06 October 2008

What is a quick read?

Often when someone is describing a book, it will be called a "quick read". What does that mean? I used to think that the term referred to the amount of pages in the book. After my experience with How to Read a Novel, a book that only has 272 pages, I know that a short book doesn't always qualify as a quick read. The Harry Potter books were speedy reads for me, even though the last few were heavy enough to give someone a concussion.

So where does that put the definition of a quick read? I think it is a book that pulls you along to the next page, and then the next page, and then the next. The book doesn't have to be a thriller with lots of action in it to do that. I started reading Comfort Me with Apples yesterday and I am halfway done with it. This is a memoir penned by a restaurant critic, so the most action I've run across is dicing and stirring. However, it has easy language that makes me feel like I'm talking to the author, rather than reading a book.

There is a lot of value to be had in working your way through a difficult book. However, I've been a TV junkie for so long that I may have to ease back into reading. Perhaps I should stick to quick reads for a while until I get back into the groove.

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