Friday, February 06, 2009

Reading every day

Today I'm heading to the mountains with JP (or more accurately, I'm going with him to Asheville while he meets with a client and then we're headed to the mountains).  In the past, I've done a ton of writing up there.  There's something about the whole place -- the views, the quiet (it didn't have internet access until recently), the fresh air -- that really stokes my creativity.  And JP's parents have always been so wonderful and understanding that I spend my afternoons tapping away on the computer.

Mostly, I wrote up there because I had to write every weekend (or I was under deadline) and so I didn't have a lot of other options.  But I realized yesterday that I don't have to write this weekend.  And since I'm waiting for my second round of revisions, I don't have a deadline to work with either.  I can actually read this weekend!

What a novel idea!  And thankfully I have two big TBR stacks just waiting for me!  The first is a stack of books I bought for my mom (she's becoming a YA aficionado) and then promptly borrowed for my trip to Curacao.  The second is a stack of books I'm reading for an upcoming trip.

Growing up I used to spend all weekend reading.  My dad would take me to the local indie (The Open Book) and I'd pick out something (usually Christopher Pike) and then read it.  Or I'd peruse the shelves in my sister's bedroom and pick up a Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High, and eventually romance.  I'd stay up late late late into the night and I wouldn't even roll out of bed in the morning -- I'd just pick up the book and keep going.

It's really been a long time since I've done that.  Back in law school when I realized I wasn't reading enough, I started reading just before bed.  It was supposed to be my way of making sure I got some reading in every day.  But I've since realized that that often tends to be my ONLY reading.  When I left law, I relished the idea of stopping work at 4pm and just cracking a book (after all, industry reading can be considered work!) and yet, I've never done it!

So this weekend I'm looking forward to taking a stack of books to the mountains and just indulging.  Of course, that is... if my current WIP doesn't call to me instead :)

What about y'all?  Do you read every day?  How do you choose what books to read and when to read them?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love Asheville. I love the Smoky Mountains. We used to camp there summers when I was little, and then when I went to grad school in Durham, we'd take weekend trips.

I did a lot of reading on those camping trips, so I hope you'll find time to catch up on your TBR pile!

Unknown said...

Love Asheville! I moved to Rutherford Co. recently, and miss being able to go up the mountain whenever I want to. Biltmore is brilliant.

Anyway, yes, I do read every day. Sometimes it is hard to really sit down and read...but that's why I always keep at least one book in the bathroom..... ;) TMI, I know--sorry!

Shelli (srjohannes) said...

my book is set up there - in the snowbird mountains. It all sounded delightful.

Spy Scribbler said...

It sounds lovely, Carrie! I made a New Year's Resolution to read three books a week. I also made one to write 3,000 words a day. (If you just spat coffee on your laptop, that's an appropriate response. The two do NOT mesh, LOL!)

I really want to read more. It's tough. I used to read a book a night. I love that. I want that life back! Somehow!

Unknown said...

Sounds beautiful Carrie.
I read every night for 1 to ? hours (sometimes I just can't stop- you know how it is). Also, my paying gig is welding (metal sculptor), so when I'm in that mode I can listen to audio books all day. It's a great way to get more books in.

Anonymous said...

That sounds amazing! I am so jealous. And I also love Asheville. I used to go to overnight camp right outside there in Tuxedo.

As for reading, yeah, I haven't quite got the law school reading for pleasure bit down yet. But I'm working on it.

Anonymous said...

Hey Carrie! This sounds incredible! Can't wait to read it!!