It’s been quite a while since I even looked at the list of reader struggles memes (found here), and I forgot how much I relate to most of them. I have to say, the next meme on the list is probably the one I relate to least, (and not just because of the obnoxious neon green background!).
To a certain degree, I do relate to this because I can get very absorbed into a book, but it is very contingent on what book I am reading. It seems to be most true for fantasy series. I think it goes without saying that when I read Harry Potter, I’m fully immersed in that world and can easily lose track of time. Recently, I also got very absorbed into The Raven Boys, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and Daughter of Smoke and Bone. All of these were great starts to their series and captivated me right from the start. I find that my ability to get absorbed into a story has a lot to do with the writing style, and the author’s ability to draw me in to really care about the characters.
It seems easiest to do that with fantasy series which rely quite heavily on world-building, even when it is set partially in real places like The Raven Boys and Daughter of Smoke and Bone were. Both of these set in real-world places, but modified to work with the fantasy elements. However, even contemporary or other more realistic books can draw me in. This is especially true for any book by my favourite author, Jodi Picoult. When books are that well written, it’s easy for me to get absorbed into them.
Aside from characteristics of the book itself, I find my mood is a huge factor for whether I get absorbed into whatever I’m reading. Even if it is a great book, if I’m stressed or tired I probably won’t be able to fully get into whatever I’m reading. Sometimes after work, I find that even when I really want to read, I have trouble focusing and get easily distracted. It’s a shame sometimes because there have been a few cases where I’m reading something that I know I should be enjoying, but I have trouble getting into it. I don’t want to take it out on the book when I rate or review it though, so I do my best to keep any other factors in mind and rate the book fairly. It can be really frustrating to know that you should be enjoying a book but can’t get into it because of other factors. I’m hoping to get absorbed into a few more books before the end of the year!
Abyssal Librarian 