The Sunday Salon: Confession Time

Welcome to the Sunday Salon, a place where we can discuss bookish, or not-so-bookish things. I'm getting a late start today because I didn't think I had anything earth shattering to contribute as I haven't got a lot of reading done. But after reading a blog post at Still Unfinished, I realized maybe I did have something to say after all. (Thanks Bryan!)

His post about the pressures of blogging, reviewing and reading was a breath of fresh air to me and I found myself relating to much of what he said. If you haven't read it yet, I encourage you to stop by. There's some great conversations happening there right now.

So taking inspiration from Bryan and his advice to write my own post, here are some of my thoughts on the subject that he so eloquently spoke about:

On Blogging: I have stopped pressuring myself to keep up with other bloggers and readers like I did when I first began blogging. You can drive yourself crazy doing that.  I also believed I had to read all of the newest releases and post my thoughts as quickly as possible to stay relevant. But all that did was deter me from why I started reading and blogging in the first place: My love of books and sharing them with other book lovers. I have eclectic taste in books but there are certain genres I don't care for at all, so I stay away from them - even if that means I'm not in the 'cool' crowd.  I've never been one to read the most mainstream books just because they're on the Hot List somewhere. For instance, I've never read a Harry Potter book! (I know...gasp!) Nor have I read any of the Twilight Saga or even Fifty Shades of Grey, but that's a whole other topic!

You know how as you get older you care less and less what people think? Well, not to sound like a snob or anything, but that's kind of how I feel about my blogging, reviewing and reading. There's no way I could possibly keep up with all of the people I see on social media, so why should I drive myself nuts trying to? I read and blog because I enjoy it. Its not my job, I don't HAVE to do it - its purely for my pleasure. I know many of you feel the same way.

On Reading: Another thing about me is that I'm not a fast reader. Never have been. I enjoy taking my time with a book, especially a well written book and enjoying the writers' craft. For instance, when I read The Book Thief, I would re-read whole sections because the writing took my breath away! I wonder: If you're reading fast do you miss certain things? I once read a book with a friend.(It was one of Stieg Larrson's books) and I read so much slower than my friend that I struggled to keep up with her and it was constantly on my mind while I read, that I gave up and just read at my own pace. Afterward, I felt there were some moments in the book she didn't recall the way I did.

My slow reading pace is also one reason I don't do challenges. The other is I like to pick my next book pertaining to the mood I'm in, which can change on a dime.  I'm all over the map with what books I want to read so keeping to a particular genre or theme wouldn't work for me. Plus, its the whole pressure to keep up thing again.

On Reviewing: Many of the books I read have been out for years and I used to feel no one would be interested in those reviews but I've realized that's just not true. I do enjoy writing reviews and I write one for every book I read. I don't always follow a format and sometimes I just start them off like a conversation but one thing I NEVER do in a review is reveal any spoilers! I am adamant about that. I talk about the book and its characters in a way that if you haven't yet read it, I'm not going to ruin anything for you. That is a pet-peeve of mine. I take great care in avoiding spoilers and I know my readers appreciate that.

As for today, the reason I didn't think I had anything to share is because I've been having a hard time getting started with a book lately. I've chosen a few books I have a genuine interest in but I'm having trouble getting started. I know this is a terrible way to start the year, so I'm hoping it will soon pass. One reason may be that the lenses in my glasses need to be updated. Luckily I have an appointment with the eye doctor Wednesday and will be ordering new ones! I'm hoping my reading will pick up once I get my new glasses. I'm also suffering from some double-vision which makes reading a bit difficult to say the least!

So for today, I'll be flapped out in my comfy chair watching the NFL playoffs and hopefully getting started with DARK PLACES by Gillian Flynn. A friend of mine read this awhile back and said it was really good. Supposedly its being made into either a movie or a TV series later this year.

Thanks for stopping by today! Do you feel any pressures regarding reading, blogging or reviewing? Don't forget to visit Still Unfinished and join that conversation!

Musing Mondays: Reading Habits

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about boys and reading…

When reading do you read every word? Do you ever skip chapters or skim over parts? (question courtesy of Wendy)

This is an easy one for me! I am definitely not a skimmer. And I NEVER skip whole chapters! The only time I may skim through a paragraph or two is if the book I'm reading is quickly losing my interest and I'm looking for something to grasp. Fortunately, that doesn't happen often. I like to read every word that is written to make sure I'm getting what the author is trying to tell me. I'm not a super-fast reader either. I wouldn't say I'm slow, but I certainly want to appreciate the book I'm reading. Especially if I've been asked to review said book - I want to give it the attention it deserves.

I hope I'm not getting off-topic here, but I'm always amazed at how some readers zip through a book in a day. How do they do that? Would I want to do that? Are they skimming? I bow down to those readers! Me? I read for enjoyment and I don't enjoy speed-reading - it gives me a headache! I like to savor my books. Like many other bloggers, I work forty hours a week, which really cuts into my reading time on weekdays. Therefore, I usually only read three to four books a month and I feel pretty good about that number. But who knows, maybe I am a slow reader.

What are your reading habits? Are you a skimmer?

Booking Through Thursday: Reading Time

1. Do you get to read as much as you WANT to read?

Absolutely not! If I had my wish, I’d quit my job and read 8 hours a day! My favorite time to read is first thing in the morning when my brain is fresh and my eyes aren’t tired. During the week, by the time I get home from work, do the daily things around the house, its usually close to 9:00pm before I can sit down to read and by then, I’m so tired, that I fall asleep after a few pages. The weekends are better, but I still struggle for reading time.

2. If you had (magically) more time to read–what would you read? Something educational? Classic? Comfort Reading? Escapism? Magazines?

If I magically had more reading time, I’d definitely spend more time on the classics. That is actually my goal for 2009. I’ve read very few of them and I’d really like to familiarize myself with books such as PRIDE AND PREJUDICE and JANE EYRE and I’d like to re-read THE GRAPES OF WRATH that I origianally read in high school.

What about you? If you had all the time in the world, what would you choose to read?

The Sunday Salon: Do You Ever Feel Guilty?

Hello and thanks for visiting my Sunday Salon! I've had a pretty uneventful book week, but I am enjoying reading A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS, which I'm almost finished with. I can't say I like it as much as THE KITE RUNNER, but it is still a great book. I'll have my review in a day or so. I am still waiting on 2 remaining ARCs, one from LT and one from The Book Network. Hopefully they'll arrive soon.

Yesterday I spent most of the day with my mom and sister. It was a girls day out. We went to the pet store where my sister adopted another kitty, went shopping and just had fun. We haven't had a day like that in awhile and it was great. We had a delicious lunch of Caesar salad with shrimp and lobster. It was a fantastic, light lunch. Afterwards, I went to my local used book store and traded in some books I've had for awhile and really didn't care for too much. I ended up with $30 of store credit towards future purchases, which thrilled me! While there I found a copy of Anne Tyler's BACK WHEN WE WERE GROWNUPS that I've been wanting to read. I've never read any of her books so I'm looking forward to that. I also picked up A WALK IN THE WOODS by Bill Bryson. It's the sometimes humorous, sometimes frightening account of his trek up the Appalachian Trail. That one is actually a birthday present for my boss who is a kayaker/bicyclists and an avid reader. I know he'll appreciate the book. And hopefully will let me borrow when he's finished!

I got up early this morning, put some chicken in my crockpot for dinner later, whipped up a veggie omelet for breakfast, then grabbed a cup of coffee and read for a few hours. I didn't make it to church this morning, but even though I've been reading, I've had laundry going that I didn't get to yesterday, so at least I have the illusion of doing something productive while I'm reading! I don't know why, but sometimes I feel guilty when I close off the world and sit and read for hours. Like I should be doing something. I guess it comes from the work ethic my parents instilled in me. I keep telling myself its ok to relax and do nothing sometimes. I still struggle with it though. Do any of you ever feel that way? Or is it just my weirdness coming out? LOL I'd love to know your thoughts on this.

I hope you all enjoy your Sunday and the books you're reading. I'm going to go mix up an iced cappuccino from my Toddy cold-brewed coffee system, (if you love coffee and you've never tried this you should check it out - its delicious!) grab my book and read for awhile longer. Happy Reading!