25 August 2014

Book Spree


For the past several days I am been on a book spree. When I get on a reading kick, there is no time for anything else. I finished reading a book last night. And then I read a whole book this morning. Later, I finished another book. And then I started a new one.

It is my solution to the problem of the heat outside. What else is there to do? It's simply too hot to be out there where it feels like 102 degrees and the humidity drains you. The errands I run make me hot and exhausted.

So my eyes race across the pages of books, gobbling up the words and turning pages quickly. Some books just don't need a lot of time dedicated to them. They can be read quickly and their usefulness is then retired. On the other hand there are some books that need to be savoured like a rare dish that is full of flavour.

Some books just require a taste and you get it. The rest you can fly through.
The books that need some thoughtful musings are the ones to chew on. No quick taste can fully immerse you in the wisdom and depth of the book. It needs time and thought.

I have room for both in my reading regime. When I am feeling flighty and my attention span short, I pick up an easy-read. When I crave depth I open the book that requires my brain to be wide awake. That is why I am always reading at least a few books at the same time.

Can you value one over the other?
I sure can, and yet even a quick read is better than watching television. Books bring you into an imaginary world that your mind populates with your own interpretations as you turn the pages. Your imagination gets to run through open fields and isn't shown what it has to see. You get to imagine it.

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