Not Gonna Make My Book Goal =0/

I was almost done with my update yesterday when my mouse's scrolling dial glitched, and I lost all I'd typed. And, no, I do not want to sit here and try to retell you everything I'd almost posted. Perhaps another day. And perhaps it's just as well I didn't get to post the stress-laden entry. Perhaps I was only meant to type it so I could it off my chest and be done with it, before it was lost to the demon, Glitch. Whatever the case, it's a new day, and I'm moving on.

I FINALLY finished the mystery novel I've been reading for over a month late, late last night. Hallelujah! I can now move onto a new story! Not that the mystery I've been reading was poor and boring. Far from it! It was excellently written and humorous, and one mystery I couldn't figure out before the main character did. (I'm giving Lila Dare's Tressed to Kill five stars.) The reasons it took so long to finish are because I've been distracted and my nightly routine has changed. Not that I'm complaining mind you! Heck, no. I'm glad to have romance in my life. I'd rather talk with my honey nightly than spend nights alone in bed--even if it's with a good book.

Plus for some danged frustrating reason, since just before my emotional/hormonal stint, I've had a devil of a time getting into any book I've read, no matter how excellent the stories have been. I used to be able to lose myself in a storyline, having no trouble whatsoever envisioning the characters and their actions and the settings the authors described. I could picture everything so clearly!!! Now, *shrugs* it's like my mind can't focus, can't picture what is going on, unless I read and reread the paragraphs again and again. It's like I can't establish that special connection an avid reader has with the books he/she reads! And I dunno why! I feel disconnected with what's been written, like I'm an outsider looking in, an outsider who wants that special something those on the inside have. And as someone who used to have it until fairly recently, it's danged frustrating to be without this connection! (Even though I just said I'd rather be involved in a personal romance. Which is true--but, why can't I have both?!)

It almost feels like I need a break from books, but-- Me without a book? *mouth agape and eyes widen* That would be like amputating an arm! Ever since I was a kid and Mom first put a Nancy Drew book in my hands, I've never been without a book...unless I was ill or in the hospital from my various surgeries. Books have been wonderful companions and fun escapes for me over the years. They've been gateways to far-off places that I'll never see in person, or to make-believe worlds created by others' imaginations. They've fed my own imagination and creativity. They've helped me forget problems and to pass the lonely hours.

I can't imagine myself without a book. But--what do I do? This lack of instant connection makes it hard to thoroughly enjoy a book, as the reading and rereading until I get a full picture takes more of my time, which makes me ultra slow in finishing a novel. At this rate, I'm not gonna meet my goal of 35 books read by the end of the year.