How Do You Read?

I haven't done so very much reading so far this year. I tried a non-fiction but kept getting bogged down; it was a heavy christian-atheist book. Some parts were good, but others were very tedious.

Then I found that Peter Robinson had a relatively new Inspector Banks volume out. These books focus on police procedure more than suspense and heroics, and that has both its upsides and downsides. I was pleased to get it but surprised myself by finishing it so quickly. It being in epub format, I can't easily tell whether it was shorter than average or what.

Since then, I am reading Barbara Kingsolver's Flight Behavior (and man alive, do I ever want to stick a 'u' in behavior). She's most famous for her Poisonwood Bible,  which I read many moons ago, and I have appreciated a number of her works since then. Except, I misrepresent myself when I say that I am reading it, for I am listening to it.

Sue prefers to listen to books, especially while she is crocheting throws for the kids, so we have a subscription to audible.com.

Listening is a different experience. It slows me down because I can't skim over descriptive passages or speed read when the going gets exciting. When I slow down, I get deeper into the story. This is good, and being read to is pleasant if you have the right book and right reader. I really enjoyed getting deep and protractedly into two Louise Penny mysteries a few months ago as well as two JK Rowling mysteries written under the Robert Galbraith penname.

The drawback to reading through listening is the same as its strength: it slows you down, and every part gets the same weight. This is not always good; some parts really deserve to be skimmed.

This is especially true in Kingsolver's Flight Behavior. The book teaches a lot about ecology and even a bit about life and mindsets in Appalachian Tennessee. I appreciate that, but it does tend to get very tedious in this slow moving novel replete with all sorts of pedagogical and pedantic dialogue. Although it is wearying me a bit, I will finish it, maybe even today, which is so cold that I refuse to stick my head out the door. What a cold two months it has been with no relief in sight: coldest patch for 20 years or so they say.

Anyway, getting back to listening vs. reading, I like both methods. It sure is nice to get deep into the book and having a good book last for awhile when I listen, but it is also nice to read at my own pace. If you haven't tried the listening method, you might consider it as an alternative.