Wednesday W(h)ines

Too many books - not enough time.

I'm doing something which I rarely do. I'm reading two books. Normally, I read them one at a time, but last night I couldn't help myself. With only about 100 pages left in Requiem for An Assasin, I started Creation in Death. Why do I torture myself this way? I lost too many hours of sleep last week reading Lover Unbound, and it looks like I'm going to lose some more sleep this week. Because, you guessed it, after I went to bed last night, I got back up, and read some more.

Since last week, I've done a little (very little) research on wines. One of the things I've learned is that you need to let it breathe. It has something to do with releasing and mellowing the flavors.

I think a good book should be treated with the same deference as a good wine. One shouldn't simply pop the cork and guzzle from the bottle, nor should one crack open a book and dive right into the first page.

Let it breathe.

Admire the artwork on the dust cover (or regular cover if it's a paperback). Take a few moments to read the cover blurb, the inside cover excerpt, a few of the reviews (in the case of Mark Schweizer's books, these are as entertaining as the story), and the titles of the author's other works. Let all of these flavors come alive and mingle, adding to the rich texture of the story.

Don't guzzle.

You may miss some of the subtle nuances. Savor the experience. Just as there are a limited number of bottles for any vintage, this is the only *first time* you'll read this book.

Jessie