Savoring a story

[Timboli]

How do you savor a story or feel in that regard?

Personally, I like to savor a story for a while, before passing onto another. For how long, varies. Certainly the length of time, is dependent on genre, which can also allow me to read more than one story during the same period. It is also about the impact of the story, and what thought processes it has set in motion.

It certainly varies depending on the length of a story and how deeply engrossed I have been and how quickly I read, plus to what exclusion for all else. It will be different if an earlier story or book in a series, compared to a last. Often for instance, I will begin immediately reading the next story, if I am in possession of it ... but not always, as sometimes I feel a rest or break is justified, especially after a conclusion of some major element has been reached.

For instance, if I have just finished a Fantasy story or are still reading it, I won't read another Fantasy story, certainly not by a different author. I don't like to have thoughts in my head that meddle with memory, due to similarities.

So I could in essence, be reading a Fantasy story and a Mystery one and a non-fiction story, all during the same period. Generally though, once started, a Fantasy or Mystery story, I would read until finished before reading another.

Another thing I find is, that it takes me very much longer to read a book that is a collection of short stories, especially if all the same genre, than it does to read the same number of pages in a full novel. No doubt due to a brief pause after each story, to ponder it for a while or just have some breathing space before heading in the new story direction. Of course, this is to prevent some blending into each other, and mixing my memories up perhaps.

It all rather sounds a bit complex I guess, and for some is just automatic, without really thinking about it, but I tend to think of such things. Perhaps some of you do too or have a different approach or outlook etc?

I find the reading habits of others quite interesting to reflect on. Especially having been an almost constant reader since the age of around 8, having been read to before then by my parents and teachers. By my mid teens, I was certainly a bookworm, and have remained mostly so, with non-reading periods a few times, due to various events in my life.

Take my wife for instance, she barely read when I met her at age 28, but now reads all the time, in fact a lot more than I have over the last few years.

All three of my children have varied their reading habits over the years, with my oldest at 30 reading a lot more than the other two, the youngest at 23 having not read for a couple of years now, and the one between very intermittent with her reading. I would describe my oldest as a bookworm, but the other two have yet to get into a reading frame of mind for very long.

Of course, all three children have far more distractions in this day and age, especially the two boys with their love of computer games etc. Constant chatting on their phones and Facebook probably doesn't help either.

For me, despite the other attractions and distractions, reading is still pretty much my greatest joy ... too many books, so little time.

[Sirtel]

I often read several books at once. Sometimes, when I'm not very engrossed in a book, I'll quit and start another. I might return to the book later, or not.

Mostly I read genre fiction, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, historical mystery. Within those limits, genre doesn't matter much. I might read several fantasy books successively, or switch between genres... it's not very important for me.

Sometimes I may even read a historical romance or two, although I'm not really a romance reader. What I almost never read is literary and contemporary fiction (contemporary mysteries I do read sometimes). I'm just not interested in those.

I don't read short stories or anthologies either. It must be a novel, or nothing. But occasionally I do read nonfiction.

[Timboli]

I've had to endure a book a few times, but not often. Some I have indeed given up on, usually due more to lack of respect for the reader, rather than a boring or tough slog. I like to avoid such stories though, but quite difficult to get a sense of a book just from the front & back cover elements (blurb etc), and I do not like reading reviews ... I like to judge for myself, without any preconceived notions other than my own.

Short stories for me are rather hit and miss. I have probably read more good than great ones, with some being outstanding, and some make you question why the author bothered. I think the effort is worth it for the occasional real gem. What I often do, is read a few short story collections at the same time, often different genres, taking turns, just to vary the experience regularly. Sometimes I will read a short story collection over a much longer period, and just intersperse a short story between other novels. Most of the short stories I read are by authors I read the novels of.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Timboli

I like to avoid such stories though, but quite difficult to get a sense of a book just from the front & back cover elements (blurb etc), and I do not like reading reviews ... I like to judge for myself, without any preconceived notions other than my own.

Yes, it's the same with me. I do use Amazon's Look Inside, but mostly it's not enough to accurately predict the enjoyability of the whole book.

[Timboli]

There was a time, when buying physical books, in person, where I would open the book up at a random location, and start reading for a couple of paragraphs, and assess if it at least seemed to be well written.

It has been so long since I have done that, that I'd almost forgotten about it. I used to buy a lot on sales tables back then, so grabbing a lot of new authors, where often I did not even recognize the name.

Usually attracted first by the title, then maybe the cover, then the blurb, then the price if it wasn't a price table, i.e. $2 each.

Pretty rare for me to use the Amazon Look Inside feature, as generally I am buying books by authors I know, unless I am getting a freebie I have been directed to by BookBub. I use it mainly to check on story collections and alternate title names.

Aside from what BookBub dishes up, I rarely look out for new authors, as I have way too much to read already, and plenty of variety. I might check out a recommendation from a good source. Indeed, that is how I started reading Hugh Howey. Sometimes I see stuff in passing that grabs my attention enough to look deeper, but very few end in a purchase.

I well remember being ensnared by the covers on C.J. Box books in a department store, on a stand dedicated to them at the end of an isle. Reading the blurbs, just captivated me further, and even though I resisted buying the physical books then and there, it did lead to my first Amazon purchases of them in ebook form. I was away on holiday at the time, and just noticed them in passing.

Liking the Wire In The Blood TV series led me to Val McDermid ebooks eventually. Took reading two of them, and some time to ponder, to finally convince me to buy more.

[Apache]

I immediately start another book as soon as I finish one.
Apache

[Wearever]

That's a good question. Do I savor a book ? Since I read two different genre books at the same time on two different readers, I alternate between them mostly. However if one book keeps my attention longer then I'll finish that one first. I'm trying to challenge myself by reading genres I don't usually read. If not for the challenge my reading would be just mystery, history, mostly because those are my go to. I still read those of course but at least one other gere book from my challenge, this year it's sci fi. Last year it was fantasy. Next year something else. I'll end up reading at least 12 books that I probably wouldn't have found without the challenge. New series are even better, since I also challenge myself to read the first book only for that years challenge. It was especially hard when I found a series I loved and wanted to read the second book. So in that sense I guess I savored the first book until my challenge was complete at the end of the year.

[crossi]

I have withdrawal symptoms if I go too long without reading something. I can't wait too long between books. I have, however, after reading an especially good book turned around after finishing it and gone back to the beginning to read it again.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by Apache

I immediately start another book as soon as I finish one.
Apache

Same here.

[Timboli]

Originally Posted by crossi

I have withdrawal symptoms if I go too long without reading something. I can't wait too long between books. I have, however, after reading an especially good book turned around after finishing it and gone back to the beginning to read it again.

If I have read a particularly good book, I can sometimes put off reading again for a day or three, just to savor it for as long as I can. That's when my reading mojo was fully up and running. Over the years though, for one reason or another, I have lost contact with my reading mojo, and so sometimes there has been huge breaks. During those periods though, I may have been reading computer magazines and researching stuff online, and lost in my programming addiction, chatting on forums, playing guitar and writing songs, etc. Alas too many interests and so little time.

While I know my kids have instantly re-read a book they loved (i.e. Harry Potter or Eragon ones), I don't ever recall doing that myself. Not even when a kid who had very few books, and had to wait for my parents to afford the next Narnia or Biggles or Enid Blyton book.

My kids also re-read the previous book or books in a series, when the next one comes out, or just prior to its release, to freshen their memories. I've rarely done that, but I might re-read the last couple of chapters of the last book in a series, just to help key off memories. Mostly I just dug in and read the new book right away, not wanting further delays. That was back when I read books close to when I purchased them. And to be honest, I have always found my recall quite good, and it doesn't take much to recall even quite obscure elements, and just reading the next book will make them surface fairly easily.

Most of my reading life though, I have always had books in the wings waiting to be read, so more incentive to read them, than re-read one.

That said, I do deliberately slot in books I really enjoyed and want to re-read, which over the years may mean I have re-read some books once or twice. Lord Of The Rings and the Narnia books are examples of that.

The Wheel Of Time series by Robert Jordan, is a perfect example where there was a long break between the last one he wrote, and the ones co-written by Brandon Sanderson. I really felt the need to re-read the whole series first before tackling the Sanderson ones, but I did not want to wait that long. So luckily for me, there was a website, that had a summary of every chapter of the earlier Jordan books, and if you ignored the links you avoided spoilers for later book details. I had to avoid that last, because I waited until all the Sanderson books had been released and purchased by me, which meant some of them were on that website and cross-referenced. In fact, I built an ebook up from those chapter summaries, and spent a day or three reading that before starting the first Sanderson book. That brought me back up to speed quite nicely, with a lot of memories surfacing. I may do something similar for the A Song Of Ice And Fire (Game Of Thrones) books, when GM finally writes some more.

A part of me likes balance so much, that I do not like to have read books in a series an unequal number of times. But admittedly hard to comply with at times. Especially if there has been a very long break mid series. If enough time has gone by, then I don't mind re-reading before continuing on with later parts. I've done that with the Shannara series by Terry Brooks, where I only had three or four books to re-read, which I was greatly looking forward to, and they aren't long reads. In that scenario though, the series has completed portions within ... mini series within series. In the Robert Jordan scenario and George Martin one, I was and will be hanging out to read the next book ... no time to spend reading old ones, so just a quick refresher at best.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Apache

I immediately start another book as soon as I finish one.
Apache

As do I.

[barryem]

For me it depends on the book. Most of the time I'll just start right into another book but sometimes I get pretty wrapped up in a book and when I'm done I don't want to let go of it right away.

I read one book at a time although sometimes I'll read a short story or two between books if I'm not sure what to read next. And I don't start a book unless I'm pretty sure I'm going to finish it. Now and then I'll get that wrong and I don't hesitate to stop if I get a bad one. But if it's just not what I was in the mood for I'll know that early on and will put it off till I am in the mood. Once I'm into the book I'll finish it unless it's pretty bad and I don't get many that are that bad.

Every now and then I just can't stay with any book so I'll just back away and give myself a break. Fortunately that only happens once or twice a year, usually when I've been reading a lot.

Barry

[Timboli]

Originally Posted by Wearever

I'm trying to challenge myself by reading genres I don't usually read. If not for the challenge my reading would be just mystery, history, mostly because those are my go to. I still read those of course but at least one other gere book from my challenge, this year it's sci fi. Last year it was fantasy. Next year something else. I'll end up reading at least 12 books that I probably wouldn't have found without the challenge. New series are even better, since I also challenge myself to read the first book only for that years challenge. It was especially hard when I found a series I loved and wanted to read the second book. So in that sense I guess I savored the first book until my challenge was complete at the end of the year.

An interesting approach, if not one that fully appeals to me, though I guess I have done something slightly similar, still kind of do it.

Several years ago, I created an order list (Reading Order.xls) for the books I have left to read, which of course just kept growing faster than I could read, so I really didn't add too many to the list, but came up with a kind of formula or arrangement/structure.

Basically, I elected to vary the genres I read on a regular basis. Maybe add some new ones in, but nothing forced. I also wanted to read all the books by the many authors I follow, in the order they wrote them, but also sometimes stepping out of that order to read a completed trilogy or series first.

That meant in several cases, re-reading books I had read out of order.

My reading order list encompassed authors like Agatha Christie, Michael Moorcock, Jules Verne, Alexandre Dumas, H.G. Wells, Robert E. Howard, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Rafael Sabatini, Mary Johnston, Leslie Charteris, Capt. W.E. Johns, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, etc and many others, including newer authors.

So I listed one book by each, and read all those first, then list their next book, and read them. Now and then I would slot something else in at a whim, including biographies and new authors.

I have so many authors and books, that it meant I was reading about three Agatha Christie books a year, and similar for the others. I say similar, because I also looked at the number written by an author, and if a lot like Agatha Christie (around 100 books), I would slot an extra one of two in more regularly.

It was a reasonable reading regime I set up, but sometimes it would slow down or get bogged down on something I truly wasn't in the mood at the time to read. For a while I would force myself to continue, but realized no great joy in doing so. I did worry such a book would get put aside and eventually forgotten, lose continuity and such, so I was initially quite firm with myself. That meant reading stopped except for that book.

Realism exerted itself eventually. I read to enjoy, as well as learn and grow in knowledge. I only have so many unknown number of years on this mortal coil, and my book collection has far out-grown what I can possibly read, even if I live to 100 and are still capable of reading up to then.

So I have to accept, that I cannot read all, and that really I should be reading the ones I am more sure about enjoying, interspersing others to ensure variety, and not get burnt out on a genre or author. I have known many as well as myself, that have gotten burnt out on Fantasy for instance. There was a point, where that was all I ever read. Luckily, I later developed a love of Mystery books and Historical Romance. I should read more SciFi, which oddly I keep putting off, but have always enjoyed immensely at times.

Anyway, I am less regimental about what I read now. I still try to follow my basic order, but I vary it more often at a whim. It is the backbone though. I currently have about six Agatha Christie books left to read. Mostly finished some other authors too. Some like Wilbur Smith books I have skipped at various times, allowing myself to cater for my mood. They are still on the list and I still fully intend to get to them, but I want to enjoy others more fully first.

I also read slower than I used to, somewhat deliberately so. I used to really push the pace, sticking to my agenda. Now I read to savor more, absorb more, enjoy more. No doubt a very personal thing, applicable to me.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Timboli

I may do something similar for the A Song Of Ice And Fire (Game Of Thrones) books, when GM finally writes some more.

I gave up on Martin years ago. Clearly he's not interested in finishing the series and I very much doubt he'll ever do so. Luckily for me I like the TV series, so I'll be satisfied with that.

[Timboli]

Originally Posted by barryem

... And I don't start a book unless I'm pretty sure I'm going to finish it. Now and then I'll get that wrong and I don't hesitate to stop if I get a bad one. But if it's just not what I was in the mood for I'll know that early on and will put it off till I am in the mood. Once I'm into the book I'll finish it unless it's pretty bad and I don't get many that are that bad.

Quite true for me too, and it is amazing how mood can make all the difference sometimes.

Take my situation with Terry Brooks. I had not read one of his books for about 19 years. The last one I read, was The First King Of Shannara, back in January 2000. I started reading his Isle Witch novel in December last year, and even though I had been hanging out for years to get back to reading his books, I struggled to get into it. One of the reasons I kept putting his books off, was because I was always reading many other somewhat similar fantasies, and I don't like to mix them. I like to have space so as not to risk confusing things, especially as some authors write quite complex stories, with lots of threads and characters to follow.

Anyway, Terry Brooks time had finally come, but it seems I wasn't in the mood. So I threw in a couple of other books meanwhile. A non-fiction book by Martin Clunes about dogs, and J.K. Rowlings 4th Murder Mystery novel. She, like Dan Brown, I tend to read close to purchasing, and I got that book for Xmas. At that time, I must have read a few chapters of the Terry Brooks novel, and I knew I liked it, but just struggled to get momentum with it.

After that divergence, I tried again, and suddenly things started moving, and in the end I really enjoyed Isle Witch (finished it on the 3rd of February), and read the next two in the trilogy quite quickly ... a few days each. I have since read 2 other Terry Brooks trilogies in the Shannara series, and one ebook novella. All read in a reasonable time frame.

Mood I find, is such an important element.