Rules of Reading

They stand, hips jutting out, swords swung over shoulders, midriff shirts and hip hugger jeans exposing flat, muscular abdomens. One after the other, they dot the covers of books lined up on the shelf. Girls with swords; it’s the latest fad in the fantasy scene. Modern girls fighting the unseen world, with swords, guns or their own hands. Whether they are demon fighters, vampire slayers, or shapeshifting mechanics, they all have killer abs and rock hard biceps. Oh, to be eighteen, sexy and dangerous!

So, you see, even librarians judge books by their covers. If the cover gets you to pick up the book, what keeps you reading? I used to believe that if I started reading a book, I had to finish it. Like there was some book reading god out there judging me on my completion rate. Until sometime after I finished my first college degree I realized I wasn’t reading very much. I had started this book that I just couldn’t get through, but because I couldn’t finish it I thought I couldn’t read anything else. Who made all these rules? And, of course, I realized I had. Or at least I was imposing them on myself. So I made new rules. First rule, no book gets read if it hasn’t total captured my attention by chapter two. And second rule, always read more than one book at a time.

As I’ve gotten older, my attention span has gotten shorter. There’s less time left and books get less chance to grab me. I’ve gone from giving a book two chapters, to one chapter, to one page, to one paragraph. Sometimes, I even decide in one sentence. All writers know this. Make your first sentence perfect. It may be the only chance you get.

I’m also of “the read a few books at a time” school. I like non-fiction, but I’m not a fast non-fiction reader. I always need a novel to alternate with my non-fiction. I usually have a book on writing I’m working on, too. And I may be reading a children’s or young adult novel, along with a slightly more literary work. I confess, I read a lot of young adult novels. They are fast past page turners that keep me reading. They usually have good first lines.

“What on earth do you have in here?” I get the comment a lot when people try to pick up my book bag. Books, of course! I not only read several books at a time, I like to carry them all with me. You never know when you finally get a minute to read, what you are going to feel like reading. So carry a selection, that’s my theory. I’ve usually got a novel, a couple books on writing, two journals and my netbook with me. Boy scouts aren’t the only ones who believe in being prepared. Writers and readers need to be always prepared, too.

So even though I don’t have rock hard abs and a sword in hand, if a see any demons I can hit them with my book bag. It’s loaded and ready for action.