Sometimes I Can't Read

Sometimes, I cannot read.  I do not have dyslexia.  I am not illiterate. My vision is 20/20.  It is a much more superficial problem than those.  I have had countless times in my life where I have picked up a book, read the synopsis, then soon discover the back cover was the most intriguing part of the printing.  There is quite a collection of books in my home that I have only read the first 25-50 pages.  If it cannot keep my interest after that, I usually close the cover and put it on a shelf.  My sister (Sis #1) is a maniacal, reading machine.  She lent me her copy of Stephen King's 11/22/63.  Amazing book.  I loved it.  I read all 849 pages in about three weeks.  She read it in three days.

I have a confession about high school:  out of all the books I had to read for my English classes, I only read two from beginning to end.  Those two books were To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut.  Technically, I did not read all of To Kill a Mockingbird in high school.  I actually read it in my eighth grade English class, so I reread it my freshman year.  Two complete books on my required reading list in four years.  Two books.  Four years.  I read parts of other literary classics like The Good Earth, The Great Gatsby, The Grapes of Wrath, Great Expectations (maybe I just do not like books that have the letter "G" in the title...quite an alliteration of unread literary works).  I would start the book then lose interest.  I started depending on Cliff's Notes and my friend Cee (who was in the same classes) to give me the details I needed to pass my tests.  I do remember many essay questions where a circular pattern of bullshit that kind of sounded like the plot of the story convinced my teachers to at least give me partial points towards a passing score.  It is not that I did not read any books during high school.  But, I had discovered Stephen King, and none of his books were on the list.  Pet Semetery, Cujo, Carrie...those were the books I could sink my teeth into. 

I have books I have bought and books I have borrowed.  Books people have told me, "I loved it!  I couldn't put it down!"  If I cannot get in the book, I do not feel bad about letting it go.  Just to show that I am not a heartless, unforgiving bitch, there are books that I have given a second chance.  Books that I gave up, put down, but tried again and finished them.  It by Stephen King and A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving are two stories that were better the second time around, and they became two of my favorite books.

I have been on the other side of this equation, too.  Books I have really loved and have shoved into the hands of others.  "I loved it!  I couldn't put it down."  I told Sis #1 this about The Passage by Josh Cronin.  She was hesitant at first, but after reading it, she said it is probably one of the best books he has read.  The other one I loved is Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith.  I had to convince my husband and my mother to read this book.  They both resisted, but once they started the book, they also enjoyed it very much.  I do not think Sis #1 has tried to read it.  I understand the title makes it a bit hard to swallow the story, but maybe if she tries it she might like it.

So, when it comes to what to read, choose what you like.  The books that are getting all the buzz may not be what interest you, so find something that does.  Give everything a try, maybe two tries.  The wonderful thing is that there is no shortage of things to read.  For Christ's sake, you sat here are read this, didn't you?  And, I appreciate it.