BAD EYES

Had to have eye surgery recently. Seems I have these things like calluses that grow over my corneas and have to be removed every few years. It's a pain, especially when I'm a visual learner. When I listen to stuff, my mind wanders so I never remember what I heard. But give me a book and I can plough right through it and soak it all up.

Except now I'm watching movies for the next few days. We saw FLAWLESS with Demi Moore and Michael Caine last night. Not a bad film. And before that, we watched MORNING GLORY with Rachael McAdams, Harrison Ford, and Diane Keaton. It was cuter than I expected. I like movies that make me laugh.

So don't know what's in store for tonight. I hate going through the lists and trying to pick something out. Especially when we've seen most of the really really good ones.

Wonder if all that reading contributed to my problem? Like maybe my eyes had to toughen up to stand up to all those words?

Don't even want to think about it.

Good Book

I picked up three books at the library last week. I read part of one and won't finish it. I started a murder mystery and read it through. In Their Blood by Sharon Potts.

Now I'm in the process of starting the third. The beginning is kind of slow but I read her first book - Mary Alice Monroe is the author - and liked it so I'll keep reading.

I wonder if learning so much about craft for my own writing is hurting my reading for pleasure. Seems like I'm pickier than I used to be. Or maybe I've matured?

Lord, I hope that's it. It's about time I grew up.

Reading Books

I used to read every word of every book I started. If I wasn't enjoying it, I still struggled on to the bitter end.

Then, a couple of years ago, it dawned on me I was wasting time reading books I didn't want to read when I could be spending time reading books I did want to read or doing other stuff I wanted to do.

So now, if I get a third of the way through a book and it still doesn't resonate with me, I put it aside and look for another.

I must add, I'm a reader for pleasure. Don't give me depressing fiction as so much literary fiction seems to be. Give me a story. Give me a plot. Throw in a mystery. Throw in a romance. And if you can get humor in there, too -- real humor and not the sophomoric kind of stuff that passes for humor -- I'm hooked no matter the genre.

Wonder how much time I've wasted in my life plowing through books I couldn't bring myself to put down because of the attitude: Gosh darn it! I started it and I'll finish it if it kills me!