One of the great things about summer when I was much younger was all the extra time I was going to have since school was out to read more books. Unfortunately as I got older it became harder and harder to find time to read for pleasure. In college I was too busy reading my textbooks.
Once I started working and really got beat down by life I was reading manuals specific to my field and quite frankly after a long day at the office battling eye strain among other things, then going to an exercise class, by the time I get home the only thing I have the energy for is to go to bed. Well what about the weekends… well between the errands, more exercise, the LAUNDRY, sometimes more work from the office, sleep and oh yes blog reading, no time there either.
I have a good friend at work who asked me to join a book club and I politely declined. Last thing I want is another deadline on my personal time. Don’t get me wrong I am doing some reading(newspapers as I eat breakfast over the sink, fitness magazines, Marie Claire, other people’s personal blogs) just nothing I would be particularly proud to volunteer if stopped on the street by a camera crew and asked what’s the last thing you read.
I still consider reading something I love to do. I still scan the book review section of the newspaper. I even make lists of books I want to read. Every now and then I’ll have a good run and actually start and finish a book. I got a bug about reading Caribbean writers some time ago, and ended up reading several books by:
- Edwidge Danticat-Haiti ( Breath Eyes Memory, Krik Krak, Brother I’m Dying)
- Elizabeth Nunez-Trinidad ( Bruised Hibiscus, Grace, Prospero’s Daughter)
- V.S. Naipaul- Trinidad ( A House for Mr. Biswas)
- Earl Lovelace-Trinidad (The Dragon Can’t Dance)
- Junot Diaz-Dominican Republic ( The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao)
My last multi book reading stretch was this year with the books pictured above. There was a good review for The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo in my local newspaper. I checked with my book club friend at work and she also gave it a thumbs up and told me there was more than one book. I’m about 2/3 through the last one. The thing is I’ve been at that point for the past 3 1/2 months. The first two books were good reads. They both dragged at certain points but then picked up. The Hornet’s nest just hasn’t pulled me in the way the other two have so far. I’m still grateful to Mr. Larsson for bringing me out of my reading slump. I will finish the last one, but not now because I’m going to go work out.
* By Richard Steele( or so they say )
