I am currently taking a course in "teaching reading" in grad school. Despite some shortcomings in my expectations from the teacher, I am finding the class interesting in that it is making me think back on how I've developed (or in some ways, not developed) my ability to read. I remember really disliking having to read books in school. Even the books who's stories I really enjoyed. Reading seems to be one of the only pleasures in life that I am able to really slow down and enjoy. Perhaps this is better said: reading is one of the only pleasures in life that I am not able to consume at an enormous rate. I remember enjoying being read to very much. I remember memorizing Dr. Seuss books and not letting my parents get one word wrong when they read them to me. I remember laughing, crying, blah, blah, blah. But I just HATE reading on a deadline, and it shows.
Right now, I think I have a book mark in four books, all of which I have been reading for much longer than I care to admit for how short they are. I'm always impressed with those people who can sit down and read for a whole day, just knocking our book after book. I am not one of those people. I'm not sure what it is, but when I am really enjoying a book. I like that I can get my satisfaction in and still know that there will be more the next time I pick it up. There's certainly also a part of me that can't sit still that long staring at a book, which is really too bad, because I don't seem to have that trouble when it comes to tv, even when there's nothing on. Either way, I know that when I get a really good book in my hands, I feel this sense of disappointment when it ends.
I've heard other people talk about how much they just want to get to the end of a book. They just power through and move on as soon as they can. It certainly doesn't work that way with me. I mean, everything else in life, I seem to have no problem taking in excess if it gives me some sort of pleasure. I'll be slurping down a delicious beer or glass of wine or inhaling a tasty (and often expensive) meal without pause, but when it comes to a good story, I (perhaps due to my lacking ability) seem to be able to steady the pace and "enjoy the journey" with ease. I often rate how much I like a book by how much I wish it wasn't over upon reading the last page.
