Tips for those who read slow or lack the time to read.
Well, I got the first day cover that commemorates the 35th anniversary of the establishment diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia that I mentioned a couple of posts ago. Except that it's not a first day cover, it's a commemorative cover, which is a slightly different beast. I guess I should read the news article properly next time! The difference between the two is that first day covers are specially-designed envelopes stuck on with specially-designed stamps, and marked with a specially-designed postmark. A commemorative cover is a specially-designed envelope... and that's it. All in all, it's an unremarkable affair, especially if you're used to well-designed first day covers (not that Malaysian first day covers are well-designed... but I digress). Oh sure, a commemorative cover has a stamp printed right on to it but that's just like an overglorified aerogramme. Lame. On the whole, what a disappointment. I haven't been collecting first day cover...
it's good advice esp about pacing yourself through a book - but cut yourself some slack if you're reading an important book like 'midnight's children' which takes more brain cells
ReplyDeletei always read when i eat - it's my favourite reading time and i read on public transport
but i do reread parts when i love the way something is done and find it a great way to learn
Ha ha ha, Ted. I'm actually one of those who can zoom through a book in a day. Especially if it's an unputdownable thriller.
ReplyDeleteSharon: I can't zoom through Midnight's Children no matter how hard I tried! But I have finished the book at last... am now going through something a little less brainy... like something from Michael Crichton :D I read when I eat too, but only magazines. Eating rice with hands while holding a paperback (or worse, a hard cover!) requires too much effort, methinks!
ReplyDeleteXeus: I envy you! Though I've had my share of zooming through unputdownable thrillers too... like when I read marathon-read Dan Brown's four books three years ago.
well done finishing "midnight's children" - hope you enjoyed it
ReplyDeleteyes, you deserve a lighter read after that marathon!
reading when eating requires practice. i wrote a sort of how-to guide here.
Let me echo Namra: Ha! Priceless!
ReplyDeleteDo you eat while reading online? I know I do... my huge list of blogs that I have to read calls for a hefty serving of nosh!
my blog writing is fuelled by tea but i find it hard to eat when i'm surfing 'cos i need 2 hands
ReplyDeleteHehe... All I can say is it needs practice... ;)
ReplyDeleteHi Ted
ReplyDeleteAll that hard work and all those long months of toil and someone just zips through the beautiful writing you've spent ages agonising about... It's fab if the reason is they are enjoying the book but if it's only so they don't waste time reading and if they hurry up, they can get on with their lives and other books piled up on their desks: for a writer, it's a bit depressing
A friend once apologised to me that she read my novel The Flame Tree in one sitting one night. She said, "I know it took you eighteen months to write and here, I've finished it in under 12 hours." I like to think it was a compliment that she couldn't put it down.....
Yang-May Ooi
www.fusionview.co.uk
Oh I don't know... I don't think a reader that's NOT enjoying a book would even bother to actually attempt to finish reading the book, much less to finish it quickly! I'd be more worried if the reader stopped half-way (or worse, only 2 pages in) then never continued reading the book again.
ReplyDeleteHaving a reader finish your book in 12 hours is indeed a compliment--a testimony of how well you write!