For the love of books

Magnet #1197 - Lexxie Couper

I think this might be the last of the Romantic Times convention magnets that my friend brought back for me. Figured it was appropriate, since I just finished watching @avonbooks' Romance Live webcast with romance writers Julia Quinn and Elizabeth Boyle.

I love books. I love the look of them, I love the feel of them. I love holding them.

I love the places they take me, the ideas they hold, and the stories they tell.

But, these last couple of years, I've been having a crisis of faith over the actual reading of them.

I've gone from reading back to back to back to not having read more than a handful of books over the course of the last year. And three of those books were Sarah MacLean's trilogy, so that almost doesn't count (except that they were so very good).

It's troubling, because I used to could drown myself in other people's lives and be transported to the romantic worlds of Regency or Victorian England for a few hours. I could distract myself with books on architecture or the film industry or history.

Now, instead, I buy a ton of books with every intention of reading, but then I can't make it the first couple of chapters before I'm distracted from it, and never pick it up again - which is why I have stacks and stacks of books in my apartment, all bookmarked for my supposed return.

A lot of my problem is that I really can't read without editing. Rewording paragraphs, finding plotholes, recognizing character development mistakes or making mental improvements. I've even found myself composing the revision letters to the authors in my head.

Now, it's more than just that. And I can't figure it out, no matter how hard I try. It's kind of driving me crazy, because I keep hearing everyone I know talk about how much they're reading lately. I'm so jealous!

Clearly my reading block doesn't stop me from buying. So, you're welcome, publishers!

My latest attempt to jump-start my reading is the Kindle app on my Droid Pro. I figured I'd give the app a try, rather than investing in any real sort of eReader. So far, it's great - I buy a title with just one click, and boom. I own it, and can read it whenever I have downtime in random places.

Mind you, I do hate that I'm spending random $7.99s all over the place, and have no physical stack of books to show for it. But, I'm starting to see the same trend - buying a ton of books, and the app's saving a place for my supposed return.

Right now, I'm in the middle of Bossypants (by Tina Fey, which is actually pretty good), Contest (by Matthew Reilly, set in the NYPL, but I wish I'd been told there was an actual monster in it), and More than a Mistress (by Mary Balogh, which was reco'd on Twitter and is ok, though I'm having issues with the characters).

On top of that, I've bought, but haven't yet started The Vespertine (by Saudra Mitchell, because Sarah MacLean kept Tweeting about it), Just Like Heaven (by Julia Quinn, because Theresa Medeiros Facebook'd it), and Lord Langley Is Back in Town (by Elizabeth Boyle, because of tonight's webcast).

The only title that I've actually finished is Unlocked (by Courtney Milan, because it was gifted to me by a reviewer on Twitter, and likely because it was a novella).

See? All these, bought in the last month.

Yep, apparently, my susceptibility to all forms of publicity is still in full bloom...now, I just have to figure out how to get my reading mojo back!

Wish me luck!