Constant Reader discussion

I had to chuckle when I read the Canadian author heading and learned about "life interruptors."

I confess, I have called in sick to work in order to keep reading a book. I rationalized to myself that I was taking a "mental health" day. :)

Some of the old CR crowd have probably discussed this before, but I don't think it has come up in the few months I have been around.

How have others allowed their passion for the current tale to trump "real life?"

gail in San Francisco was our CR who loved her life interrupters -- and she found quite a few for us over the years.

My own real life gives way to reading a book goes back so far the earliest are lost in a fog unless I have a Proustian madeleine moment, they won't be back.

I do recall reading Marilyn French's The Women's Room beginning late afternoon one day and finishing around mid-morning the next day -- had to feed family in there somewhere, had to get them to bed, and had to be awake enough to get them off the next morning -- no memory of how I did any of that -- just know I stayed up reading all that night.

In high school, I started Gone with the Wind one morning. Finished late that night. Had no day at all.

R

That, for me, was the joy of summer vacation as a teenager - I could read a book all night and into the next morning without stopping. I read most of those whopping James A. Michener books during summer vacations.

The last book I devoured in one sitting was The Known World by Edward P. Jones. I had been very reluctant to read it (A black guy owning slaves? Why would I want to read that?), but I picked it up at the beginning of one of Atlanta's infamous ice storms, and, aside from running into the computer room yelling "You've GOT to listen to this passage!" at my husband, I didn't stop until I finished. A brilliant, brilliant book.

The Harry Potter books continute to be life interrupters for me. Even a second or third reading will put me out of commission for a day.

In my opinion, books that affect you like that are worth their weight in gold.

I remember staying up all night reading The Catcher in the Rye and The Great Gatsby when I was in high school. The neighbors could see my light and my blue curtains, and they'd ask me if I ever slept! It was even better in the rain. :)

Yes and that book had one of those profound ife changing effects, didn't it???? So much of the time. I was 22, just out of college, working. It was the most amazing read.

Which book, Lisa? I got lost.

My first voyage through the Aubrey & Maturin sea novels of Patrick O'Brian meant a lot of late-night or even all-night reads for me back in the 1990s.

The Woman's Room:)

Outside of the Harry Potter series...I was completely captivated and engrossed with "The Book Thief". It's been a long time since I stayed up WAAAAY past my bedtime to just get a little bit further in the book!

I felt like I was in high school again. Of course the next morning...I quickly remembered what a "reading hangover" was and that I've been out of high school for over 10 years!

Gone with the Wind - as a teenager - didn't stop till I finished the entire book.

Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison.

Life and Times of Michael K by Coetzee.

Tree of Heaven by R.C. Binstock.

All kept me up reading far too late. Been years since I did that, though!

Theresa

these are few that i have read in basically one sitting so far this year:

Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Agent Zigzag by Benjamin Macintyre

Zeroville by Steve erickson

the first two are non-fiction, but read like incredible novels.

i'm also a little more than halfway done with Surfacing and really enjoying it. it is the first time I have ever read Atwood.

The Reluctant Journey of David Connors, by Don Locke. Fortunately, this was a quick read because I started it when I was visiting my mom's one time, and totally missed out on the family doings until I had read to the end!

Life of Pi, by Yann Martel. Despite the awful goriness and passages of despair, I couldn't put it down. I made so many comments about it as I was reading along the lines of "I wonder if Pi did this?" or "I wonder if Pi thought that?" -- my poor husband finally said in exasperation "It's FICTION, Kay!"

Rebecca, by Daphne duMaurier consumed an entire weekend when I was a young adult and stuck with me a long time.

More recently -- about 10 years ago -- it was The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde.

Interesting how all of these "life interrupters" are soooo memorable!

I´m finding it hard to put down Arianna Franklin´s new books in the MISTRESS OF THE ART OF DEATH series. Whenever I find a new Anne Perry or Rita Mae Brown mystery, I simply plan on staying with it for the rest of the day. Usually the Saturdays I go to the library I spend the rest of the day reading the favored book.