Some books are to be tasted, others swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested. This was for 20th century. For 21st century readers: Some books are great to flirt with, others to fall in love with and few to have serious relationships - needs improvisation but you got me. Ok it may sound outrageous but thats what I am - a book slut. This title is borrowed from attached article. (need to upload the file). But being one I know what it means to be a book slut or word slut.
I have habit of reading everything and anything. Classics to bottle labels; trashy novels to academic journal - anything that came my way and caught my attention. Serious readers believe to take 1 book at a time - read it patiently and then move to next. But me - no patience - sorry. I have borrowed 8 books this month - of which I have finished reading 2.5. Other 2 are reference book which I read selectively and other is just experimental reading. Also, there are few essential reading which I have not yet started. Bottomline - I have multiple relationship with my books.
Is it a good practice - may be not but to me it means accommodating my reading to my mood. I have books to suit my mood. It has also helped me to increase scope of my reading - from good scientific to business to great classics. At times I couldn't beat to read biography but now it is one my favourite reading topic. It started with reading small articles on the individual. Then getting 2 books at same time, trashy novel and a good biography. When I get tired of 'I did this and that' I change to 'He did this and that..'. But over the time I started enjoying the biographies and now I am an avid story collector but of real life stories.
There have been books that i have not managed to understand (Salmaan Rushdie) to those that I must have read 5-6 times (The Lord of the Rings). During exams/tests I will 'punish' myself by not having any books around the house and ensuring that I do what is required. I simply can't live without books. However, more I think about it, I can't live without reading words. I recollect reading the signboards on my way to school to reading crap advertisement boards in MRT (local train). Its my ongoing affair with words.
Well this is unending story of my love affairs with books/words/prints. So I will start a new sub-blog on books. Anyone interested in sharing my love?
