Monday Madness: Revisiting Old Friends

I've been taking advantage of my library card lately and so I've been reading a lot of books. Some good. Some not. And it's the ones that are "not" that's made me really crave the familiar...and the knowledge that the book I'm going to read is a good one.

So, this week I'm going to dust off some of my hardbacks and read some old friends. And hopefully it will remind me why I write. For the beautiful, magical words and worlds, the lively characters, the amazing dialogue. THAT is why I read. That is why I love literature.

But unfortunately, I've read quite a few books lately that have left me with nothing more than a "meh" feeling. I hate that feeling. I'd rather loathe a book than feel nothing for it. Loathing still means that the author did something RIGHT somewhere along the way (at least right enough for it to twang one of my nerves). When I come across a book that doesn't do either for me, it just makes me sad.

Disclaimer: Yes, I know that not every book was intended for whatever audience I'm grouped in. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about a book lacking that certain something that just makes it breathe. That something that makes me FEEL something. Rather than annoyance. I'm annoyed too much for that to be a book's fault.

So I'll be pulling some of my old friends off the shelf these next few weeks (until I once again get the thirst for fresh ink). I'm going to bury my nose in those pages and remind myself that there are books out there that sing.

How about you? Ever need to take a breather from those shiny new releases and pick up your favorite, dog-earred paperback? Which one is it? Please share!