Clar.me

It’s a good kind of procrastination

Exactly one year ago, I had officially opened Clar.me. You’d think it would be more important to me considering how much I love working on this website, yet almost the entire day had passed before I’d even noticed the date. Aside from that, I haven’t even cleaned my room yet, despite the fact that I’ve been saying that I would for days. I’ve been getting so many ideas for blog posts, yet I’ve been letting them just slip away. I’ve been too distracted lately, and by something that hasn’t distracted me in such a long time. I’ve been reading.

As some of you may or may not know, I’ve been trying desperately to get back into reading. There were days I’d just stay in bed, focusing all my attention on whatever book I was reading, only getting up to eat or go to the bathroom. The Baby-Sitter’s Club and The Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley defined my childhood. What started as just a few cheap, used books my mom bought me had grown to become an obsession. When the time had come, I almost couldn’t let them go, but I figured there was nothing else I could do, as the stinky, yellow pages had already hindered any chances of me ever reading them again. I never see any of those books in those messy used book stores anymore, though that place used to be a goldmine. Of course, as I grew older, I read different books. They were bigger books for bigger kids, and they took more than just a couple of hours to read, but my obsessive qualities had remained.

For some reason, a couple of summers ago, all of that just ended. I just never got into that reading mood again. It’s been about 2 years since I’d managed to read an entire book, start to finish, with the exception of that one book I had to read for social studies class when I was a freshman.

Last year, I had contemplated long and hard on getting an Amazon Kindle, an e-reader, as a Christmas present. I thought, Why not. I love gadgets, and I really want to start reading again. This could just be that little push I need to get back into it. But my fickle-mindedness and cowardliness once again got the best of me, and I ended up not buying it. Eventually, I did get a Kindle, but this was after flying to the states for vacation and somehow going into a shopping frenzy. I was so deep into the “I’m not going back here anytime soon, so, while I’m here, I should buy what I can” mindset that all they had to do was put the thing in front of me, and I was sold.

And thank God for that. Thanks to my Kindle, I’m reading again. I wasn’t immediately back to my old self, but, in time, I was reading like a mad person. In the last 24 hours alone, I’ve already read 2 whole books, start-to-finish. Granted, the first one was really short (and had an extremely predictable, therefore boring, plot), but it still counts as something.

I’ve been spending entire days just reading, whether they be samples of books or entire novels. There were a few times I had been so engrossed in reading that I had lost a sense of reality, ignoring everything around me, so lost in the virtual pages of an electronic book. I’m absolutely obsessed. Needless to say, I’m back. And it feels great.

Congrats on your website’s 1st birthday haha :)

I’m the exact same with reading at the minute. I used to read almost constantly but somehow it just.. stopped. I can’t seem to get back into reading again. My friend actually has a Kindle and she thinks it’s amazing :) I think what puts me off reading now is.. well mainly I actually do not have the time (sadly) but also because my uni course involves a lot of reading of boring stuff which sort of takes the fun out of reading for me! Hopefully I’ll get back into it over summer!

Haha oh my god I loved the Babysitter’s Club! I wanted my own Babysitter’s Club but no one would start one with me :P

Comment by Claire • April 24, 2011 • 6:56 am

My childhood was all Sweet Valley and Friends! I adored those books and I’m not ashamed to say that they are still in my bookshelf. Taking up room, as usual. I would get rid of them to make way for other books but I don’t even buy many books because they are quite expensive.

Like you, there was such a long period of time that I didn’t read any books; I think from the end of 2008 to late last year. Even then, the amount of books I picked up last year were scant. I have probably read about six books this year, when back in high school I would have read at least a hundred. I wanted to get back into reading but never quite found the time. Even now I find myself so absorbed in the internet. :X It almost makes me feel bad!

I do remember my domain’s birthday, but whether I actually celebrate it is another matter. :P

Comment by Georgina • April 24, 2011 • 10:19 pm

Congrats on your website’s first birthday! I remembered mine, but my site was on Maintenance Mode so I didn’t celebrate it. :( Hopefully my site is open for it’s 2nd birthday. XD

I don’t like reading and I never really have. I used to be really into reading when I was about 7 but it didn’t last very long.

One of my goals this month was to read a book, but I haven’t even started one. I don’t really feel motivated enough to read a book, seems like so much effort. /sigh

I’m glad you’ve managed to get back into reading again though! The Kindle seems really cool, maybe I’d be motivated to read if I got one? Heh.

Comment by Vicky • April 24, 2011 • 11:59 pm

Happy birthday clar.me!

OMG The Babysitter’s Club and Mary Kate and Ashley! I used to read those religiously. I was also a big Goosebumps and Little House on the Prairie fan. And Harry Potter, of course, but does that even need to be said?

Maybe I need to buy myself a Kindle to get back into reading. I’ve been the same exact way as you. When I was really young, all I would do was read. Then I stopped because we moved and I wasn’t comfortable with the libraries in my new schools and towns. It sounds odd, but I was so attached to my first libraries. I knew where everything was and the people there knew me and always offered to help me find books I’d like. Then last year I had a reading revival. I read at least a book a week. It was great, and I read some awesome books that are now on my favorites list.

Now I’m back in a slump. I haven’t read a book that wasn’t for school all year. It’s sad, and hopefully I’ll get a spark like you did sometime soon.

Comment by Gabi • April 26, 2011 • 2:26 am

Have been contemplating buying an kindle myself and I can’t seem to decide, just because of the fact that I usually don’t tend to use the “gadgets” I buy out of temptation…and Once I have them, I’ll use it maybe once or twice and that’s it…a lot of dust on it afterwards lol But yes, def. would love to start reading novels again myself =)

Comment by Moni • April 27, 2011 • 12:46 am

Hey! Haha, I always say that. But it’s usually 2 weeks before I follow through. Especially with my room. I’m a horrible procrastinator!

Re: http://www.everimagine.net/the-twilight-craze-from-dawn-to-dusk/comment-page-1/#comment-743

Yes, although the series is about something unrealistic and non-existant, I love how you can still relate to the characters and what happens. Fantasy is amazing like that and Meyer is able to tap into that vein. (haha, no pun intended!!!)

You shouldn’t obsess over stuff like that. Unless you’re me. Well only for the best books do I obsess over stuff, but it’s usually the big stuff. Like endings. Oh god, I’m horrible. If I don’t like an ending, I’ll complain so much with the rest of my friends (we all are like this, which is great). But I do not nitpick. That’s silly. >.> But I agree with you entirely there.

Comment by Cara • April 27, 2011 • 1:31 pm

I really need to get back into reading, too. A couple months ago I bought a lot of books from a store that was about to close out, and I read all of them in less than a week. I haven’t read a book since.

I kind of want a Kindle, but I’m not thoroughly too sure about it. I’m worried that staring at the screen too long will hurt my eyes.

Clarisse

It doesn’t hurt on the Kindle cause it doesn’t use an LCD. :) It looks like paper!

Comment by Nugget • May 1, 2011 • 6:33 am

You could totally highlight the key points in your books with crayon :P

Comment by Jane • May 3, 2011 • 2:04 am

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