Michelle supplied actual wisdom to this website in her comment on my post the other day, and I have decided to apply it to my life. Life is too short to read books that don’t grab me, so I just won’t. I did finish my NOW book club book (it was good, it was interesting, I didn’t love it), but the very next book I was supposed to read was for my other book club: Our Souls at Night, by Kent Haruf. The blurb wasn’t interesting to me, and the Kindle version was $11.99. The library had it, but it was out and there was a waiting list (and book club meets in less than a week). Was it worth $11.99 to me if I might quit after 50 pages? Not really. But I joined the book club to talk about books with other readers, and if they introduce me to good books I wouldn’t ordinarily pick out for myself, that’s a good thing, right? I would feel a little guilty going to a book club meeting without having finished the book we’re talking about, but a) that doesn’t make my opinion less valid (why didn’t I like it?), and b) no one says I have to go that month.
I took my dilemma to John. Given these circumstances what would he do? He would find a free download of the book or otherwise look for a cheaper way to get it, that’s what he’d do. Smart, although not officially condoned by me. Without going into any specifics (ahem), I did get a copy of it, and I started it with every intention of giving it 50 pages (or in this case, since it’s digital and I know the paper version is only around 200 pages, giving it 20 or 25%) before putting it down.
Who is surprised that I was hooked by the third page?