Rosie's Books

The moment you are at a very dramatic, intense, climatic moment in a book and then you see this message "your kindle is running out of battery, please charge now", you say 'no' extremely loud, your child runs towards you asking you if you are okay and you sadly reply 'my kindle ran out of battery', he gives you a funny look, and everyone continues on with their routines without understanding the trauma you just experienced. You then get an image in your head of that picture circulating on the internet that says "real books never run out of batteries", you frown and hate it for being right, defeated you put your kindle to charge and begin reading a hardcover book that you are almost done with it and two pages in you are again in the climax of a story and you smile because you will read through it all knowing this book will not run out of batteries. 

As I was creating a new reading list of the books that Rory Gilmore read or were mentioned in "Gilmore Girls" I started thinking about book lists. Now, I love book lists; they are fascinating, interesting, and allow us to find books we might not have encountered otherwise. We are being told on a constant basis what to read; the award winners, the Oprah Book Club, the books we should read to be considered well read, the books to read before you turn 25 or 30 or 40, and a myriad of other lists and books we feel we have to read even when we don't want to. I have lists and lists of books I have to read (or so I make myself belief). I peruse book lists on a constant basis and keep adding books to my already long 'tbr' list. I firmly believe in reading what you want. My point is - If you couldn't finish the 25 books you had to read before you turned 25 because of the 2 books on the list you just couldn't get through, it is okay. You shouldn't feel compelled to read a book because someone else told you to, you give it a chance and if you hate it, do not feel like you failed, maybe it is not the right time to read that particular book and if you pick it up in 5 years you will realize that you love it then, maybe it is a book you will cringe at even in 10 years from now and that is okay too. I have found that when I have reader's block it is the lack of reading freedom I give myself that is to blame. I go through my 'to read' lists with automatic precision at times. I now know that when I go through a phase such as this the best thing I can do is shed the lists and shed my expectations of my reading goals, I pick up a random book that catches my attention, I do no know if I will like it, I do not  know if I will hate it, it wasn't on my list, it wasn't a recommendation, I didn't read the reviews before I picked up, and I simply read it. It is a freedom we sometimes forget we have. As the quote that follows aptly puts it, read what you want. As a side not from me I remind you to not forget to read for yourself. 

"Read widely, and without apology. Read what you want to read, not what someone tells you you should read."
— Joyce Carol Oates.

I saw the movie a few weeks back and I decided right then and there I had to read the book. 

Consider the possibilities...

I come across this problem often, I begin reading a book that is part of a series that has 6 books in total and the last 3 have not been published yet, it will be another 4 years until the last book hits the book stands. I wait and I begin reading another book, it turns out this is part of a trilogy and all books are published, I read the first and second book and 'oh look at that, that book is awesome and cannot wait in the TBR pile any longer, must read now'. Now I am reading/waiting for more books in a series while reading books in a series. I am usually good at keeping track but I am looking for something more systematic. 

How do you keep track of books in a series? The ones you read, the ones you are waiting to be published, etc...

I was at 199 for a bit and I was looking forward to the day where I would reach 200, today was that day!!! Thank you for making it possible! It might seem like a small victory but even small victories count so here is a toast to that. 

I need this in my life right now.

Do you agree?

I actually tend to enjoy depressing books as much as I enjoy happy books.