Reading

I was and still am never much of a reader. I've read some complete works in my life, eg. Sherlock Holmes and many books in the works of Henry David Thoreau, John Muir, etal., and my latest was the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo this last summer.

But mostly I'm a researcher reader. I read what I need learn or know about something or read about the idea, logic or theory about something to understand the background of it, some issue or whatever, and then get back to work.

I've always felt bad about this since Mom was a prolific reader, but mostly consumer or romance novels. She read a lot for work, mostly legal and/or insurance material (she was a senior insurance adjustor negotiating large lawsuits), but otherwise, she rarely read other than novels.

I never saw my father read and I doubt he read more than he needed to know about something. When I look back I'm often surprised how much I have read about a subject because I criticize myself for not reading enough, even newspapers.

I just to read 2-3 newspapers 4-5 days a week and always the Sunday papers. I still buy the Sunday New York Times, Seattle Times and Tacoma News Tribune and spend Sunday morning into the afternoon looking at every page and reading many articles. Nice way to spend a day.

Anyway, the point is that listening to an interview with Nancy Pearl, the former Chief Librarian for the Seattle Public Library, talking about recent books to read and where she says that the she starts ten books for every book she finishes.

She says she stops somewhere in the first chapter in those books because they don't interest her. And one in 10 or 11 books captures her attention and interest to read it through. That's nice to know about reading.

So don't feel bad, just keep reading until it holds your attention. I'm still looking for the next series to read the complete works. Someone suggested the Hunger Games. I love the Dragon Tattoo series and the movie doesn't hold a candle to it.