I love Reading!

How long can I go without talking about my favorite books? Like so many, so much I cannot begin for there is far too many and way too much... I love reading. As I've said before, I was raised by fairy tales, they taught me so well. I think readers take to the internet so well, because, well, we spend most of our time here reading. And if you are an obsessive, you'll read twenty things at once while writing emails and message board replies and playing games and bidding on eBay and learning barely useful but fascinating information from random sites and it satisfies the crave for over-stimulation. Ahhhhhh...

I do not read to talk about books, but I do enjoy it when I find an interested ear. If I mention it, it is out of love, or interest to share, or occasionally warn. I do not speak of books simply to tell you what I have read.

People acting pretentious is a common gripe of mine, and pretensions of reading are one of their greatest sins, in my eyes. I laugh at people who carry books around to show other people what they are reading, I roll my eyes at book reviews (just about any) I sigh when I hear someone pretending they've read a book that they haven't, I giggle when I hear someone claiming to have read every classic, and liking every classic. Who are these people trying to impress? When I see a person on the subway wrapped up in a romance or mystery novel with a tacky cover, I know I am in the presence of a true reader, enjoying a story. When I see someone on the subway holding Sartre or any New-York-Times-Approved-Heavy-Tome high off of their lap to make sure their fellow riders can see it, I know I am in the presence of a poser.

I read for pleasure first, and always. I read for learning second, which generally fits into the first category of pleasure. I hope overall, I never stop learning, and that reading helps me to be a better person, but these are still side effects.

Real readers read for love of it, and they do not care if you see them or not.