Day 4 - What I Have My Nose In Right Now

I’m currently half-way through the book, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. It’s listed on the NY Times Best Sellers list at number 5 this week for hardcover fictions. It's been getting glowing reviews (click link above) and is being talked about having the potential to become an American Classic. One reviewer wrote, "...a remarkable story about the language of friendship—a language that transcends words." And that hooked me....




I started this book on Sunday afternoon in between glances up at the football games.

At first look, it’s not usually the kind of book that attracts me, and since this is a first time author, I was not sure what to expect. The cover is really a beautiful piece of art though don't you think? Looks like many of the unassuming farm fields out here in the Midwest. It had a special charm to it for me when I first picked it up.

I’m getting better at becoming the type of reader that will continue with a book even if I don’t enjoy the first 50 pages. My grandmother never pulled a bookmark from a story to give up and try a different one, she would stick with it and then decide in the end if it was enjoyable.

Me, not so much. I like to be grabbed in the first few minutes. I need a story to make me not want to do anything else all day but inhale the words. Once you are familiar with an author though, you can get over some hurdles in a story that might not keep your attention at best, because you know that you enjoy all their work by the time the story has ended. But when I’m reading a new author, I find it hard not to be picky and judgmental up front if it’s not a page-turner, so I had to convince myself not to be annoyed if the book started off this way.

I’m happy to say that I am definitely enjoying this novel, but I did have a hard time getting it started. I love details, but sometimes an author can over compensate and give me too many to digest. I get distracted and they lose me. The Prologue to the story was a bit disassociative to the actual story, so I was a little nervous in the middle of it when I found myself wondering if this story was going to be one I will enjoy. Once the set-up was in place about the Sawtelles, it was much easier for me to slip down into my chair with a blanket on my feet and devour the story.

Around 100 pages in, I found my groove and became engrossed in the storyline, excited to read what was going to happen next and what turns it might surprise me with. I like that it is not very predictable which is keeping my attention. I needed Kleenex already, and that is usually a bonus for me too.

I’m looking forward to finding some more down-time this week so that I can finish the rest of the story… I might have to forgo some domestic duties (bummer!) during Olivia’s naptime, but I think everyone will survive if I let things go a bit in honor of a good book.

I hope I need Kleenex again, too!