Saturday 27 April 2013

Books

I need to read more.

This isn't a problem I ever thought I'd have.  Especially not now - I mean, I've crammed my bedroom with as many books as it will hold and I work in a library.  If there's one thing I'm surrounded by all day, it's books.

But so far this year I've read less than half-a-dozen new books.  Very poor show, I'm sure you'll agree.  I'm currently 500ish pages into Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin but have found myself a little... stuck.  Perhaps I expected too much from it but I'm not particularly enjoying it.  I'm even finding it, dare I say it, a bit boring?

Of course the problem could lie in the fact that I've watched the tv series, though having experienced a story in another medium has never been an issue for me before.  It is no doubt a highly unpopular opinion but I'd anticipated more (and therein lies a problem I've ranted talked about before - I don't much care for high expectations).

Part of me wants to persist, though, if only so I can get to the point in the story which I haven't yet seen.

Another part of me, however, thinks that all that sounds like rather too much effort, thank you.  I don't want to have to fight with myself to read - with so many books and so little time, maybe I should be sticking to those books which grab me tight and don't let go until the very last page.

That sounds like the sort of book I want to read.  And, you know, write.

6 comments:

  1. I don't think you are alone in struggling with GOT! I'm picking shorter books these days. I'm enjoying Kelley Armstrong's final book in the series, 13, though in tiny snippets when I ought to be writing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad I'm not the only one :) Is that Kelley Armstrong book in the same series as 'Bitten'?

      Delete
  2. Ah nuts, GOT is sat on my bookshelf, waiting for the spine to be cracked. I've not seen any of the series so far though, so I might fare a little better with it.

    And as for not reading much this year, your half a dozen beats my one and a half. I'm fighting through Jurassic Park at the moment, which is something I should be devouring (it's my favourite film, after all), but I keep getting interrupted with things like film magazines, blogs, work and sleep. Pesky things.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know several people who loved GoT so maybe you'll be one of those? I'm certainly not saying it's a terrible book - and like you say, it might be better without the knowledge of the series to taint it.
      What was the one book you have finished this year?

      Delete
    2. Ender's Game. It was quite good, I think I said I'd lend it to you the next time I see you, it's a sci-fi a friend of mine recommended, about super-intelligent kids being raised to become the leaders in a war against aliens, but it's less sci-fi than that actually sounds. Either way, it's good, and the upcoming adaptation starring Harrison Ford and the kid from Hugo (Asa Butterfield, brilliant name but he's far too old) will undoubtedly be terrible, as it't from the director who brought us Wolverine (Gavin Hood).

      Delete
    3. Ah yes, I remember you saying about Ender's Game and I think I've seen it talked of in a couple of other places too. Might have to add it to the list!

      Delete