I Am

becoming a literary snob.

Now this does not mean I'm reading lots of Hemingway or Jane Austen. Nor am I conversing with the Mensa Book Group (is there one? How would I know, never got an invitation, hmmmm)

What I am declaring myself to be attaining is a literary filter. When I pick up a book one of the following must happen within the first thirty pages.

1. All of my attention is focused and transported into the world within. The writing style, the wit, the action, or the characters will create my fascination and intrigue to continue.

2. If I am not drawn to the action or the characters right away, then the writing style must hold my attention. If the writing is trite and predictable, without a plot I wish to follow, then I am bored.

And when I am bored my eyes scan the page. If a machine would be recognizing the amount of time my eyes remained on the page, I doubt the number would be large. I'm sure I would be caught as a reading 'scammer', not really reading at all.

Recently I returned a book to the library because I thought the writing was trite, even though I really wanted to finish the book. I just couldn't concentrate. I skimmed. I raced through a paragraph, not really even remembering what was on the page. And as always happens I did some self-talk and said there are millions of other books out there that need to be read, sadly this is not one.

When I was placing the book in the return slot one of the librarians, whom I have known for years, was stopping to say hello and she commented on the book, did I enjoy it? With woeful look I told her I just couldn't read it and I felt I let the book down and felt guilty.

Now that is a good discussion across from a therapist. Why is it, how is it, that I can't set aside a book and NOT feel guilty? Nobody likes everything or everyone. We all have our individual tastes. And you are not a quitter because you move on to another book.

Oh well, I have moved on. A book I've been waiting to read for weeks has just arrived in my hold box at the library and I am so excited to retrieve it today.

Maybe that's the topic for a post, the thrill, the anticipation a book can bring.