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Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Do I feel sorry or am I just annoyed?

I've been a reader since I was 8 or 9 years old. This was something my parents pushed for - my mom was a reader when she was younger, I have the books to prove it, and my dad is still something of a reader, though it extends mainly to nonfiction.

We used to have reading parties when I was a kid. Pillows spread all over the living room, blinds open letting the sun in, my dad, my brother, and myself with our books. Don't know if they still do these with the junior junkies.

Anyway, I am a reader. That's my point, and I kind of feel bad for people who aren't. Other times I just get aggravated. Why? Because our roommate has no way to entertain himself other than to watch TV. When he is home, the TV is running 24/7! He sleeps in front of the TV. He won't even turn it off when he leaves. I can't understand it. I like TV. I really do. I can sit in front of the box for hours on end when I feel like doing nothing else. I love movies and will watch TV on DVD for hours. I simply can't fathom a life wherein that is the only form of entertainment I enjoy. I like books. I can sit and read one in one evening if it is really good. I don't have to wait for something to come on, I don't have to sit through commercials, and I rather enjoy the quiet. Unfortunately, my book reading now has a permanent soundtrack of reality shows. Agh!

I can hear Bravo right now, which I guess in some way is better than actually hearing a rerun of the Dog Whisperer. Yes, that's another issue - he has a DVR and will rewatch the same episodes over and over again. My feeling is this, if I wanted to watch it, I would be down there. I certainly don't want to listen to it as I attempt to read my book.

Latest to jump off the reading pile is One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost. It's 4 years after Halfway to the Grave and Cat is still pining over Bones. She now works as a vampire hunter for homeland security and (just in the first few chapters) will be returning to her hometown for the first time since the events of Halfway thanks to the fact that someone has left a pile of bodies in the house where she grew up.

Now, does it sound like I need a 24-hour Discovery channel playlist to keep me entertained? No! I will say this about the roomie, he once admitted to me that he skipped school as a teen to read a Harlan Coben book - I think he needs some more Coben love, how about you?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I gave up TV to read more this year. I'm basically a slow reader and the goal was to read 200 books in 2008. I couldn't do both. I'd been moving away from the tube so it wasn't much of an issue to give it up completely.

I haven't always been a reader. My parents weren't and I was a product of them. It was later I found books.

Before books, I was very much like your friend. The TV was a friend to ward off loneliness.

Cheryl said...

I only watch tv about two nights a week for The Tudors and Top Chef and Project Runway when it comes back

I am always reading. I actually am the only one in my family who reads. My husband does not even read either.