Do you ever just sit down and think…”I could be reading so many things right now, if I weren’t here”? That was me today. I was feeling kind of melancholy, kind of tired, and kind of cold – like actually cold, I would have loved to curl up under a blanket. Last night I made the decision to put down a book that I’ve wanted to read for a long time. I found myself not wanting to get into the story. I couldn’t figure out if it was the subject matter that was averse to me, or if I’m just not in the right headspace for it. I won’t note the book title, but I will say that it’s an extremely sad and haunting memoir. Now that I sit here typing this out, I don’t think I can say that it was the subject matter that turned me off. I think I do want to read this…but it’s simply not the right time in my life for it.
Does that happen to anyone else? Sometimes I put something back on the shelf and three years later I wake up and decide that it’s the time to read it. That’s happened to me a couple of times, with books like The Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood, and Wicked (though I still haven’t finished Wicked…). It just isn’t the right time in my life to read about the true and real-life loss that this woman felt, because I can’t relate to it today.
I think I am also about to turn off an audio book that isn’t grabbing me as much as I want it to. Which bums me out because I actually end up enjoying the story once I get into it, but it’s moving a little slow for my taste. I’ve got some podcasts to catch up on, so maybe I’ll just listen to those until I get out of this slump.
So as of this moment, I am down to only two books. This is unusual for me – I usually have four or five going at once. But maybe I’m just getting to the point in the year when I hit a wall. It happens to the best of us, you know? I’d rather sit and sink into the books I’m holding on to, one of which I’ve been reading for literally almost six months (we all know which one this is, don’t we?). I have finally made it to the half way mark of IT, and for the first time since starting the book, I am thinking about reading it while I’m not home. That, to me, is the telltale sign that I am hooked. When I’m thinking about how excited I am to get home and do nothing but read on the couch, it’s finally hit that good stride with me. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve definitely enjoyed it up to this point, but now I don’t need breaks in between chapters.
The second book I am currently reading is simply called Witches: Salem 1692, by Stacy Schiff. It’s a history of the Salem witch trials, which I’ve always been curious about but never knew much about. Growing up in the Bible belt doesn’t exactly encourage witchy education, you know? So far I am really enjoying it. Schiff’s voice is loud and clear, and uniquely describes the history in a way that is sober but somehow amusing at the same time.
So there you have it. A nice little rambling post from me on a random Wednesday. Happy reading, guys!
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