Credit to/graphic taken from: http://www.buzzfeed.com/jenniferschaffer/literature-is-freedom#.ck4xm2kG3
Everywhere I turn, I see articles, blog posts, memes and quotes saying things like “Good writers read”.
Well, I guess that makes me a bad writer.
As a child and a teenager, I could easily devour several novels a week. I would read at every single opportunity – waiting for the bus or subway and then reading during the commute. If I’d had a choice between reading a book or hanging out with a friend, the decision would have been easy.
My love for reading was strong and unflinching.
A true love story.
I remember the good old days of holding back my laughter at a funny part in a book (to avoid the “Is she crazy?” look from strangers) or reading something a little risqué and foolishly looking over my shoulder as if the stranger next to me somehow knew what I was reading.
Then I went to law school.
With my head constantly stuck in hundreds of unrelenting, dry and boring law-related daily reading, my desire for reading for pleasure quickly died. Even after graduating, I would have preferred to watch paint dry than pick up a novel by one of my favorite authors. It took me years to pick up a book for pure enjoyment but even then, the feeling wasn’t the same.
These days, most of my novel reading is done on vacation and when I am away from home. If I’m in a lounge chair on the beach or next to a pool for 7 days, I can easily slay 5 decent sized-novels. But in my day to day life, I just can’t read consistently.
I totally agree that reading another writer’s words provides inspiration and that exploring other genres expands the mind. It’s only logical that “writing” and “being a reader” go hand in hand.
I just need to find a way to bring those “reading vacation reading flings” back home with me post-vacations.
I’m on a quest to fall back in love with being an avid reader.
I long for that blissful feeling in my life again.
Credit to/graphic taken from: http://www.buzzfeed.com/jenniferschaffer/literature-is-freedom#.ck4xm2kG3
What about you? Are you an avid reader? What’s on your To Be Read (TBR) list for 2018?
©2018 Marquessa Matthews. All Rights Reserved.
Updated from the originally posted March 17, 2016 version
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I’m sure my TBR list rivals the libraries of some small towns! There’s a bit of everything on it – nonfiction, fiction, biographies, memoirs, romance, mystery, humor, cooking, DIY. Now all I need is the time to read! LOL!
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I’ll read anything that catches my interest, but life’s too short to struggle through a boring book!
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TBR: The third Elena Ferrante novel, “If I Fall, If I Die,” by Michael Christie and “The Opposite of Everyone,” by Joshilyn Jackson. All sitting on my kitchen counter, waiting to be opened …
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What are they about?
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The Ferrante novel is the third of four books about a friendship that goes from childhood well into adulthood. “If I Fall …” is about the child of an agoraphobic who goes outside for the first time in his life. “The Opposite …” is about a divorce attorney and her relationship with her estranged mother.
I’m currently reading “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” about a war reporter from the Chicago Tribune .
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Ooohh, those sound interesting!
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this is so me right now!! I am going through a dry spell with my books, I just need to reach in and pick another good one out and devour it!! Life has been so busy lately
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Time, time, time…
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My reading time has dwindled with so much going on around me, but I get to read a page or two each night before sleeping.
Not sure that I remembered to let you know, so just in case I forgot, let me also use this opportunity to extend an invitation to a bloggers brunch party taking place on my blog on this weekend Sat-Sunday. The post is titled it’s a brunch party. I believe that it will be fun
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💕
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I was exactly like that as a kid- nose always in a book. Life just got in the way. Besides, as a blogger, I’ve fallen into the habits of reading blogs way more than books. I’ve been trying to get back to my first love.
I re-read Chimamanda Adichie‘s We Should All Be Feminists last night, and it was so good. Next up: Backwards in High Heels; The Impossible Art of Being Female by Tania Kindersley and Sarah Vine. Also planning to re-read some lovely books on grammar, punctuation and cats by Lynne Truss.
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Me too…reading more blogs than books. I’m thinking about opening my boxes of AA and Caribbean lit books in the basement and rereading. They will feel like a “new” read!😆
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I hope your love of reading is enriched by connections on blog posts.
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Of course, that is a given. I read hundreds of great posts by my amazing fellow bloggers…but I”d love to get back to novels too!
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I know just what you mean about law school killing the love of reading! Maybe that’s why I only stayed one semester!
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Lol! Someone who understands the dryness of a law book!👊
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Your last post was HILARIOUS! It doesn’t seem that your comments are enabled in the Reader so I couldn”t leave one!
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Really? I hope it works now. I love comments!
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Unfortunately no. When I access your blog from my cell via the Reader, I see no “bubble” to click in order to leave a comment….Maybe it’s just me! 😦
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This is one good piece! I never lost my passion for reading. Well, on my TBR list I have James Patterson books “Kiss the girls, First to die and Four blind mice”. You’ve got such a lovely blog here.
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Thanks and I’ll be sure to check out those books!
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I go through spurts of reading. Now I’m writing more, reading less. It’s not just a time thing, either, sometimes I just need a break!
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Same here! Writing more, reading less (except for fellow blogs) 🙂
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I think I read too much! 🙂 I need to write more. I would sometimes reread books, but only some books. If the book was boring, I’m not reading that again. If I really love a book I would read it to dissect it. Find out what I loved about it, and try to use it in my work. Mostly thought I just read for entertainment.
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👍I hear you! I’m doing the opposite but the great thing is that I’m loving it though I miss reading…
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You know I’m not an avid reader myself. I never have been. I always preferred to look at visuals like movies and cartoons. But I’ve always had a passion for writing. Call me a lazy researcher. It’s true! But, don’t feel bad. As long as you keep trying to get better, good things will happen. 🙂
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So very true!
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The only thing I’m reading lately are blogs! But I would like to read “Withering Heights” one day soon.
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The Brontë sisters? Great read!
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I rest my case. I’m a bad writer because I don’t read books.
I never have. I don’t know why that “chip” seems to be missing for me. Everybody in my family read books. All four of my children read books.
I don’t.
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Well, you are one of the exceptions because your writing rocks. 💕
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Love this post so much, thank you so much for sharing
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💕
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I totally empathize with this post. Even I became so busy in studies, career, home, children – it was as if I lost touch with not only books but myself as well. And then after about 2 decades or so I didnt know what i wanted to or liked to read! It’s been a slow journey but I am slowly getting back to reading 🙂
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I hear you. To get myself motivated, I unpacked boxes of my favorite books, placed them on the shelves in my livingroom in plain sight to “motivate” to reread some of them…and it is working!
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🙂 Kindle works for me – I find it easier on my eyes and back 😀
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🙄 I still prefer a physical book. And having them ‘in my line of vision motivates me.😊
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👍
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I love books but I have many to seep through and mentioning them would overtake the comments section. Lovely post.
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Same goes for me! 🙂
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👍🏼
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I loved this! I was just like you in devouring books when I was younger. I’ve been a teacher for a few years and I spend so much time finding material for my students that I have let my own literary longings take the backburner. I’ve also written a novel and want to again, but who has time? I had to share this tidbit with you as I knew you could relate to it: my eldest daughter got me two books for Christmas (really good ones) and I almost sighed when I opened them, knowing they will accumulate dust before vacation and longing for that young girl that would have had those puppies completed in two shakes of a lamb’s tail. Best regards!
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Thanks for responding. I’m glad that you could relate to my post. Lack of time is always a factor, isn’t it? I realized that I have to make the time and so that’s what I’m doing..a minimum of 5 pages a day turns into much more. Why not give 5 pages a try and see what happens? 🙂
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Will do!
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Things happened and there was the time when the tight schedule and being occupied with other activities dwindled my reading-interest…. however, after watching a number of literary channels in YouTube, I started to regain my interest! As for my TBR, it would be a number of classics, including Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” 🙂
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Oh, I loved that book. And the movie!
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