Thursday Thoughts...

"Reading is one of the most individual things that happens. So every reader is going to read a piece in a slightly different way, sometimes a radically different way". 

Margaret Atwood

I have pondered thoughts like this before; but I love being reminded of just how individual we are as we read a book.

I think that for an author that must be incredibly tricky. Not only are we all bringing different things to the book; but as an individual I know I can read the same book in different ways depending on my age, circumstances and mood.

When reviewing or describing a book for friends, I am really conscious of how my personal experiences or circumstances might have influenced how I read the book and my level of annoyance or enjoyment of it.   Sometimes a book is just the third or fourth in a row we have read that has an annoying male character so we get cranky with it for that - whereas if it was the first book in ages with an annoying male character we may tolerate it better and see it as interesting. 

Sometimes our reading of a book is fragmented because we are time-poor and we never feel like we can really get into it; whereas if we have time to invest and can dive in deep for extended periods, we may enjoy a book more. So many things!

Just a lovely reminder that no two people ever read this me book.

We are off to hear the author talk about this book on Friday - I am yet to read it so it will be interesting to see if hearing about it before I read it changes my thoughts about it!