One of my things to accomplish on my 101 List is to read a book from start to finish without reading the end first. Well, my current book won’t count. I’m reading a Grace Livingston Hill book, called White Orchids. It’s a typical GLH book—a rich young man attracted to a poor working girl, with a furious rich society girl looking on and trying to take the two from each other. There is something very compelling about GLH books even though a lot of them have similar plots.
Why doesn't White Orchids qualify for my list? You see, I’ve read it in my typical fashion, which is: read the first half of the book word for word, sentence by sentence. After finishing the first half, and noticing the late hour, but still needing to know what happens before I can go to bed, stick a bookmark in, skip through the last half and skim the chapters and read the interesting parts. Then, read the last few chapters word for word, sentence by sentence. There! I know what happened, and I can go to bed! The next day or so, I go back to the bookmarked spot and pick up where I left off reading word for word. But there is no pressure now—I can read a chapter here, a chapter there, and it really doesn’t bother me to put the book down. And I will finish reading the book! I always do!
Truly, that is the way I read most books. It drives Kevin crazy that I do that. LOL But me, I’m quite happy to read a book that way. So why did I put that goal on my list? Hmmm…good question!
Image from http://users.tellurian.com/bksleuth/GLHInfo.htm
12 comments:
HEY. I got used as a sermon illustration on Sunday for that very habit of reading the end before finishing the book!!
Now I can say to A. that I"M NOT THE ONLY ONE!
I had to laugh at your characterization of GLH books: spot-on! Different books, same plot! Following the age-old story of not killing the goose that lays golden eggs, I suppose.
Have you ever read any George MacDonald or Harold Bell Wright? The authors are long dead, but Bethany House republished their works back in the late 80s/early 90s. There's substance there, not just fluff.
OK I don't quite do what you do, but I do confess to reading the ending before I finish the book. I tend to worry about the characters a lot, so I frequently skip to the last chapter and jut skim it to check that my favourite characters are still there! I try not to read anything just spot the names, so as not to spoil the plot ;) I never told anyone about it before!
I will confess to doing to same thing, but I try really hard not too!!! I don't like it when the ending isn't quite how I imagined and it's sad to finish the book.
Emma, when I'm trying to be good and not read the back, I do the same thing as you!! A quick scan of recognizable names. LOL
Kelli
how funny, my sister was just telling me that she skips ahead in books to find out what happens. that is unfathomable to me, and i laughed when i heard her admit it. i'll have to let her know she's not the only one.
You are SUCH a naughty girl. LOL I bet you snuck your Christmas presents opened as a child, didn't you, Tammy?? LOL
I'm picking on you, of course. But I do find it humorous that you peak at the endings. :)
Tammy, I tend to do the same thing as you do! I have to really fight with myself not to read the ending.....I just can't stand not knowing!
Until now I've NEVER told this to anyone! LOL not it's on the internet. (o:
Anne, no never read either author. I'll have to look them up at our library and see if they carry any of their books.
Hahaha...so funny, those of you confessing for the first time ever! We could form a support group or something. Hahaha
And NO Kristi, I never ever opened presents before they were given to me! :) I promise!
I think I we would get along so well if we ever met... maybe it's because you're from Michigan. I'm half Michigander you know (my dad is from Detroit/Bay City area), and I was even born in Gross Pointe (don't make fun of the name, LOL!) :o)
Everyone has teased me forever because I read the back (though I'm more like Emma and Kelli; I just skim for people to make sure they live, or I check to make sure the main couple really does end up together, LOL!). I just can't stand the suspense!!! Now I find the truth: there are many of you out there! Praise the Lord -- I'm not the only one! :o)
How funny! I read the whole book through and then go back and read my favorite parts over and over again.
Tammy,
Have you read The Prodigal Girl by GLH? That is my favorite of hers, though it would be a tough run against A Daily Rate which I just re-read.
My daughter has a dear friend who cheats on her books also. My dd is so far in the other direction she won't even read the blurb on the back of the book because it might give a little something away.
I do have a question though, what do you do in the case of a series of books that have cliff hangers at the end?
Hi! I'm the "dear friend" Lora mentioned, and I'm very glad to find that you are a kindred spirit when it comes to reading books! My family gives me a hard time, but I cannot resist reading the end early! Sometimes I even read the last chapter very first to see if the book if worth reading or not!
Lora, I typically do the same thing with cliff hanger books. I don't go forward in the series though, without having read each book. So even if I have the whole series, I don't read the end of the last book! (at least, not until I'm actually reading the last book. LOL)
Katie, nice to meet you!
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