Reading

I realized sometime yesterday that I'd checked out eight books from the library last week and had yet read one. Since they're due back soon, I figured I'd better get busy. Not to mention, I needed a bit of distraction and reading is how I've always escaped. Reading is a bit different when you're a writer. Sometimes it's hard to turn off that internal editor and read for pure pleasure. I tend to examine rather than relax and get lost in the story. Occasionally, I catch myself rewording sentences in my head, or going back to see if the time line makes sense.
I read very fast. People accuse me of skimming, which is true to some extent, but just because I don't read every single word of a sentence doesn't mean I've lost any part of the story. I tend to skip over common words and phrases, and some descriptions, but like I said, I always know what's happening in the book and what things look like. Unless I'm bored (which is something you never want to hear as a writer).
Before I started writing, I would finish every book I started, even if I felt like banging it against a wall. These days I don't have time for that. If I'm not completely engaged by the end of the first chapter, it's over, baby. Sometimes not even that far into it. I'm not one to reread either since I usually remember the stories I love. I used to. I would reread my favorites regularly, probably as far back as when I was a kid. The "Little House on the Prairie" series was my favorite (no snickering), and well as "Nancy Drew". In my teenage years, and I can't remember the title, though I know I have the book on my keeper shelf, it was a story about a runaway girl. These days, there's that time factor. I try to read more current releases to keep up on what's been/being bought in the industry and what readers like these days. There are only a few books I'd even consider reading twice - and yes, Harry Potter falls into that category.
Anyway. (Yes. I'm aware I'm rambling.)
Last night I grabbed a category romance I borrowed because I was curious about the line and how they pulled it off without sounding technical and fan-ish. It was a quick read for me - a few hours tops - and I truly enjoyed the story and the characters. But feeling restless as I was, I reached for an old favorite before going to bed. I've loved Nicholas Sparks' books since first reading "Message in a Bottle". No, he doesn't always have a happy ending, but since I know that's a possibility I'm okay with that. Sometimes life is messy and sad. I picked up "The Wedding", which relates quite a bit to "The Notebook". It's an amazing story of love and renewal and the efforts of one man to save his marriage. I have to say I think I loved it even more the second time because I knew the surprise ending already. Part of the fun was looking for the foreshadowing to the later events. The clues were always there, but without knowing what the grand surprise, the reader wasn't looking at it for anything other than what it was supposed to be.
And yes, I could have been doing a million other things instead of re-reading, but it was worth it.
Oh! And a birthday shoutout to my sister, M. She doesn't read this blog at all, but I'd feel weird if I didn't mention it here.
Behave!