A flock of pigeons

~ Veselin ~ 4 Comments

This pigeon gathering puzzled me. I didn’t see food or anything nearby, only cars. Why did they go and stay there, most of them not visibly moving? The big bucket to the right says salt.

How do you overcome reader’s block?

~ Veselin ~ 20 Comments

The short answer? TL;DR.

I’ve noticed a pattern with people who start reading. They would pick a book that they really want to read and get stuck with it. A book that makes a statement. For example, I started reading The Engineering Leader by Cate Huston about 6 months ago, and I’ve not reached 30% yet. Not giving up on that one. I know the author, she gave me a copy with an autograph. I will complete that book. But then, I could’ve had a 6-month reader’s block with it, turning me from a person who reads to a person who doesn’t. The same can happen with fiction. I started Brandon Sanderson’s Rhythm of War twice. He’s great, I met him in person, his books are fantastic. But then, why did I get stuck between page 200 and 300 both times?

I think that it’s not about the book itself. The right person at the right moment would not get stuck. But we do get stuck, particularly when we want to have read something rather than enjoy the act of reading it.

Solutions

  • Treat it like a schoolbook. 10 pages/hour, small rewards for each chapter (like a candy). I may end up doing that for Cate Huston’s book because it feels useful and will eventually get through it. This method works well with short-form and non-fiction.
  • Give yourself permission to DNF (Did Not Finish). This is my recommended approach for most books that cause Reader’s Block. Rhythm of War goes here. Works perfectly with long books and fiction. If you can’t get to 20% within 5 days, time to call it a DNF.
  • Don’t start books that will cause it. The probability of getting stuck on a book increases with the length of the book. Too long? Don’t start.
  • Read two books at the same time, for example one on paper, and one e-book. When you get stuck with one, the other will keep the habit of reading alive.
  • Dedicate a block of time for reading. For me, that’s typically 9:30pm to 11pm.

There are still challenges I haven’t figured out. For example, how do I consistently find books I’ll actually enjoy? No clue. I have a pile of unread books at home. Most of them don’t seem as appealing as they did when I bought them.

The Wisdom of Crowds by Joe Abercrombie, Book Review

~ Veselin ~ 4 Comments

The book is long. It’s as long as least three different books intertwined with each other. It ends with a full novella after it seems to be already over. The characters drop memorable wisdom, full of logic, all the time. I don’t remember them exactly, but you get the idea—those kinds of insights. About the right moment, survival, and common sense in everything.

The revolution is vividly described, resembling the Bolshevik Revolution, the purges after World War II, and the Great Bourgeois Revolution from a more distant past. There is a lot of bloodshed, and it’s tragic. Somehow, the inquisitors from the previous regime are at the heart of it because the big change can’t go that deep.

I recently published a post which featured Savine dan Glokta as one of the most badass female fictional characters. She’s the only likable person in The Wisdom of Crowds. She would try to make the right things, although not too hard. After all, according to almost everyone in the book, survival is more important than fairness. Those who believe otherwise tend to leave the series quickly.

I’d say Joe Abercrombie managed to surprise me with his long-term planning because the seeds of this story were planted thousands of pages earlier. The format breaks away from the pattern of the previous ten or so books. In my opinion, this final installment—at least for now—is the best. Leaves a lasting memory and makes you think.

5*/5