Books Are Like Men

It took me a while to accept that I was in a book rut. Don't get me wrong, this didn't stop me from reading way more books in the month of September than I thought I would with my crazy busy work schedule. But I was still in a rut, and it made me unhappy. I was getting frustrated with myself over the fact that I had started many books lately that I just couldn't get into. I was getting frustrated that I kept gravitating to Lisa Scottoline's books, even though they were hilarious and made up of many short stories that I could read a few on a break quickly. I was frustrated until I began to change my perspective. (Seems to be my life motto lately)

Books are like men, and there is one out there that will speak to my soul.

Yep, that's my big revelation that got me out of my book rut, but the story behind how I came to that makes me laugh. The boy and I were having a discussion about the books that we had been reading lately (because we're nerds). He claims that one of the things he loves about me is how I geek out over going to the library, and all of my quirks that go along with library visits that will probably come up in later posts. Anyway, he was talking about a biography and alternate history book that he was reading and I was raving about Lisa Scottoline (who he refers to as the "my next husband will be a dog" lady as it was a book we both saw on a library date and loved the title...did I mention we're nerds?). Somehow the conversation turned to Jane Austin, and I dropped what seemed to be a Hiroshima sized bomb on him..

I don't like Jane Austin.

I know...I know...blasphemy! How can I call myself a well read woman and NOT like Jane Austin. In fact, how can I even call myself a woman and NOT like Jane Austin. The boy then began to grill me on why I don't like Jane Austin because "everyone likes Jane Austin". Um, honey, I love you, but you're talking to someone who doesn't like Jane Austin, so that's a lie. The truth is that I've never really thought about why I don't like Jane Austin. I've attempted to read many books by her and I just can't get into them. Sense and Sensibility wasn't my cup of tea. Emma was eh to me and I didn't finish it. Cliff notes helped me pass when I couldn't make it through Pride and Prejudice.

I've tried reading these novels more than once, thinking that my taste have changed. After all, as a child, I refused to eat hamburgers and now I love them. As a college student, I never ate ribs but now love them! I figured that my taste in books worked the same way as my taste in food, and for books and authors that was true. However, my indifference on anything Jane Austin (and The Great Gatsby) have not evolved with age.

After this explanation, the boy thought he would nail me with the best card he was holding in his hand:
"Do you like Clueless?" he asked me with a sly smile.
"I like Paul Rudd, and will watch pretty much anything he is in."
"So you liked Clueless?"
"I didn't say I liked Clueless. I can take or leave Clueless. I said I liked Paul Rudd."
"Are you even really a woman?"
"Not nearly as much as you are,"

And that's when I realized that books are like men. Just because things don't work out with a guy, doesn't necessarily make them a bad guy. It just means they aren't the guy for me. Books are the same way. Just because I can't get into a book, doesn't say anything about the book or about me. It just means we aren't compatible. And just as some people prefer to think there are a lot of fish in the sea, I prefer to think that there are a lot of books in the library. I may not resolve my book ruts quickly, but it sure is fun to try!