Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Reading

I may never read a book again.  Is it me or is it the books?  I know I’m having a terrible time focusing because of conditions I can’t control.  But that’s getting better.  I have less to do.  So why hasn’t my desire to read returned?

I can read newspapers, magazines, blogs, etc.  But not books.  I read fiction almost exclusively.  Occasionally a non-fiction book will peak my interest.  But nothing interests me now.

At the moment I have two new novels from the library.  I put them on a request list months ago.  I was anxious to read them because both are written by authors I like.  I’ve started both and stopped both.

Before that I read about 385 pages of a 400 page novel and stopped.  I had no idea what I’d read and, of course, didn’t give a damn about the ending.  This has never happened to me before.  I give a book about 25 pages and if it doesn’t grab me I don’t read it.  Sometimes I can tell in 10.  But 385?

I don’t actually think it’s the books.  It’s me. Reading is one of the great pleasures of my life and not being able to do that leaves me feeling empty.

This is great: I can’t write and I can’t read.  Daytime TV?  Not yet.

7 comments:

pattinase (abbott) said...

I just gave up the Prose book after being over halfway through. Same with Out Stealing Horses, which was short. It occurred to me I was reading a YA book with the Prose one, even though it wasn't. I think we are all pretty depressed and almost anything seems trite.

A said...

May be it's possible to try take the time to live, to laugh at us.

Sandra Scoppettone said...

I think that's part of it, Patti.

mta...I don't understand what you mean.

A said...

I just want to say that sometimes it becomes life is hard enough, surely acceptance is the solution but it seems ungrateful, but it only releases.
In speaking so I do not judge and I also speak for me because I can no longer paint and is the only thing I know I can do and more to read. I feel like amputee with phantom pains that arise constantly embodying the lack of creativity when life becomes gray and heavy and I do not want more than this.
I hope I am made to understand without being too off topic.
It's hard to put myself to English, I do not regret.
I wish you a good day.

Picks by Pat said...

Sandra,

Have you tried audio books? I have just started listening to a few, and I fid it easier to just close my eyes and LISTEN to the words. Good luck! I hope you get past this latest challenge.

Unknown said...

Yeah, I think that's "pique". anyway.
I'm finishing james webb's latest. A grim nonficiton there. I met p cornwall a couple years ago. Read her Isle of Dogs. Pile of dog$#!+, if you ask me. But, I am almost quoting S. Beane now.

Unknown said...

Maybe your getting readers block, it happens to me quite a lot. I love reading murder mystery books...Astra!

http://astra1547.blogspot.com/