READ ALL ABOUT IT!

Okay, I have to admit, I am a firm believer in the importance of reading the book – I love holding the book, seeing the words on the page, noticing the type of paper that was used as well as the type of print that they used in the book. I don’t know it is Anne Rice (because we are like this – self high five-ing in the air, then jumping a little to bump chests while throwing our arms down to our sides and back a little so as they will not get in the way) who got me interested in this aspect, or if I was always interested in it. Now don’t start quizzing me, I don’t sit there and fact check to learn the type style and the paper used, I just know if I like it or not. For those of you who are not Anne Rice aficionados – she would often identify the paper she chose for the book and the type of print – she would often explain why she had felt it was appropriate.

Anyway – I do love the actual book, but lately I have become almost obsessed with audio books. I have used them in the past, but found the changing of the tape to be too annoying, lol. Especially when tapes went out of style. Then came cd’s and I still couldn’t really get into it, but now we are in the age of the MP3 player and I love my ZUNE!!! I have been loading audio books on it and I love it. I often still own the book I am reading, because I really do love that piece of the book, but during the work day and while I am driving I listen to the story (oddly enough these times do not tend to actually work out for me pulling out a book and picking up my reading, however, my ZUNE – oh yea!). Only the unabridged versions, so when I want to read it, I can find my place in the book.

Currently I am in the process of reading Stephen King and Peter Straub’s The Talisman. I was reading their book Black House – and while I believe the two books were written so they could be independent from each other, I was noticing some reference back to The Talisman, and I thought, I should go ahead and read it first. I tried reading it years ago when it first came out, but it didn’t grab me at the time, so I moved on. (Often when I am not passionate about reading a book, I pretty much give them the first 50 pages to pull me in, or I put it away for another day).

I am also reading Dean Koontz’s One Door Away From Heaven. I have recently become very focused on Mr. Koontz and his books – I have been a fan of his for a long time, but sometimes feel the endings become a little too ‘feel goody’ and I don’t always need that in a thriller. I believe until recently his book Lightening was my favorite of his – and now I am a huge fan of Odd Thomas. I hope when they put that onscreen (and I believe it is a story that was meant to be put onscreen) they do it justice (unlike many of Koontz’s made for television movies that have come out). Odd Thomas is one of those characters who grabbed me in right away – I thought I wasn’t going to like him (I have no idea why), but I grew to love him. The first two of the Odd Thomas series were my favorites and I shed some tears at the end (okay I sobbed like a little girl pushed off of the teeter-totter at school) of the first one, and the second one provoked tears, too. The third didn’t grab me as much, but I enjoyed the new direction we are being led (I hope – I pray there will be another Odd Thomas book).

And lastly (I tend to have several books going at the same time), Gregory Maguire’s new book, What the Dickens: The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy. I am fascinated by the way this man has been able to keep the fairy tale alive in new and inventive ways.

I love to read (and write), I just wish that I ran with a circle that read some of what I am reading - not a lot of people who are able to discuss it. I had fallen away from reading too many books - last year I realized that it probably had more to do with my eye-sight than I had thought (when you have to hold the book 2 feet away, put your glasses on the edge of your nose and look down at the book as it is angled just right - time for reading glasses or -shiver- bi-focals). I am finding more people that have read some of what I am reading - would love to find/start a reading group which is interested in the books I am reading (when I want to read them - lol - too much to ask, I am sure).