On reading...

Lately I did not have much time to read. Work, a puppy and other obligations lead to the fact that the time I had in between was too short to sit down and actually read (I mean read and really be there and pay attention and enough dedication to the classics). It was here 10 minutes and there a 30 min slot, but mostly I cannot find enough relaxation to look forward to and be drawn to that very book I am reading right now. Mostly it is the kitchen calling "clean the dishes" or the laundry even louder "iron me" or the phone is ringing or or or...

Anyways, times have been busy lately and soon I will hopefully be able to sit and read a bit more: From tomorrow I will be at hopefully sunny funny Tenerife (Canary islands) to only relax, lay in the sun, spend time reading, take a swim in the pool, enjoy cold cocktails and ice creams or complain about how warm it is (ha ha -- joking). 

For me reading is a feeling of balance and quietness. If I have the time and the patience to read, my fantasy is placing myself into the scenery and the scenes and enable me to observe the plot from very close. I have friends, enemies and feel the emotions of the characters. I am drawn away of the real world and explore another world for a moment. 

If I do not have a real balanced feeling and too distracted from other things, I cannot really enjoy my read (a little bit similar to the feeling when reading obligatory texts for uni just before the lecture, to at least have the feeling and can say, well, I have read it. But. Not. Really. In Fact.) And that is what I had mostly during the last couple of weeks. 

My started books are surrounding me: Persuasion (some of you might roll your eyes, how is it possible that she is putting Jane Austen's work out of hand...), The adventures of Tom Sawyer and one contemporary novel. I also picked up a few books which I still had stored at my parents place: Great Expectations (very tempting!!), the last of the Mohicans (not on my list though, but I could add it and read it once more), Middlemarch (I am not - NOT taking it to Tenerife, I am on holiday) and Jane Eyre... One of my favorites - forever! Therefore, enough food for Tenerife, I would say :-).

My allowed baggage weight of 20 kilos will be filled (or shall I say killed??) by books - hahahaha. 

I am already looking forward for this particular feeling of having the luxury to have no obligations at all (besides getting a small sun tan - I know, I am so girly) and indulge in my book!

To really feel entirely holidayish I always need an out of office reply in my emails. This time I am thinking of something special....

Like this one:

The person you are looking for is not available. Please try again later ! (Of course including this wonderful picture) Or: Your email will not be read or forwarded. I am busy with seriously important things and will get back to you after I finished Middlemarch! Or: Life is too short to not read - I will get back to you asap!!!

OK, maybe not.
But it would be so -- refreshing?

Any other suggestions?

Love,
Svenja