Posted by Noa on December 5, 2004, at 13:41:28
In reply to Re: Short stories for reading concentration woes » Racer, posted by partlycloudy on December 5, 2004, at 13:04:24
I used to have a hard time letting myself stop reading if I didn't like a book. Then, about 10-12 years ago (I think) I was visiting some friends out of town and I was reading the first novel by an essayist I liked and I found the novel dreadful. My friend's mother was a librarian and she told me to let it go, that life is too short to read a book you don't enjoy.
Last year, around this time, my friend's mother died. I went to visit the family and was telling this story and how meaningful it has been to me all these years, both on a practical, book-reading, level, as well as a metaphor for other aspects of life.
My friend disappeared into a bedroom and came out with something for me. It was a bookmark that goes with this librarian action figure that someone had given her mom. (http://www.mcphee.com/amusements/current/11247.html)
The figure is based on a real librarian in Seattle who started the "Seattle Reads" program that has been copied in many other cities. The book mark had on it her philosophy about how much of a book to read before giving up on it. She says that life is too short and there are too many good books in the world.....etc. Her formula is 50 pages for anyone under 50 years of age and for those 50 and above, you subtract your age from 100 and that is the number of pages you read to give a book a chance!!
So you are right on with the 50 pages, partlycloudy (assuming you are under 50 y.o. I guess).
poster:Noa
thread:424268
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/books/20041006/msgs/424783.html