I know that there are some of you out there that read more than one thing at once, and don't have a problem with it at all. In a way, I applaud you, because I have never successfully joined your ranks. When I start a book, I'm in for the long haul. Front to back, start to finish, I'll only be true to one book...
Unless something new and beautiful catches my eye.
I'll try to tell myself that it's wrong to put down a book in the middle for another book. I should be true to the author, true to myself, and read the thing all the way through, no stopping.
But sometimes that other book just looks so damned good.
It starts out harmlessly enough. A quick peek at Amazon to see what other people are saying. Maybe a hurried trip to the author's blog during a lunch break.
But pretty soon, I'm looking for sample chapters of that other, newer, younger book, while my Kindle sits idle on the screen with the old man toweling himself off in front of a snake (you know the one).
I promise myself that's as far as I'll go. Just some sample chapters, nothing serious. I just want to see what the author had to say on twitter, and then I'll be all done. I'm in control here. I can stop at any time and go back to my old book.
But inevitably, late at night, all alone, I'll fire up Amazon and my passion will take control. That one click button will flirt with me one too many times, and the desire to savor every single word of that gorgeous new book will be too much.
After a couple hours of hot, sweaty reading, I tell myself that I'll still put in a few hours here and there with my old book. But just thinking about the old book brings up comparisons in my mind.
This new book just has so much going for it. Look at all that silky smooth prose. And my old book could never give me action like this new one can. The more I think about it, the more excited I'll get, until I finally can't contain it anymore and I find myself reading the new book front to back in less than a day, pausing only to use the bathroom and get some snacks to keep my energy up. My thirst for the tight plot of the new book can't be quenched until I've read her all the way.
Eventually, out of shame and a desire to be able to stand tall and be proud of myself, I'll go crawling back to the old book. I'll promise myself that it will never happen again, and start to plod along with the old book until it's finished.
So, anyone else out there experience something similar to what I'm going through? With books, that is? Anyone else cheat on their books?
Unless something new and beautiful catches my eye.
I'll try to tell myself that it's wrong to put down a book in the middle for another book. I should be true to the author, true to myself, and read the thing all the way through, no stopping.
But sometimes that other book just looks so damned good.
It starts out harmlessly enough. A quick peek at Amazon to see what other people are saying. Maybe a hurried trip to the author's blog during a lunch break.
But pretty soon, I'm looking for sample chapters of that other, newer, younger book, while my Kindle sits idle on the screen with the old man toweling himself off in front of a snake (you know the one).
I promise myself that's as far as I'll go. Just some sample chapters, nothing serious. I just want to see what the author had to say on twitter, and then I'll be all done. I'm in control here. I can stop at any time and go back to my old book.
But inevitably, late at night, all alone, I'll fire up Amazon and my passion will take control. That one click button will flirt with me one too many times, and the desire to savor every single word of that gorgeous new book will be too much.
After a couple hours of hot, sweaty reading, I tell myself that I'll still put in a few hours here and there with my old book. But just thinking about the old book brings up comparisons in my mind.
This new book just has so much going for it. Look at all that silky smooth prose. And my old book could never give me action like this new one can. The more I think about it, the more excited I'll get, until I finally can't contain it anymore and I find myself reading the new book front to back in less than a day, pausing only to use the bathroom and get some snacks to keep my energy up. My thirst for the tight plot of the new book can't be quenched until I've read her all the way.
Eventually, out of shame and a desire to be able to stand tall and be proud of myself, I'll go crawling back to the old book. I'll promise myself that it will never happen again, and start to plod along with the old book until it's finished.
So, anyone else out there experience something similar to what I'm going through? With books, that is? Anyone else cheat on their books?
You sure do know how to make a book blush.
ReplyDeleteOmg. That was so funny! I have an open relationship with my books. Right now a bunch of us are in bed together. Les Mis is actually on top of another book. Ok I gotta simmer down or my comment will be deleted.
ReplyDeleteWhat can I say? Myke Cole's Control Point is a home wrecker.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it. :)
ReplyDeleteahh, i love posts like this. when we talk about books and stories like we'd talk about. . . well, lovers. because they can be.
ReplyDeleteI used to cheat on my books all the time. I be seeing three different books a week, sometimes one for lunch, and a different for dinner and drinks. I was reading a lot more non-fiction back then too. But these days, I only cheat on a book if it's just not doing it for me, if I need the spark, the intensity, dare I say it, the danger, of something new and special. But I try not to let the books find out about each other.
The worst has to be that the author whose book I was reading saw that I was cheating on him. Embarrassing, but I really just needed a quick break from his book. I suffer from epic fantasy burnout sometimes. :) Still, horribly embarrassing to see that he knows I put his book down for another.
ReplyDeleteSo what you're saying here is... it's more of a literary affair? Ba dum Tish!
ReplyDelete