"There is a number of books I feel guilty about. Some of them are presents I recieved years ago, that aren't really my type - and I'm freaking out everytime I see the person who gave them to me, waiting for the "Did you like it?" I feel guilty of having prejudice about books and authors I've never tried. And all those classics I've never checked - aww the lingering guilt of being a bad reader!Books I've started but never finished. And that time I spent so much on that hardcover beauty, but still haven't opened it?"
What type of books are you guilty about?
Before we had the boys we used to go on holidays for the weekend shopping! (Holidays? Shopping? What are they again?) We would go to the big book stores in the city & have a hell of a time in there. It's funny as I really wouldn't buy like that just at home. Any how, I still have a bunch of those on the shelf, but I have been getting through those quite well. I have been reading them off my shelf for the last two years I think, with occasional ones from the library & occasional buys from the op shops. I have been culling my book shelf. So I read & give away or trade in at the second hand shop. That has been good fun!
I have been given books at odd times. Not often but occasionally. I got one for Christmas from Stuart. It was quite a surprise as I even said to him "but I don't read books set in Australia!". He laughed & said he knew that but it still sounded like the kind of story I would like to read. Yes, I don't like books set in Australia. I don't know why, I just don't like them. But having said that, I have read a couple. Monica McInerney has written a couple that end up in Aussie. I like her stuff.
I am almost finished the one Stuart gave me for Christmas though. The World Beneath by Cate Kennedy has been interesting & yes, it is kind of my style. What was even weirder is that it is even set in Tasmania! OK well I am never going bush walking in the highlands but I have heard of all the references in the book so that was interesting. For the rest it is quite fictional & still a regular story that it doesn't really matter where it is set. So maybe that's been a good thing. Maybe that will defeat my dislike of Australian stuff...
I have a couple of others that I have been given that I don't expect I will ever read. But hey, I might just try now. It is good to try things you don't normally buy for yourself. But I do have a bit more freedom now since the day I gave myself permission to not finish a book I was hating... I never did. Once I started it I had to finish it. But I hated Da Vinci Code. Hated it. Had enjoyed his first book but hated this one for some reason. So I stopped. It was quite liberating. I was allowed to do that! So now, I sure don't finish stuff I am not enjoying. There are too many books out there to read that I will like so why waste energy & time on unenjoyable ones!
I am not much of a reader of biographies. I do have a couple of those too. Gifts. One I will still have to read is the Michael J Fox one. I think he's terrific! But when I will read it I don't know. I only really read when I go to bed these days & really like mindless reads then & auto/biographies don't seem to work for me at sleep time.
So what do you struggle to read? Anything or nothing? Have you spent a fortune on a book you haven't read yet?
5 comments:
I have trouble reading autobiographies. The person has to be really interesting for me to even pick it up LOL.
I love reading and the best thing I ever bought was a kindle. It just sits in my bag and comes out on the bus trip to and from work, lunchtime and when I am sitting in the car waiting for DH LOL
I love reading....love biographies....and also find it hard not to finish a book I don't like but it is liberating when I do put it down. We have lots of books on shelves but most have been read......my secret love would be to own a bookstore...with a big children's section.....did you ever pass that book on I sent or did you send it to me and I passed it on?
Happy reading xxx
I find it very hard to tell people that I didn't finish the book they lent me saying "this is so good, you must read it" and I didn't like it at all.
I was once told; There are more books in the world than you will ever have time to read. So true! For many years I always finished a book started,despite not liking it. Good girl syndrom I guess..tehee Have learned though ;) Mostly English and Norwegian classics in my shelves. Lord of the Rings I will never finish though..
Well I love books set in Australia! So there you go - we're polar opposites with that one. Saying that though I like books set in other places and times too.
I haven't read many biographies or autobiographies... but having read both of the MJF ones I think I'll make more of an effort to do that from now on. It was interesting.
I'm "suppose" to be reading a book call "Family Acts" just now... because I told myself that I would read it... but I haven't got past the first page. Maybe I'll give it one more go this weekend, if no success I best return it to the library.
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