Saturday, September 22, 2007

Hello! Hi! Remember me? Yes, me, over here on the shelf.

Hi, my name is Someone To Run With. I'm a novel by David Grossman. You know, the one you're supposed to be reading for Book Club, which will be held in about a week and a half in YOUR house, Robin. I'm very good you know, I've got great reviews and I've even won prizes. All in all, I'm supposed to be a pretty nice read if I do say so myself.

So why am I just languishing on your shelf? You've been neglecting me for that Dante Club book, haven't you? The same one you said was pretty good but incredibly slow-going and didn't really begin to pull you in until page 230-something. Or is it all that blogging you've been doing? The internet has sucked the life out of so many readers. You used to be so trustworthy. All the older books on the shelf say you devoured them in just a day or two, three if they were really long, then came back and read them again and again. They say they were all exhausted from being read non-stop, cover to cover. I was so sure when you brought me home that I was done languishing on that cold basement shelf and had finally come somewhere I'd be appreciated, but no, it's been weeks and I'm still sitting here unread. Different shelf, same story. No love, no appreciation, not even the faintest glimmer of attention.

My only comfort is knowing that that book club meeting is fast approaching, and that you never could let a deadline go by without scrambling to meet it. Maybe when it gets a bit closer you'll finally buckle down and see how wonderfully I fulfill the promise of my reputation. Until then, I'll just sit here and wait. Ho hum. Don't mind me. I'm just a book after all. An inanimate object. It's not like I have feelings or anything. I'll just sit here and wait patiently until you get around to picking me up. Not in a rush. I'm not going anywhere after all. Does anyone have anything I can read while I'm waiting? Should we send out for pizza?...


Visit Sunday Scribblings for more introductions.

16 comments:

Jo said...

:rofl You said to me a while back that you read so many blogs your books were suffering and I thought that was sacriligeous. Well I've been reading the same book for over a week. Unheard of around here.

Becca said...

Hilarious and very clever!

I can relate though - I have a few lonely books on my shelf too. Perhaps I'll send them over to comiserate with yours :)

Lucy said...

haha Very cute! I can so relate to this post. I Used to be an avid reader! Blogging just sort of cut into that reading time. NOW I formed a book club with friends and I MUST get cracking and dedicate some serious time to our book selection. ( I will check out your book for the next one!) :)

paris parfait said...

Ha! This is very funny - interesting twist from the perspective of a book. I've got stacks and stacks of books waiting to be read; I keep moving them from room to room, but not finding time to read them. Sigh. Must do more reading and less of something else.

Kamsin said...

haha! Great post! I guess you better get reading!

Patois42 said...

I love it! So damn true. I've been bemoaning my lack of reading for so long. It's this that's done me in -- reading blogs and blogging myself. Poor book. At least the kids haven't started to feel that way yet

Amy said...

Sadly, my evenings end up with watching something I've tivo'd... I have a stack of books beside my bed to read - and before we moved the computers out of the bedroom and to the basement, I would read while my husband was on the computer... I'm going to start a new book tomorrow night!

deedee said...

This is funny! I can hear many objects in my house talking to me the same way!

lissa said...

It's true, blogging has suck up most of my time.

That poor book! I'm sure it will get read soon.

josie2shoes said...

Totally delightful, and very creative, Robin! The book reading which I once did so voraciously, seems to go a bit slower these days... I wonder why! :-)

Anonymous said...

I still read! I got a blog too reviewing the books I read!

Anonymous said...

this was awesome. thanks for making me laugh...i needed it after yesterday's exhaustion!!!

Eimi said...

I love the view from the book!! =) Get reading!

Gill said...

Very clever! I have the same problem - since I took up blogging, my reading happens in fits and starts.

Tumblewords: said...

Too funny and here I thought I was the only one who was falling behind the reading curve.

Granny Smith said...

Why am I commiserating with you when I have a book discussion group on October 5 and haven't even bought the book (The Inheritance of Loss)yet? Probably because blogging is so much more fun. I don't even HAVE the book yet, nor do remember the name of the author. Still, I know I'll both get the book and read it by then.

A post to which I can really relate!