Being the avid reader I am, I am a firm believer in the Snoopy poster above. I need books to read every bit as much as actual food. One nourishes my mnd and heart while the other feeds my body. I am rarely without a book nearby. I snatch moments out of my day to read and sometimes hours in the evenings. I consider reading to be one of my greatest pleasures.
As a writer, I read with two mindsets. One as merely a person who wants to enjoy a good story. The second one is reading with the eyes of a writer which sometimes causes me to be too critical. On the other hand, it also allows me to fully appreciate beautiful prose.
Last week, I started to read a book that I had brought home from the library. The opening chapter left me wondering about the rest of the book. "This is a dumb book!" I said to my husband who was watching tv. One more chapter and I slammed the book shut and left it on the coffee table to be returned to the library. What drivel it was. It made mo sense, brought no questions to the reader's mind, was just plain boring.
This week, I brought more books home from the library, all of which sounded like something that would appeal to me. I read 30 pages of one and ended up with the same scenario as the other one that I didn't like. Mumbled to my husband and slammed the book shut and tossed it on the coffee table.
It is rare that I don't finish a book. Granted, I like some better than others, but I do read from beginning to end. Both books had authors who are far, far younger than I am, but they were historical fiction which is my favorite genre. It's why I brought them home, even the frontispiece summarizing the story had appealed to me.
So, what was wrong with them? It may be that authors who are very young look at the world in a different perspective than I do. Remember the phrase generation gap that we heard over and over a few years ago? Maybe that was one problem. The other was that the writing itself was boring. Oh yes, I do mean that. Paragraphs to say what could have been said in one sentence. Describing the scene until the reader wants to scream "Get on with it!"
What amazes me is that books like this get published. I am fully aware that not all books are for all people but I would be surprised if either of these two particular books found happy readers on a large scale. I know that there are many good writers hoping to get published but run into a brick wall with every attempt. I know that because I've read some of them in my writing groups through the years. Good stories, well written but no contract. Yet, some poor writers get published.
I am going to start reading a new book this evening. I have high hopes that it will be one I like. I hope I'm not disappointed once again. I need the nourishment books provide.
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