Writing about Reading

This is my passion, my alternate universe, and my own silent observation – reading. A new book is in many ways like moving to a new place; you don't know the standard here; you don't know these people; and you wonder, what is the possible outcome? Maybe if a book stated the ending right there in the beginning, it wouldn't be considered a book – maybe that's why a book that is so open to countless opportunities energizes me. This is why I rarely put down a book just because I find the beginning dull; I keep in mind that there may be an erratic ending that I might miss if I shoot this opportunity.

After the rising motivation peaks, there comes a problem of continuing the book, halfway into it. The motivation stops there because of one crucial issue – distractions. There’s nothing in the world like having a big brother. I’m not talking about the basic “Give me respect, and get me the cup of water that sits 5 inches from my hand” type of big brother (which is still true), but the big brother that has not yet grown up. “OH YEAH! THAT’S RIGHT, NOOBS!” is heard, yet felt, reverberating around my entire house when he wins a game of COD4. Why exactly might this disturb me? – because I intended to read my book peacefully at that moment, while Andrew, not knowingly, just lost my spot in it. There is always a solution to these kind of problems, and I happened to find mine at the nearest Target®; Skull Candy Earphones that block out all other sound besides to the music it’s connected to happens to be the cause for calming, uninterrupted reading. (Results may vary)

Unconsciously, I’ve created a habitual schedule that gives testimony as to why I’m always wanting to sleep an extra 3 hours when I wake up. It is because when I start reading, I get hooked and keep reading, and I tend to read the best when it is nearly 11 – this happens to be when everyone in my household are quietly dreaming – and don’t stop until I realize it’s past midnight, possibly 1AM. I’m not sure if this is because I’m starting to show signs of being a loner, or because I just like the feel of entering the world of my book when no one else seems to be around me. When I’m lost in a book, it’s hard to tell.

The way I read shows why it’s hard for me to stop reading before its 3 hours past. I’ve created a system where I try not to get up for a bathroom break or for water, this way there’s absolutely no distractions standing in the way of me and the book that is always in my vicinity. This often creates problems when people are trying to talk to me or text me, because when focusing on a book, my mind tends to classify those notifications as unnecessary as bathroom breaks or water, and ignores them to saturate my pulsating need to read and read.

Why do I read fiction? This is definitely something as vague as “asking why we breathe.” (Quote: Carolyn Gilman) I once thought that reading fiction was the perfect way to ‘escape reality’ when in fact, the morals and themes of fiction stories seem to underline reality in such a way that it is implied, undefined, and comes back to bite you in the butt. However, I will never enjoy reading non-fiction (reality) as much as fiction, because unlike non-fiction, it has a unique quality to it that varies with each author, that conveys a NEW story that only matches their own imagination – and this inspires me. Fiction builds integrity in a style that also stimulates imagination and a casual view of the world.

This is my perception of reading.