I am possibly stalling my Sunday morning bathroom cleaning by listening to Michael Enrights’s discussion with Elizabeth Renzetti, Kerry Clare and Nicole Blades about books and reading. I am engaged in the discussion and I am glad I stayed in my office long enough to hear it. I often ask kids during my author visits if they ever pick up a book and after reading a few pages know they are going to love it or hate it. If I am being totally honest there are many books I start reading and give up on very quickly. There are books that friends recommend that I try to read and quickly deduce my friends must be way smarter than I am because I can not understand head nor tail of it. Some books that others love I don’t like at all.I have attempted to read classics like Anna Karenina over and over again and despite good intentions can’t get further than fifty pages. I know some books I’ve read I almost gave up on but were worth it when I kept reading. As a writer I love it when people first of all actually read my books. I love it when they say nice things and I love it when they want to read more but I also get it when they don’t. Michael quoted someone(can’t remember who ) who said a good book is one you want to reread. One of the women in the discussion said a good book is one you carry around. A good book is one you can’t wait to pick up again or one you don’t want to end.For me a good book is one I clutch to my chest after reading having felt such a strong connection it feels like a friend. Whatever a good book is, one thing for sure is a good book depends on the reader. Not everyone will like every book. Books will have lovers and haters, will have good and bad reviews, will be praised and criticized. If an author writes believing their work will only be loved they are delusional. But write they do none the less and every book that gets written, published and makes its way to a reader has value in just that. The rest is gravy.I have the books I love, the ones I couldn’t put down, the ones I didn’t want to end and the ones I reread. I have the books I never read, the ones I couldn’t get into, the books I gave up on ,the books I read and didn’t like.So that is the truth of it.I will keep reading and keep writing.
This Book Stinks
