Tuesday, March 16, 2010

My Weird Reading Habit

I feel like I should belong to a group for my very weird reading habit. I am really slow reading new books by authors I love. I avoid them... It includes series and standalone novels. I find out they are coming out and buy them immediately. I am all excited. The book is so pretty and I am sure the story is going to be awesome and I can't wait to read it... Only, I don't! I am so excited, but also worried that it won't be as good as their previous novel. Sometimes I can get passed this. I crack the spin the minute I get home and won't let myself reconsider, but most of the time I am reading something else when the new book enters the house so I can put it aside and ignore it.

I posted yesterday about how I am in a reading slump that is depressing me. I went to the bookstore yesterday and bought The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan. It is the companion novel to The Forests of Hands and Teeth which I loved last year. Instead of writing a post looking for recommendations I should have just cracked the spine of that book and hoped that Ryan could give me that 'wow' book I so desperately need! I worried about it, though. What if her new book isn't as good as her previous one? What if my love of her first book was just a mood thing and it really wasn't as great as I thought it was? What if my current reading mood makes me hate her new book when if I read it at a different time I would probably love it?

It's a problem, you know. I think about it all too much and then I have a hard time actually reading these books that would probably be awesome. I was supposed to read Sea Glass by Maria Snyder with Melissa from Book Nut. I think the fact that I still haven't read it is because I enjoyed the first book in the trilogy, but not as much as her previous trilogy... So, what if this book is really bad and leaves a bad taste in my mouth that is all I think of instead of my love for the Study series. I am supposed to read Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr, too. I held of reading that book for like a year and it is only the impeding release of her next book (that I pre-ordered) that is making me read it (hopefully, anyways).

Am I just really weird? I think I think too much! It doesn't always happen, though. When a new Fables comes out I am so excited I have a hard time not starting it immediately. I also think I am always worried that I will run out. That if I read the new book it won't leave me anything to look forward to, so I save the books as a treat or until the next book is announced and then I can feel safe about reading the previous one.

Am I the only person like this?

23 comments:

  1. Okay so I'm not the only one that does this then? I read the first book in that great fantasy series by Megan Whalen Turner (The Thief) and can't bring myself to read the 2nd and 3rd one. There should definitely be a support group for this.

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  2. No, you are not!! I told my hubby how much I wanted book #3 in a series that was to end. I received a very nice gift card to purchase said book. I bought it, drooled over it, and then lovely put it on my nightstand, where it sat for 2 years. My hubby was like-HEY, you wanted that book so bad and now you're not reading it, what's up with that??? I replied- I love these characters and I don't want it to end. So if I don't read the book then it will never be over!! He just shook his head and left the room!! :)

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  3. Well, I'd love to say Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde, because I know it'll be great and it's had some truly excellent reviews, but...

    I've not started it yet for much the same reasons you talk about here! :)

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  4. I can be weird like that too. For some reason part of me tries to "save" books that I have heard really, really great things about for last. It's like I'm trying to save them for a special occasion or something. I don't know why! Tender Morsels is one of those for me. I keep *meaning* to read it. I keep looking longingly at it though.

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  5. See, you aren't alone. Ok, I'm not like that but that's ok. LOL!

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  6. Hmmm I partially agree. When it is a new book by an author I have loved, I an like that. When it comes to series though I NEED to know what happens!

    I loved Fragile Eternity though, so hopefully you will as well! And I just bought The Dead-Tossed Waves today. Will it help if I say "I bet I can finish first..." ;)

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  7. I do the exact same thing. In spite of the fact that The Knife of Never Letting Go ended with a complete cliff-hanger that had me order The Ask and the Answer immediately, and in spite of the fact that that was months ago, I have yet to read it. Or the sequel to Wicked Lovely. And I put off reading Fire for ages, in spite of the fact that I adored Graceling. You're not alone, my friend!

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  8. Bella: I forgot to get the fourth book in that series when I pre-ordered books the other day! I guess that means another order... Not that I will read the book when I get it anyways. lol

    Staci: I hear you! My guy doesn't get it at all!

    Darren: I have Shades of Grey, too, and haven't picked it up yet. Not to mention I haven't finished the Thursday Next series...

    Becky: Oh, I do that too! Tender Morsels is one of them for me, too!

    Brooke: lol

    Amy: That might work! lol

    Carrie: Oh, yes, The Ask & the Answer is one for me, too!

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  9. Hmmm... that just might tempt me enough to go pick it up!

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  10. Amy: Sounds like a plan!

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  11. Anonymous11:52 PM

    You're not the only one!

    For me, it's not so much that I'm worried I won't like it as much as their other works (though sometimes it is), but that I just have SO MANY other books I want to read at the same time.

    I bought Levithan by Scott Westerfeld the day it come out with all the intention of starting it right away. It's still sitting on my shelf, unread (along with so many others).

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  12. I don't know that I've done exactly what you're describing, but it's not unusual for me to buy a fresh new pile and then just admire them instead of reading. Kind of crazy.

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  13. I kinda do the same thing, but mine is more that I need to get the books asap because I worry that when I really am ready to read them I won't be able to find them. It's sorta like needing to have certain snacks stashed away for when a desperate craving randomly comes up.

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  14. Kailana: Let me know when and / or find me on twitter (amckiereads) if you want to chat as you read! I won't be able to start until tonight at earliest though probably :(

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  15. I am like that...I save books I have anticipated like you would dessert...and I am disappointed sometimes when they let me down. I over think everything so do not think you are alone in that one at all! I too am looking forward to Dead Tossed Waves and fearing it won't live up, but we shall see...for example I love Scott Westerfeld but Leviathan fell flat for me...I felt betrayed almost. I guess it happens to everyone sometimes because out moods and tastes are so different. They can't make us all happy right?

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  16. You're not alone! There have been several times when I've been so excited to start the second book and it was a disappointment! I just try to remind myself that I'm not going to love every book I read. But it's still disappointing.

    --Anna
    Diary of an Eccentric

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  17. I'm very much the same way when it comes to my reading. Overthinkers unite!

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  18. I do it too. I often have the next (few) book(s) in a series right there, but rarely read them back to back, even when I LOVED the previous one.

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  19. I kind of do the same thing but I often don't have the desire to read any other books by an author once I've read a perfect book by them. I won't even BUY another book by the person. It's odd I know. . .

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  20. I do this! I've still got a few of Jacqueline Carey's books in my tbr pile...and I LOVE her writing!

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  21. Oh no, you are definitely not the only one! I have the same problem... another reason why I won't read a book of an author I love is that I don't want it to end. And so I have many books on my TBR pile that I "can't wait to read", and I tend to start with the ones I more or less wanted to read...

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  22. Oh, I do the same thing all the time. I hate having read them all, and I space out books in series as much as I can bear to. It's fun and funny how we all have these little reading quirks, isn't it?!

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  23. You are definitely not alone in this. I have books by Patricia A. McKillip and John Scalzi, both favorites, that I haven't read yet...a couple of these are over a year old! I don't know if it is something psychological or what. It doesn't always happen, but it does happen often enough that I too have to wonder what is going on.

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