This e-book, which I had put on hold months ago (well before the coronavirus hit North American consciousness), popped up in my library app as ready for me to borrow. And read.
Hm.
Should I start it?
For those of you who don’t know about Station Eleven, it’s about a pandemic.
I’m not usually against these types of books, I’ve read plenty of dystopian novels and watched both TWD and Fear TWD for multiple, consecutive seasons, but there is something holding me back about Station Eleven.
I’m on the fence. So I turned to Vulture, an outlet that I religiously consulted during my TWD obsession for review and perspective, to see what they had to say about this book given we are currently going through our own pandemic situation.
Perhaps I’m a little less on the fence, now. 😉
The book I was reading like a maniac to get through yesterday, I didn’t get finished. I’m 68% through which put a significant dent into my reading adventure. I put it on hold again today so when it comes through I can finish it.
It’s not fiction, and I read it for two reasons: 1) to understand relationships better, and 2) to supplement my research for my romantic/erotic stories I’m working on. I took a lot of screen captures which I hope to type up into my evernote app so I can reference them as I work on my stories. (The author of that book is a veteran therapist by the name of Esther Perel and few people have impacted me the way she has in terms of fundamental understanding of human relationships.)
So, while I wait for that book to become available again I may dabble in the pandemic story, or I may continue Autopsy of a Boring Wife which, so far, hasn’t quite peaked my interest yet. But I’m not yet ready to throw in the towel. I’m 11% in…
I have two other books I’m partway through which are paperbacks, and a German language one my mom gave me which I haven’t started yet.
Plenty of reading to keep me busy on a wet Easter Monday.
But.
I’ve been sitting and reading or writing too long for the past few weeks. I think maybe today, I will clean something.
Just to switch it up.
(Should I? Meh…)
You may have noticed I use e-books more than traditional books these days. I still like the actual books, and enjoy wandering through libraries and bookstores but that is neither here nor there now.
In fact, I am quite attracted to the huge availability of e-reading material online. Plus, while reading on a screen, I can do several things that I can not with traditional books:
-
- I can adjust the font to a larger size when my eyes get tired
- I can adjust the back-light to accommodate comfort when reading in the dark
- I can look up the definition of a word simply by highlighting it and the built-in dictionary comes up immediately
So, while locked-up and stuck at home, this virtual reading ability has been a great opportunity to read more for me.
The one question remains though:
Should I start the pandemic novel, or not?
Thoughts?
Writer of Words, etc 
I’m deliberately avoiding pandemic/outbreak porn in book and video form. I am not ready. Do let me know if the book is any good, as I do love me some dystopian fiction
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I’m the biggest escapist I know, so there’s no way I would read a pandemic story 🙂 I would probably go after some huge inter-stellar epic or something – just something far removed.
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You have a leaning tower of books… 😉
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Read the book. I’ve just added it to my own To Read list.
I like paper books but find myself increasingly reading eBooks. The instant availability of new books is always appealing but the main reason is that the backlit screen allows me to read in bed without waking my partner.
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Same re the reading in bed.
And I started it. Funny thing: it feels familiar. I think it came out in 2014…I may have read it already…
😉
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No! Do. Not. Read Station Eleven right now. I had it on hold at the library for several months and listened to it in February when hearing the book interwoven with daily news reports was more than I could take. Listening to it now would be absolutely more than I could take. My friend who had recommended it and I were talking tonight about how it isn’t a book for right now.
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No, No, a thousand times No! A small dose of daily COVID news is okay, but we need distraction, a reminder there is a world out there different than this. Maybe some light travel memoirs?
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Maybe you should read it and confirm reality is always superior to imagined fiction. Surely you could even laugh comparing reality and fantasy.
Greeting
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No you don’t need to prepare for the pandemic as it’s already here.
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I’d read it for the creativity influx, from the perspective of fictitious writing. I just wonder if the imagery will be so compelling it will impact my sleep.;)
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No. Why put yourself through that? At times like these we need light and fluffy!
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I read Station Eleven a while ago and enjoyed it well enough. I am the type that watched Contagion at the beginning of the self-isolation so… LOL
As a (former) library technician I never read paper books anymore – only e-books on my phone. For me, it has a lot to do with the portability and because I read a lot on my LRT commute (normally). I used to always have a book with me – now I always have my phone with me so it cuts down on the crap I am hauling around.
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I heard about Contagion… 🙂
I too like carrying less stuff. One of the reasons I enjoy technology.
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No. I don’t understand the masochists that suggest reading and watching pandemic related stuff
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