Sometimes I Read Slow, Sometimes I Read Quick

Nice & Smooth is an East Coast hip hop duo from New York City that consists of Gregory O. “Greg Nice” Mays and Darryl O. “Smooth B” Barnes plus their deejay Tedd “DJ Teddy Tedd” Whiting. Like most music I took a fancy to, my older brothers had introduced them to me.

Back in the 90s I took no offense when Nice & Smooth proclaimed I was a Hip Hop Junkie. To this day I play Sometimes I Rhyme Slow, a short and sweet track layered with tragedy interwoven with the thinly dispersed and melancholic guitar loop, which was sampled from chartbusting Fast Car masterpiece by the lovely and talented folk and blues singer, Tray Chapman.

Sometimes I Rhyme Slow features internal rhymes in these classically epic lines:

“No static, got an automatic/Too much of anything makes you an addict”.

The last line intrigued me even as a teen. The word “addict” is heavy with negative connotation.

Speaking of addicts, is there really such a thing as reading too much? Is there really such a thing as having too many books? 😐

Like a boss, I make it rain. 😉

Any psychological expert may say that addictions have something to do with neglecting priorities. Perhaps, one could form the conclusion that reading books (when one should be writing) is a form of procrastination, yes?

BUT…

Lately reading has been a lifeline, a sword and shield, a pillow, a friend, a sparring partner, a coach, a personal trainer, a warm-up routine, and an escape. Moreover, all of this reading is indeed inspiring me to write, plan, and set goals to complete my own novels. It takes a great deal of discipline and the willingness to balance between the complimentary worlds of writing and reading.

Reading also keeps me on my toes in the publishing arena. Comparative titles (often referred to as comp titles) are an important part of a pitch proposal. Hundreds of books are released each year and reading helps authors to not only stay relevant in their genre(s), but also equips them with essential knowledge to polish their query packages. Whether or not your ideas may be unique, often times with a little research you may learn there is nothing new under the sun.

HOWEVER, no one can write your story quite like you. So, don’t lose heart, dear ones because there will always be new stories to tell! 🙂

Most importantly, during this stressful time reading has helped me to destress. 🙂

And sometimes I read slow and sometimes I read quick.

I read slow when I am re-reading a book in order to deconstruct its parts. I do this especially when I’m analyzing mysteries or commercial novels that weave mysteries within the plot, as well as novels with romance-centered plots. It is one thing to write a love story, but another to make it enchanting as it is believable.

I read quick when it’s my first time or if the book is simply a pleasurable breath of fresh air. My husband often times calls these reads “popcorn books” because they are entertaining and filling like a savory-good bowl of popcorn. However, this is not always the reason why I end up not completing a book within a matter of hours or days (depending on how full my plate is).

Sometimes I have to take a break to breathe and digest. Some books possess so much soul, heart, and flesh and blood that I need to either reflect on what I am experiencing and/or prepare myself for what is to come. I think that the latter has a lot to do with my overactive imagination, which you can read more about here.

Anyway, this is what I have been reading in between teaching full-time, parenting, and writing as much as I can because of deadlines:

Happy reading and writing to you! 🙂