Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Confessions of a Moody Reader

I don't know what is wrong with my reading lately. I have actually been trying to make use of Goodreads and show what I am 'currently reading' and at the moment it is 10 books... The sad thing is I finished two books tonight and neither of them were from those 10 books. I am particularly annoyed with myself because I am reading so many books that I enjoy, but can't seem to hunker down with anyone of them!

The first book is In Sunlight and in Shadow by Mark Helprin. It was one of the books I mentioned in my post yesterday. I have wanted to try Helprin for ages, Netgalley had a copy of this book, so I found myself reading the first 50 pages last night. I honestly shouldn't have done that because for starters it is over 700 pages long and I can't concentrate on a 300 page book lately. Then, there is the whole fact that I have 9 other books on the go... And, I have two Helprin books on my TBR to begin with... I suppose I decided enough was enough and I was finally going to see what he was all about. I am liking this book so far...

Then, Anna from Diary of an Eccentric read Shadows Walking  by Douglas Skopp. She loved it. Then, like the sweet person that she is, she suggested to the author that I might want to read the book. It showed up last week, but I just had so much else going on I didn't want to start it. Last night I gave in. I mean, if you are going to start one new book, why not two? I am on page 67 and really enjoying it so far. The first 20 pages were just 'okay' and then I put it down because it was getting late. The guy woke me up again, though, and I found myself picking it back up. I managed to read 40 more pages before having to put it down again. It was a good thing, though. I am starting to get caught-up in the story and prattled on to the guy all about it last night. He basically knows everything that happened in those 67 pages...

Then, I started Lottery by Patricia Wood last week. I am liking it so far, but it kind of got neglected because of a busy weekend and starting other books because my reading is just weird... I have to admit I wasn't sure if this book was for me, but I really think I am going to end up enjoying. I just need to find time to settle in with it! (aka Stop starting new books...)

Then, there is Tapping the Dream Tree by Charles de Lint. By rights we should have posted about the next three stories today, but for various reasons neither of us have read the stories yet. (Susan unfortunately had to drop out.) It is really not surprising I am behind in this. I am terrible with short story collections even though I ultimately enjoy de Lint's short stories. I plan to go read them after posting this.

I ultimately suck at read-alongs. I either have to read the book right away or I never seem to finish... There have been a few success stories, but unfortunately as much as I am enjoying this book I would read some and then have to put it back down to wait for the next week and it just messed me up. I really need to just sit down and just finish it. I want to read the rest of the trilogy, but I think I will just read them all at one time and do the final questions. That is if I ever manage to finish this one!

I think what I have read of this book is amazing, but yet it has been stalled for ages! It started because of things like required reading and now I seem to be having a hard time getting back around to reading it. I really must get back to it soon or I won't remember what is going on!!

I was experiencing a reading slump when I started this book. I was hoping that something 'different' would reinspire me... It seemed to be working, but now there it sits with over half of it finished! Karen Abbott writes in a very engaging style and I was enjoying the story of Gypsy Rose Lee's life. I really must get back to it!

This book also suffered from required reading and I just haven't got a chance to pick it back up. Mainly because I keep starting new books instead of resuming the ones I have on the go! It was good so far, too...

Of the 10 books I have on the go, this is the only one that I am not loving. I am thinking it might become a DNF. I think it was a timing thing. I just wasn't interested in the angle the story is told from... I am sure a few months down the road I can read it in an entirely different light.

And, this one just makes me sad... I was loving it, but I have a really bad habit with long books and not finishing them. It's terrible! I have to be in the right frame of mind for a huge undertaking and I guess I just wasn't in the right frame of mind for it... I must try again!

If you can't tell, part of the reason for my reading issues is because I like everything I am reading and that makes it hard to make up my mind, so it sort of blocks me from reading anything. I will feel a lot better when I sit down and finish something... Has anyone else experienced something like that? What are you reading? Have you read any of these books?

15 comments:

  1. I wrote a post two weeks ago ( I think it was that long ago) about how i couldn't settle down to read, either. I have at least 10 on the go, and I'm not finishing anything. It's really bothering me now. I know that part of it is just what is going on in my life, and needing to have something that takes me far away.....but really, I like all the books I've started! I've even having problems finding books to buy in the bookstore because I have bought so many over the past several months/year that I haven't read yet, so I can't buy more in the series until I do catch up. It's kind of like I have to pick something up and read it straight through over a day or two max, or it's not going to get done. Is that how it feels for you too?

    Les Miserables would be my big book I've started and haven't finished even though I am really enjoying it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I couldn't help but smile through this post. This is why I can only read one book, or at most two, at a time. But really, we all know what it feels like to not be able to settle down with a book. Maybe you've just not found the right one yet. I would focus on the one that Anna suggested for you- I trust her recommendations :-)

    I have never been able to bring myself to read The Wise Man's Fear. Actually, I just donated my copy of The Name of the Wind. I just didn't fall in love with Rothfuss the way so many others did.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw shucks. Thanks, Aarti! :)

      Delete
  3. I just seem to have developed a bit of a reading block. I don't have 10 on the go, just 2, and I am enjoying them both but for some reason I'm just not rushing to read at the moment. It'll come back, I know it, but in the meantime it's frustrating!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I know what you mean about not committing to a book! I have Jeeves about half way, I've read two or three stories of a Sarah Vowell, and have read the Intro to Beloved. But now you have me wanting to read The Lottery - I have it in house. or maybe I should read Packing for Mars.
    Decisions, decisions...

    ReplyDelete
  5. I loved Winter's Tale by Helprin, but I read one other by Helprin that didn't grab me. The poetic narrative of Winter's Tale was gorgeous.

    I've read the first two by Rothfuss and liked them both. They read quickly, and I'm waiting for the third one.

    You have such a variety here that I can see why you would have difficulty committing to just one!

    ReplyDelete
  6. My first thought is to ditch them all and just read The Stand, but I'm trying not to lay the pressure on. Ha! ;)

    Maybe just do a blind drawing to pick ONE and just push through that one? So many of these books look really good but I haven't heard of most of them. The House of Velvet and Glass has such a beautiful cover!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I thought I had a lot of books on the go! I'm having trouble with a couple of mine, too - they're just okay, not grabbing me.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I've definitely gone through moody periods like that, and they suck. Though I tend to go the opposite direciton as you and just abandon all the books I'm reading...

    I've been told Patrick Rothfuss is another good fantasy reader I should try, so I have a book on hold at the library to give him a chance. There's quite a line for it, so it may be mid-June before I get it, but hopefully I'll have it in time to listen to it on my way to WI this summer.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I've been waffling lately myself. Once I find that I'm neglecting a book, I stick a bookmark in it and call it done. I started Remarkable Creatures and The White Horse this weekend, ditched both, went to Drums of Autumn (love it!) and will be cramming in The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie because it's in from the library.

    *juggling*

    ReplyDelete
  10. I feel your pain. With two weeks off from work, I had dreams of reading SO much. Alas, I have barely read more than I normally do. I just cannot get around to reading during the day. I don't get it. I don't know if it is the time of year or what.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I know what you mean as well so many books and getting distracted in wanting to read the next book on my TBR pile screaming, "Read me." And yes some of the chunky book lose my interest as well.

    I can relate to what you are experiencing at the moment.

    ReplyDelete
  12. LOL. I go through moments where I'm reading a million books at once too. Goodreads is good for making me realize that I probably shouldn't start another one until I finish at least one of the books I've already started first. :P

    American Rose looks interesting. I keep seeing it at the book store, but haven't let myself buy it yet. I'll be interested to see what you think of it after you've finished. :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. So glad to hear you're liking Shadows Walking so far. I told my husband all about it when I was reading it, too. It's really one of those books that you just have to talk to someone about.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I've not read any of these books but I did just add American Rose to my wishlist! I can totally relate to this post as I do the same thing. I try and make my sidebar reflect what I am actually reading, but then I stray and pick up new books. If I posted them all it would make for a very long string of book covers. I always have too many books started--I was going to use this month to only finish books and not start any new ones, but I abandoned that about halfway through the month. I am enjoying almost all of them but I am such a book grazer and mostly read according to my mood that day--and it is constantly changing. I really do wish I could be a 'one at a time' reader, but I can see that just isn't going to happen right now.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

I am so sorry, but I turned anonymous commenting off. I have had it from the very beginning, but that is how the spam is getting by my spam filter at the moment. If it is a big deal I will turn it back on and moderate all comments. I also changed moderation from older than 14 days to older than 7.