Thursday, March 20, 2008

Booking Through Thursday--The End


This week's Booking Through Thursday question is:

The End

You’ve just reached the end of a book . . . what do you do now? Savor and muse over the book? Dive right into the next one? Go take the dog for a walk, the kids to the park, before even thinking about the next book you’re going to read? What?

(Obviously, there can be more than one answer, here–a book with a cliff-hanger is going to engender different reactions than a serene, stand-alone, but you get the idea!)

Sometimes reading inspires me to read.  I get on a roll and the minute I finish something I love, I have to dive into something new, sometimes by the same author, sometimes the same genre, sometimes something entirely different that has been sitting on my stack of books.

Other times a book is so emotionally draining that I need a rest, or I need time to digest what I've read, so I don't read at all for awhile.  It all depends on the book.  

But even an emotionally wrenching book often inspires me to read right away--I'll read something calming and comforting, to change my mood.

What about you?

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Same, same. Sounds like we have a similar style to our reading!

Gentle Reader said...

lisamm--glad to hear it! Nothing like a new book to cure you of the after-effects of the last book...

kristen said...

Good point about the nature of the book affecting how fast you dive into the next one! I just posted my answer on my blog, too!

Gentle Reader said...

kristen--thanks, I'll check out your response, too :)

litlove said...

In fact I could have written exactly the same post as you. The best books need a pause for contemplation afterwards, the draining ones need a mental palate cleanser, exciting books make you long for the same all over again. I entirely agree!

Robin said...

You described my own reading experiences perfectly. More often than not, I'm inspired to read more, but occasionally I'll read a book that simply can't be followed up by anything else for awhile. Lovely post!

Susan Helene Gottfried said...

I'm not that dissimilar, although sometimes, I need a recovery after the emotionally draining ones.

Lesley said...

I move straight on to the next book. I don't waste any time, even after the draining/harrowing reads!

Anonymous said...

It seems most of us go to the next book!

LOL!

Booking upto ending

Gentle Reader said...

litlove--we're on the same wavelength, once again!

robin--it so depends on the book, and the feelings that book brings on, doesn't it?

susan--I understand that feeling--of needing recovery time--too :)

lesley--like I said to lisamm, nothing cures you of the after-effects of a book like another book!

gautami--thanks for the link!

Anonymous said...

The ending of a particular book dictates what I do next, I might reread those last few pages a few times (if they're really good) or jump quickly to something completely different (if I want to change the taste in my mouth) or sometimes I'll let a book simmer for a while before moving on.

heather (errantdreams) said...

Oooh, I missed last week's BTT due to dentistry.

My answer is much like yours---usually I dive right into the next book, but occasionally something gets so deep inside my head that I at least can't immediately move on to another piece of fiction.

Gentle Reader said...

verbivore--I sometimes reread those last few pages, too :)

heather--hope your teeth are okay!

Monster Paperbag said...

For me, it depends on the book. Right after reading Atonement, I couldn't read anything for a few days. The same with The Road.