Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Book Phobia

Do you ever avoid reading books because there are too many of them to read?

I have shelves and shelves of must-reads gathering dust, and I'm so intimidated by them that I spend hours wasting time on the Internet.

Reading.

After browsing a handful of agent and author blogs tonight, I'm reminded of all the AMAZING books out there, many released within the last year or two. Now I'm even more intimidated, because I know it's time for another trip to the bookstore, where I'll buy more books that I don't read.

Help! There must be a trick to breaking the cycle of avoidance. I need a library, STAT. Maybe they have a summer reading program for grownups.

2 comments:

Cynthia Reese said...

Oh, no, my problem is waaaay too little time to read. These days, I'm ashamed to admit, I'm as picky as an agent responding to queries when it comes to reading books. I just don't have the time (or space) to waste on anything less than stellar.

Chris said...

That sounds like a solid plan. But I also have Book Guilt. If I start a book and don't love it, I feel awful putting it back on the shelf. What if I didn't give it a fair chance? What if I'm just dense and missed the point altogether?

Do you ever read something that's received wide critical acclaim, only to hate it with a fiery passion? I think the ultimate goal for me is: be willing to try new things, but give myself permission to put the book down and walk away if it doesn't connect!