This was supposed to be a post where I share with you a glimpse into what I’ve been reading this month. Unfortunately, I haven’t started, much less finished, a single book so far. Isn’t that terrible? Between wrapping up holiday stuff, starting a new part-time job, and being a mom, I’m more than a little behind on the reading. While I’m actually really not happy about that there is good news. My husband and oldest will be traveling for a few days and that means, once the babies are in bed the evening will be mine for reading! I am really looking forward to that.
I have two “writerly” books in the queue: The Writing Life by Annie Dillard and Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen, a new translation by Tiina Nuynnally. The first was recommended by a writing blog I follow with specific instructions to read it immediately. Guess I missed the mark on that one, huh? The second is research material for a mosaic short story collection that I am currently working on. That one will be a little easier to read as I can just flip through for inspiration and ideas vs. reading it through from cover to cover.
I also have several books that I have started reading and have been unable to finish. Dirty Shirt: A Boundary Waters Memoir, Cooked, An Abundance of Katherine’s, Cold Tangerines, and The Lovely Bones. The main reason these are still sitting on my shelf is that I can’t seem to read a book in bits and pieces. For example, when I read Gone Girl, I read the entire thing from start to finish while feeding my kids graham crackers to keep them quiet. I didn’t leave the couch for all 432 pages. That’s how I read. I disappear for an entire day because I am, quite literally, in another world. With kids, I can’t read like that anymore and I am not sure how to move forward from here.
How do you read? If you read in bits and pieces, how do you get back into the world of the book? If you read all at once, like me, has anything slowed you down? How did you deal with it? All I know is, I can never stop reading all together so I will have to figure it out eventually.
Katharine Brown 
I usually have to read in smaller spurts, myself. And the more time I get to spend in a single sitting, the more I resent being disturbed.
As for reading in smaller portions, getting back into the story is a little like putting binoculars up to your face, it takes a moment to adjust and then it’s right up close and personal again. Another moment and it’s all around. I’m starting my second book of the year today, but my writing needs some attention now…
I will have to keep that analogy in mind when I try to read my monthly book! I’ll let you know how it goes and best of luck on the writing front!