How Mood Reading is Both the Best and Worst Thing

I'm a huge mood reader. I like to think of it as having Reading Muses. You know how people who write or draw or paint like to wait until the Muses inspire them? When they're filled with that urge to create and the words and pictures just flow right out of them? I live for that as a reader. My Reading Muses (Ruses? Sure, why not) are very much in control of me, which is why I usually start about five books at a time and then go with the one that grabs me. (I know, I'm kind of insane, but I'm an excellent multitasker.)

This can lead to absolutely wonderful experiences, like the reading journey I've been on for the last week. If you follow me on Twitter or Goodreads, you might have noticed that my entire life and brain and thoughts and TBR list has been decimated by a certain reading bomb called the Percy Jackson series. I bought the boxed set on a whim and because they were cheap and because a bunch of my friends love them (and a couple of them are utterly obsessed). I expected to like them. January and February are very busy for me, blog-wise, so I didn't really have the time to read them all. I thought I'd take a peek at The Lightning Thief and see what all the fuss is about. After all, Tumblr is pretty fond of these books for a reason, right? There might be something to them.



OH HELLO, READING MUSES, HOW KIND OF YOU TO SHOW UP!

Boom. Totally obsessed. Totally absorbed. I couldn't put the books down. I read with the speed of the sun. All my waking thoughts were absorbed by this series. It is my favorite feeling in the world, where you're just hurtling through a fictional world at breakneck speed, and you'll die if you have to stop, you just have to get to the end. You just have to consume all the words. I will bite the face off whoever interrupts me from this book.

 

I read tons of books. It's kind of the nature of the job. I dislike a lot of them, because covers and blurbs are lying liars who lie.  I enjoy a lot of them, because I'm good at finding books that suit my tastes. I love some of them, because books can be great. But it's a rare book that gives you that addicted, fully immersed feeling. Ever since the days of Harry Potter, I've been addicted to that feeling. Do you remember the glory of receiving a brand new Harry Potter in the mail and just knowing the whole day was gone, because Harry and Company were waiting for you? God, I loved that feeling. Every time I find it, I go with it, because that's why I read.

The problem? I'm a book blogger. I have commitments and deadlines and review copies. Sadly, blazing through all 1700 pages of the first five Percy Jackson books completely destroyed my reading schedule, and I'm struggling to recover (while also reading The Lost Hero. Shhh, don't tell anyone). It's actually completely irresponsible of me to have taken such a huge reading detour right now when I'm already stretched pretty thin. I could have read and reviewed so many ARCs in that time.

At the same time, though, ignore my Reading Muses would have been nearly physically painful. That's such a rare feeling, and I can hardly remember the last time I had it. Sometimes, reading review books can be a real effort. Reading out of obligation can be painful, especially if it's a book that, had I not agreed to read it, I would have put down by now. I'm so impressed with the bloggers I know who maintain their rigorous reading schedule, reading review books in order of release date and always on time. I try to do that, but I just can't. Maybe I don't have the discipline. (No 'maybe' about it. I definitely don't have the discipline.)

Being gripped by the Reading Muses so fiercely reminded me that I read because I like it. And yes, I love reading review books, because oftentimes, I get to read books that would normally pass me by. But I was so stressed about them, and then the Muses got me, and I remembered why it is I do this-- because reading is the funnest thing in the world for me. And thankfully, those fickle Muses sometimes lead me towards the books I'm supposed to read. And every now and then, I rustle up the strength to corral them and force them to get on board with my current ARC. Sometimes, I make those Muses my bitches, and sometimes... well, I let them take the reins.



What about you? Are you a mood reader? When was the last time the Reading Muses ruined your life took over?