Your Average Happy Read

So in case you don't like to read, Let me tell you a little bit about reading anyway. And if you do like to read, then hopefully you will agree with me and it will make you smile. Well, the inside type of smile, you probably won't actually smile.

1. Finding a book.

This is really hard. Sometimes you might have a list ....like, a "must read" list. You always have so much schoolwork, work, family stuff to do that you dream about finally getting to read this list. You dream about just lounging around, when the day comes that you can just read all day and how you are totally going to conquer all 56 books on your reading list. But then the time comes when you actually have a free day....to start a new book....and you find yourself staring at your bookshelf of 300 unread books and you suddenly feel overwhelmed. Your list has shipped out the window, they all look equally as good to you. Suddenly your books on your list seem too daunting, you might want more of an easy read, a quick read, a happy mindless read.

So after staring at the bookshelf for 45 minutes and maybe even dusting off the shelf because you stared at it long enough for you to be bothered by the dust, you finally pick a book you found at the back of your bookshelf that you bought five years ago at a book fair that you promised yourself you would read right away but you never actually did, obviously. But you are SO reading it now.

2. You start your book.

This is also hard. Unless its like Harry Potter or something marvelous and earth-shattering like that, then chances are you aren't going tto be swept in instantly. It will take some patience, work, energy, learning....you have to meet all these new characters, get to know them. The Why's, the Hows, the Whos, the Whats....its all so new. New settings, trying to figure out the plot line. Some people never make it past this stage. They get distracted after their first read by the kids or by work or by sleep or by an angry turtle or something and then the book gets tucked away under their carseat somewhere and they are haunted of the task of returning to it again one day. Or maybe you do have intentions of returning, but life distracts you so that by the time you finally return, like 5 weeks later, you go to your bookmark and you are obviously lost in whats happening. But you hate the thought of starting over, and you cant continue reading from where you are because you are lost, so you give it up entirely and tuck it back into its corner of the bookshelf.

Or maybe that didn't happen! Maybe after all the hard work, energy and effort it takes from a true reader to fight through the beginning stages of a book, you made it to the best part. Continue on.

3. The best part of the book.

This is when you are officially addicted to your read. You delight in the fact that you still have over THREE QUARTERS OF YOUR BOOK LEFT, YAY!!! You love your characters. You love reading about them. You think you practically KNOW them. They are like, your best friends.

You go about your day and do the tasks you have to do, but you spend this time thinking about your book. You think about the next time you can snuggle up under your covers and just read for no time limit, or bask in the sun tanning while reading all day. Your newfound character best friends float through your head all day and you envision what they would say or do if faced with the situation you are currently trying to actually solve in real life right now.

If you are really unique and rather um....special....like me, you go even farther in the addiction-taking-it-too-far-phase. Example: The book I am reading now, takes place in Australia and they obviously use Australian type slang and whatnot.

Well, guess who is greeting their patients with an Australian accent and going up to her friends saying, "Whats up, mate?" Yeah, me.

4. Your book ends abruptly.

This is extremely disappointing because you were so addicted during the addiction-phase that you forgot to read slowly and make it last. You tried! You did! But it was just SO GOOD that you read really fast and then all of the sudden it ENDS! How dare the book END? You check to see if there is some sort of sequel. Nothing. You might be depressed at this stage because you know you have parted with these characters forever. You will no longer read their quick banty humor all day and you will no longer long to read at your next opportunity. You find yourself longing for something that isn't there, like as if you've lost a friend and you can't call them anymore when something is wrong. Its rather terrible....mate.

5. Start over. Find a new book. *sigh*

~WNB