March 14, 2011 | By: Tracy

Sometimes, I Like to Do it Nice & Slow

You darn perverts! Don't think I don't know why you came in when you saw the title.  ;o)

No sexy talk in here today (Though if you like the romancy stuff you might want to head over to Chocolate & Spice, a new blog I'm collaborating on with Stina and Anya: where we post about all things romance)

Now, back to me.



Like most of my fellow writers, I'm also a voracious reader. And again, like most, I have a TBR pile large enough to build a fort for myself and a small group of friends . . . to find out what happens when people stop being polite and start getting real.


Oh, sorry, ADHD attack.

Anyway, lately, I've been sort of rushing through series because I've got a self-imposed deadline.




My good buddy Misty wouldn't shut up about Karen Marie Moning's FEVER series and with the final book being released last month, I knew there was no way she'd be able to keep silent for long. So I read all 5 books in the space of four weeks. (It was a hell of a ride too!)




Oh, I also just crawled out from the rock I've been under and finally started The Mortal Instruments series. (I really shouldn't find moody, teenage Nephilim quite so attractive). I've finished the first book, and have approximately 3 weeks to read the next two books in the series so I'm ready for the City of Fallen Angels release next month.





So, I made myself a promise when I opened The Iron King by Julie Kagawa.  I've decided to slow down and take my time with Julie's books.

She's a TREMENDOUS writer and I could easily see myself sitting down & reading The Iron King in one sitting . . . but I've forced myself to relax and enjoy 10 pages a day.

That's right. I'm doing the slow savor.

And because it's only ten pages (which equates to about ten minutes) no matter how busy my day is, I can always find time to fit in my daily fix.

If you've never done this sort of thing before I'd definitely suggest you give it a try. Instead of speed dating, it's like having an old-fashioned courtship. (I also highly recommend giving Julie's books a try if you haven't already. I'm not even finished the first and I definitely give it my seal of approval!)

Anyone else do the slow read from time to time or is it just me?

22 witty remarks:

S.A. Larsenッ said...

Ooh, honestly, I do the slow read most of the time. I like to read like I eat chocolate: savor it slowly. LOL

You have done a lot of reading lately, though. Whoa...

Melissa said...

I wish I could savor but I'm an inhaler. I have the patience of a chia pet and when I start reading a book, I want to know everything that's going to happen and I want to know it yesterday.

Though I reread the books I love.

The sad thing is...is that if I can put a book down...it generally means I wasn't immersed in it in the first place. I couldn't savor if I tried...It get distracted and never pick the books up again!

Matthew MacNish said...

I'm a very slow reader. It almost always takes me at least a week to finish a novel.

Giles Hash said...

I only have time to read about one chapter a night before bed, regardless of the book I'm reading. Unfortunately, I end up staying up waaayyy too late reading beyond that. Catching Fire is a great book... but most of my late-night reading is caused by the great Jim Butcher. His Dresden Files stories are just so dang entrancing.

Stina said...

I'm not a speed reader. That's my 11 yo. He can finish a similar length book way faster than me. Big pain, though, when we're traveling. We can't stock up on enough books for him. On one trip, he read (before me) my book on the teenage brain because he had run out of reading materials. ;)

Mary@GigglesandGuns said...

My kids out read me 3 to 1. If a book goes down for more than an hour or two I usually don't pick it back up unless I have to take it to the library.

Jaime Loren said...

LOL! I don't think I could do ten pages a day. What if it's a really great chapter and you HAVE to know how it ends???

My husband complains that I'm too obsessive when I get my hands on a good book. I find myself sneaking into bed at 4am so when he asks, I can tell him it was midnight. What he doesn't know won't hurt him :)

The worst I ever got was Diana Gabaldon's Outlander, which I stayed up until 6:30am to finish. I guess it's bad when the birds are singing before you close your eyes - and it's NOT because you were out on the town ... :/

Erica Mitchell said...

*waves up to Melissa* I'm like her in everyway when it comes to this. If the book isn't grabbing me by the third chapter I tend to set it down and grab a book that reads a faster pace. I think that's just my personal preference in books. I love the fast paced, action packed reads with a few lull chapters to savor the moment as the characters slow down...until they go into hyperdrive again!!!

If a book grabs me I will read until I am cross-eyed and fight off sleep. ;)

Sophia said...

Your ADHD moments make me smile/laugh-- so voicey. I only recently realised how much reading I could fit into a week when I put my mind to it (read: get off the internet) and I think with the slow savour I'd tend to need a readjustment period to get back into the book. Of course a good, slow read every now and again is no bad thing though.
- Sophia.

David P. King said...

I'm a big fan of the slow read. It's always a downer when a good book is finished too quickly.

I'm passing an award onto you. Come and see :)

Natalie Decker said...

I am a quick reader. I hate finishing a good series and have to wait for the next book though. Maybe I should start reading five pages a night to slow down the process lol so it won't seem so long until the next book comes out.

Kari Marie said...

Oh! I'm horrible at taking it slow. Although I recognize speed is not usually a plus...when it comes to reading. If the book is good, I won't be able to put it down. If I can put it down, it hasn't captured my imagination. I'll still finish, but I might pick up another more interesting book first.

Second time through is when I savor the language and the story.

Terry Towery said...

Oh. Hi Tracy. I just, um, stopped by after reading your headline and ... well, um, see you later. ;)

Janet Johnson said...

I have never tried this! Mostly because I get hooked on a book and then there's nothing to help me in my distraction but to finish it. :)

Unknown said...

So glad you're finally reading the Mortal Instruments books! I adore them!! I know what you mean about savouring books... I was SOOO desperate for each Harry Potter book that came out (especially for the last few) that even though I wanted to just sit and read the entire thing, I would MAKE myself stop after a few chapters - just because I didn't want it to be over too quickly!

Unknown said...

I'm so glad you're finally reading the Mortal Instruments books! I adore them!! I know what you mean about savouring books. I was so desperate for each Harry Potter that came out (especially the last few) but I would MAKE myself take a break from reading every few chapters just because I didn't want it to end!

LTM said...

it really does make a difference when you pace yourself. I've been looking at that Iron King book for a while... will be interested to hear your thoughts~ :o)

Autumn Shelley said...

Hmmmm....I've had that first "Mortal Instrument" in my TBR pile for over a year now. Guess it's time to move it up a notch..is that what I'm hearing???
And no, I could never survive on a self-imposed limitation of 10 pages a day. If I have to know, I have to know and I will keep flipping the page..I admire your self control. *grins*

Colene Murphy said...

KMM book now in tbr list, still need to read the 3rd Mortal Instruments one!! Drats! So behind!

Meredith said...

Oh, TBR pile--so crazy! Are you in love with Jace yet? I'm somewhat obsessed with him. :)

Lindsey Edwards said...

I used to finish a book in two to three days flat (and sometimes sooner if it was really just that good), but after my son arrived, nearly four years ago, I’ve definitely been doing the slow reading thing. My own TBR pile covers two four-tier bookshelves! The only authors to butt ahead of the line are my top-four. :-)

Adina West said...

Wow, sounds like you've really been racing through those series...but no, can't say I've ever done the kind of slow read you're talking about. Not since I had a parent reading me a few pages a night of a chapter book I was too young to read for myself!

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