Pick A Book Up, and Get Your Mental Workout On!

The game I’m about to lay down should come with an advisory notice: You CAN play this game (at home) and (alone), BUT…

…as what many ALSO advise, it is unwise not to balance reading and writing… you know…otherwise, it is not advisable to do what I do All of the Time.

You could fool around and become really, really smart. Or you could become addicted, and end up losing all your friends, leaving you with a just a few real friends (really the only friends you ever had to begin with.)

But you could also LOSE IT!

You don’t want to lose it. As once heard phrased, ‘you could become a stressed out introvert!’

I’ve been trying to come up with a caption for what a stressed out introvert looks like. Maybe someone can help out here, and please, no personal photos.

All that advertised, I’m about to get frank. While I enjoy what I do, (writing, reading, reviewing other books, blogging and publishing a number of my own books in yearly intervals), my sole goal is to increase reading. That is the long and short of it.

For this reason alone, I do not advocate trying what I am doing, even if some company would be nice. For as much as I enjoy the win-win thing I have going on, a little company would lighten the sacrifice and struggle, and too, it would cut my ego in half.

Now… for this game.

One game that inspires my reading, is comparing books, as in putting them through an imaginary contest measuring the five criterions I use to build my top favorites lists. However, rather than use other books, I’ve diagramed in the main caption a sample of this little game using my own books.

Legend explained:

1. Opening. Does the opening engage curiosity? Does it lure you to keep reading...?
2. How’s the humor?
3. Pacing: What about the pacing? Is every page engaging?
4. Element of Surprise: Did you learn something new, surprising or interesting?
5. Redeeming Quality: While the ending need not end on a happy note, each of my favorite books include a genuine redeeming quality. I must feel truly satisfied and in awe of the overall story. That’s how I get my mental workout, and uplift on!

Happy Reading! Enjoy the Weekend!