Saturday, March 07, 2009

Contemplating reading ......

I love to read.
Always have.

Worked hard to get my kids to love books almost as much as I do.

I love to see Hugh read and enjoy my old Enid Blyton books; and my heart just swells as Katie carries around a pile of her latest favourites.

We are so lucky at our library. I can order anything online and they get it in. And now that they email out monthly recommended reading on a variety of topics, my "to read" list is getting very long. All of this was reinforced when I was emailing my friend Astrid in the Netherlands this week. She tells me how surprised she is by our library. Astrid needs a subscription each year, paying € 35,00 a year and can rent 50 books a year. If you pay € 62,00 a year you can borrow as much as you want a year, but you still cannot have more than 10 books at home at the one time. If you want to rent cd's or dvd's you have to buy another subscription besides the book subscription which costs € 22,20 a year.

Pay! Wow ... we are "SO" lucky!

My library not only has its own website (to which I do everything online) but also a blogspot! This week I read a really interesting article that I wanted to share with you all:

"If you choose to read a book today, it's not like a hundred years ago, when that was your only option. Today, when you read a book, you're making a conscious decision not to play a video game, not to surf the web, not to watch a movie, not to turn on the TV. It does require a certain discipline to make that decision......" Author Neil Stephenson, in an interview for Barnes and Noble Review.

It reminds me how far we have come in terms of alternative pursuits. I spend a lot of time on the internet, love selected TV shows, really enjoy the movies and play games. I do a lot of reading still, but a lot of that is online or comes in the form of journal articles or blogs, so to take up a book now is a big thing for me. So when I read a book, it really does take a conscious effort to do so. As a result, I guess I then become impatient if the book doesn't engage me quickly enough and will let it go or be sidetracked by one of these other pursuits, a lot more easily than I would have in the past.

What about you? Is reading something you have to take to deliberately? If so, how do you make that "conscious decision"? (Credits and blog can be found here)

Well it's a long weekend here - WOOHOO Labour Day - and I plan on doing LOTS of conscious reading.

Enjoy!

5 comments:

evanwick said...

Love this post!!! It made me think about how many different avenues I have for entertainment and how I always feel like one takes time from another! I've always been a reader and moved it up on my priority list when I discovered I had stopped reading in the craziness of motherhood. I usually have to squeeze it in at bedtime, but dream of the days where I can lose myself in a book for an entire afternoon. They will come again!!
And I'm green with envy over your library!

MariaT said...

I feel really lucky to have my library too. They will order books for me or borrow them from another library if I want them and I can do everything except actually check out the books online. And they have fantastic story times for children with endless shelves of books and small play equipment for little ones and computers for the older children. And it's all free!! I can check out as much as I want including dvds. I love our library. We go there every week.

And yes I find I have to make a conscious decision to read as well. If it's a book I am really into I cast aside everything non-mandatory until I am finished which is usually a couple days. Right now I'm reading a book that is alright and I've been at it for at least a month since I'm not eager to see what happens next. But I do love reading, I've never seen a movie based on a book that was as good. And so far Jack loves books as well which thrills me!

Life in Colors said...

Haha, I guess you can't get over it that we have to pay for the library. What was the reaction of the people working in your library when you told them?

Dig-Photos n Scrappings said...

good for you to read... Good Pix shot. smile

Leah said...

I've actually never thought of it in those terms. Most people do choose internet and television over books. I'm continuely amazed by people who don't read because they don't have time, or those who say they will just wait for the movie! Huh?

It's never a choice for me. I choose reading over T.V. anyday.

Our library although limited in it's selection is pretty good. They will always order anything I can't find in for me. The boys love it.

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