Lauren B. Lentini

I love books, but we have a complicated relationship. I love books so much that I hardly read.

When I do read, I read slowly. I read every word, get lost in sentences. I get so wrapped up in word choice I forget to glean the meaning of a paragraph, then I reread it. So finishing a book takes me ages.

I primarily read fiction. Nonfiction writers don’t often truck in the kind of witty prose I adore, preferring to focus on, like, facts. Getting through a nonfiction book is something of a slog for me. So reading is purely for escapism, not a “worthy” use of precious time.

I don’t like to read in small bursts. I can’t pick up a book for a page or two; I want to commit to at least a chapter. It’s hard to convince myself I have time for a reading session, even when I’d spend at least as long scrolling through Facebook. So books I’ve started sit untouched for months or even years.

Not finishing a book makes me feel guilty, like I’ve betrayed the writer and his or her words. I don’t want to start a new book until I’ve finished one of the ones I’m already reading. But it’s been so long since I read any of those books, I feel like I need to restart them. So old books taunt me while new books entice me, and I find it easiest to avoid the problem by surfing the internet instead. (Where I collect articles that I never read, but that’s another post.)

Audiobooks are an exception. They’re brilliant, but they’re not the same as parsing the shape of words on a page, mentally turning black-on-white into technicolor. They’re also another post.

For Self-Care June, I decided to throw all my so’s in the trash. I started a new book (Station Eleven). And–lo and behold!–I finished it. And I started another one (Dark Matter). And I’m almost halfway through that one!

And then I saw a Facebook post that says there’s a Doctor Who t-shirt in it for me if I sign up for my local library’s Adult Summer Reading program. Incentive to read? A kickoff party the next day? What timing! So this evening, husband and son in tow, I registered for the program (basically, books read = raffle tickets), got a free shirt, listened to some live music, ate some ice cream, and decided to be a reader again. Not just a book lover.

What shall I read, dear readers? Don’t hit me with the heavy stuff; I’m out of practice. What’s your best guilty pleasure recommendation? I skew more sci-fi/fantasy than romance, but I’ll give anything a shot.

Do board books count toward raffle tickets?