to finish. Bad habit, I know :(

Leah Rife said...

I have been getting over a horrible habit of looking at the last chapter. Ahh!! I know! But I haven't done that for awhile. :) I love reading, but there are some books that are just hard!
I have enjoyed looking at your book list...it is very inspiring.

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness Jane Eyre is looooong, well done for getting through it! I've got a few half read books hanging around, ooops. Just re-read The Great Gatsby though and loved it so much more this time around - recommend it for a nice quick read :)

kate said...

Oh man, it took me 10 years to try Jane Eyre again after trying it when I was 13. When I finally did read it, it also took me longer than expected but I liked it! Now I have to go back and re-read it for the movie coming out. :)

Krysten @ Why Girls Are Weird said...

I am on a total young adult stint these days. I'm terrible with the classics. I keep telling myself I want to re-read To Kill A Mockingbird but I never get around to it.

Deidre said...

I used to generally only read contemporary fiction, but then I added to my life list to read classics and so hear I go.

Have you read The Help? Amazing.

Sandy a la Mode said...

i am horrible at reading books, i think i have a super short attention span. if i can't get thru a book in a matter of a few days, then i just stop reading it!!!

ali v. said...

love your reading style...I might have to try it myself! I read whatever strikes me...I'm not that organized ;)

btw, I'm from southern Indiana, Seymour specifically! yay for fellow Hoosiers! thanks for the sweet words about our wedding! xoxo {av}

Whim Wham Life said...

I love reading books straight through too. I'm kind of a bookworm though, and for some strange reason I can read super fast. I'm usually done with a book in a matter of hours or days, (kind of a blessing/curse!). Jane Eyre is one of my favorites:-) xoxo

Jenna said...

LOVE Jane Eyre. So happy you read it!

Anni said...

I love those books! I bought Wuthering Heights in that copy, and it's so gorgeous. I actually loved Jane Eyre in high school - I was a lit nerd, and read all the classic lit I could get my hands on - but now that I'm slogging through dense science-y texts most every day, I only really read blogs, online and print magazines, and murder/detective mysteries. Some smut somewhere in there is good, too.

cerebral e said...

I have that same edition of Jane Eyre. I read way too much. I read that one in a couple of nights (I usually read in bed before I go to sleep). I probably read a book every 2 or 3 days unless I'm really busy with other stuff.

Anna said...

I seriously devour books. I credit it to me being sick alot growing up and the zillion hours I spent bored at my sister's ballgames but as soon as I get a book I read it cover to cover. My momma is the same way. And my dad (if the book is about a tractor). Maybe its genetic?