Being retired and jobless, I use more of my allotted 24 hours than I really should use to read. I’m a fairly fast reader under normal circumstances but adding to my reading time in recent years I find that I also need to take notes while I’m doing it.
On my side table at home, I keep a spiral notebook just in case I come across names to look up, words to define, questions to consider and possibly bright ideas that strike me—more than likely I can’t find a pen when I have one of those. I readily admit my memory isn’t what it used to be, as I’ve reached an age where no one would be surprised to hear that I’ve died. But I still read, even while there are arguably other things I should be doing.
While in the real world there are roses that need pruning and dishes stacking up in the sink, I’m sitting on my lazy rear turning pages and making notes, oblivious to TV news or anything else going on around me. I’m especially oblivious when I’m on one of my “content kicks,” sometimes lasting weeks, when I just have to read everything I can find on my current hot topic.
A hot reading topic to me is very similar to a “drug of choice” and, like any addiction, hot topic reading can get expensive. My upfront advice to avid readers: if you can, LIMIT your reading time and money to what’s in your community library and you’ll be much better off.
The rise of Amazon makes the time and money limitation worse. You can buy ten books in a couple of minutes and get them the next day, but for next-day delivery you have to buy new books, which gets expensive.
People who keep attractive library shelves usually buy “new.” My mother had a beautiful library wall and, in her day, she said it just wasn’t “proper” to keep the book cover on when you put the books on the shelves, which may still be the case for those who maintain a collection of books.
Secondhand bookstores are rare these days, but used books on Amazon can save some serious book money, especially if you aren’t picky about the condition. I’ve paid less than a dollar for some great hard-copy reads; however, I try not to keep actual books now since I don’t have space and donation options are pretty limited.
The advent of Kindle really saves readers time and money. I now only buy a very few hard copy titles Kindle doesn’t offer. Money saved, but online reading on my phone wreaks havoc with the amount of time I personally spend. Also, I can read anywhere, not necessarily a good thing.
Truthfully, I still think turning paper pages is the best and realest reading experience, but the online temptation is too great. When you see a Kindle title for a buck and “buy with one click” to read immediately, that’s just too much for reading addicts like me. Plus, on-screen suggestions of “you might like” means I find out about a whole lot of other titles that I absolutely must have.
Just in terms of money, before the rise of Amazon’s super-cheap used books and Kindle, the worst scenario used to be to get hooked by reading the best book of an author who has dozens of books out. You knew the rest weren’t going to be as good as the one you read, but you just had to buy them all anyway.
A hard exception to this is a one-and-done short novel by John Toole, one of the most entertaining books of all time. Many people would give anything to see more from this author who wrote a hilarious masterpiece with characters we’d love to follow and then died. It was a lucky day for me when I asked a casually acquainted co-worker for a suggestion of what to read and she said A Confederacy of Dunces.
Reviewing it even a little would be a disservice. A Confederacy of Dunces is a bucket list book for a first-time or a re-read. I guarantee a good time.
