Wednesday 21 March 2012

I'm a slow reader and I don't care.

No, not like that. I mean it takes me AGES to read a book. Most of the time. And that's often not as a consequence of me not liking the book. I'm just a slow reader, and that ok. Yeh hear me Michelle, it's OK *shakes fist at speedy-reading friend*.

I'm trying to read more this year. But that, for me, is about making sure I always have another book to read and don't leave big gaps between books. Because you know what? I like taking my time. I like reading every single word, and going back to re-read passages I loved and think about them. I like taking a day before starting the next book to think about the book and what I can take from it.

One of the many incredible things about being a writer is that I get to mooch around a bookshop for hours at a time (like Sunday, which was Mother's day in the UK) and call it market research. I couldn't have a better job than this.

So I'm going to keep that number on my Goodreads shelf ticking up, and I'm never going to reach the end of my t-b-r pile.

At least I hope not : )

Here are the last two books I read (slowly) and loved:


Before I FallBefore I Fall by Lauren Oliver


Brilliant. Masterful. Read it!






Anna and the French KissAnna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins


HEA *happy sigh*










23 comments:

  1. I'm a slow reader, too! If my husband and I are reading the same book, I'll only be about 2/3 of the way through it when he's finished reading. But then after I'm done, I know every single thing about that book. And he was reading so fast that he's hazy on the details. I'll take my way any day!

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    1. Me too. I thought I was just slow for years, but now I think of it as paying attention to detail : )

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  2. Oh my goodness, I cried like a baby at the end of Before I fall. SO GOOD.

    *blushes* I'm guilty of being a fast reader, but I'm also one of those sick types that can reread a book 10 times in a month - like watching a favorite movie over and over. I drive my friends nuts :)

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    1. There are very few books I reread as an adult. Wuthering Heights I've read a LOT, but since it takes me a while to read a book, I don't tend to do the same one twice!

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  3. That's my goal, too. I'm a slow reader as well. And I loved ANNA!

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    1. I didn't think Anna was my sort of thing, but it was recommended to me so I tried it. So glad I did! Lola went straight on my tbr : )

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  4. Anna and The French Kiss was so great!! And normally it's not the sort of book I'd of picked up, but lurved it. I am a fast reader, but sometimes I make myself slow down because I know I retain more, get more out of it when I do. But if the book's good...I DEVOUR it!

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    1. I'm always :O when I see people have read a book in one afternoon. I'd like to compare it to scarfing a whole box of maltesers in one sitting instead of savouring them over days. I'd *like* to do that, but I can't :P

      Still, the sentiment is there, for books if not chocolate. They don't go in properly if I don't read at the speed I talk!

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  5. Hi Ruth- I stumbled upon your blog and look forward to making more bloggy friends. Okay, that and I love reading other people's blogs. :-D I LOVE Before I Fall and Anna and The French Kiss (although I liked the original title better- Anna and the Boy Masterpiece...I think AaTFK is too 'cutesy' for my liking). I am a fast reader (I can read books in 3 hours), but I have a lot of friends who it takes weeks for them to read a book. I also think it depends on the book. I am a college senior (?!?!) and this past spring break (mylastbreakever?!?), I took the entire week to read Game of Thrones. It also took me about 10 hours to re-read my own novel as I was editing because, lol, I kept finding better things to do!

    I hope you keep enjoying reading, even if it takes you longer than us speed-readers. The important thing is that you are reading - period.

    Rachel
    http://rachelwritesthings.blogspot.com

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    1. I didn't know it had a different title! But I suppose most things do. My ms is on its second name too, and don't get me started on the characters!

      And you're right - the important thing is that I love reading and that I find a way to fit it in. That first part's easy, the second not so much :P

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    2. Haha, yeah - my WIP went through a lot of titles before I found the right one: ex- Novel, Work in Progress, Novel with No Name, The Little Novel That Could, Downward Spiral, I Should Just Name You After the Love Interest, and finally... Violent Delights (my WIP is a contemporary YA that is seriously angsty lol). :-)

      And hey...I don't think you need to find a way to fit in Ruth. I think its important to stand out/be different especially in the YA genre. (Toomanyparanormallovetrianglesformytaste) :-)

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    3. fit *it* in - as in other stuff gets in the way : D

      I like a well done love triangle, but there should be more rectangles. Give the other shapes a chance! (Ignore me, I'm getting silly).

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  6. Whatever, Ruth! I shake my fist back at you!

    :P

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    1. Aw, that's fightin' talk.

      I'd challenge you to a read-off, but we both know how that would end :D

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  7. Last year I read the grand total of 2 books for pleasure (not that all the beta reads, which were many, weren't enjoyable, but I didn't specifically choose them.) This year I've already read 8 books, and I think it has something to do with my new Kindle. It comes everywhere with me. :-)

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    1. I've read more since I got my Kindle too. I'm on my 10th book this year and I don't think I've read that many for years!

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  8. Hi Ruth!

    I just gave you the Sunshine Award and tagged you with Lucky Seven!

    Check it out!

    Happy Writing!
    Dana

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  9. My goal is to read more this year as well! Not matter how hard I tried I was unable to read during my entire pregnancy, I just didn't have the patience.

    Now that my daughter is almost a year I can start picking up books again. I like to take my sweet ole time reading. I like to get caught up in the action and live in it for a bit before moving on to the next chapter or even the next book.

    Here's to purposefully slow readers!!

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  10. A huge "agree" to both of your reads-- I LOVED,LOVED,LOVED both of these books.

    Now, go out there and (slowly) read Lola and The Boy Next Door *happy grin*

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    1. I'm saving Lola for a while. I'm drawn to sadder books a lot of the time. But there's only so many in a row I can take. Lola will be on standby for when I can't stand any more sadness! :)

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