Have you ever seen someone read while walking? Those people fascinate me. And I suppose I could do it too if I really focused, but it just seems like too much work with the possibility of disaster at the other end. It’s like listening to a book on CD while driving. Either I expend too much energy trying to concentrate on listening to the book that I can’t focus enough on the road, or I focus everything I have on the road and completely miss out on whatever was happening in that section of the book. So you would think reading while listening to music or reading with a lot of noise in the background would be a dealbreaker for me, huh? Not at all.
In fact, I can’t imagine reading without having some kind of music or noise going on behind it all. Most other readers I’ve talked to either can’t do the same thing, or they say if there’s music on in the background it has to be quiet in terms of both volume and content. For me it doesn’t really matter on the volume or content front. I can listen to classical music or Metallica, at low volume or at high, but what I can’t do is have complete silence when I read. I have a tendency to get too distracted by other things if I don’t have music to ground me. Maybe it’s some form of ADHD, or maybe it’s just easy distractibility, or whatever, but it’s always been that way for me. Even when I was a kid I would create some kind of noise to accompany my reading expeditions.
In the summer I would go to the main branch of the Philadelphia Public Library downtown and scour the fiction room for books, books, and more books. And I would always carry my backpack with me on those trips, which included three items come hell or high water. The first item was a notebook, the second was a pencil, and the third was my Walkman with some kind of tape in it. I brought the notebook and pencil so I could write down titles of books that interested me so I could check them out later, and the Walkman was for after I had chosen a book to read, found a comfortable seat in the corner, and needed my music to help me focus on melting into the intersection of the author’s words and my own imagination.
And the memories of those times persist to this day. I remember reading Remember Me, by Christopher Pike, while listening to Michael W. Smith’s Go West Young Man. Or the time I listened to Debbie Gibson’s Electric Youth while I was absorbed in Lois Duncan’s Killing Mr. Griffin. In essence those tapes became the soundtracks to the books I enjoyed at the same time, and even when I listen to them today different parts of the “accompanying” books flash across my mind’s eye. Interestingly enough, though, I never actually listened to any soundtracks while reading those books, not even when the books had been made into movies, like Stephen King’s Carrie. In fact, I recall listening to Vanilla Ice’s To The Extreme while I read that one.
What I wouldn’t give for some wonderfully insular beats by dre headphones that cover my entire ears and pipe in sweet, glorious music to my brain while reading the next book on my reading list. And in the background my wife is just shaking her head and wondering how I do it. I couldn’t imagine it any other way.
Sam
Sam's Online Journal 
Three things:
1. I think it’s fascinating that you associate specific music with specific books you’ve read!
2. There’s a woman who works in my office complex who takes walks around our large parking lot on her lunch hour when the weather is good–while completely absorbed in her book.
3. I adored the book Killing Mr. Griffin and many of Lois Duncan’s other books when I was in school!
I think I have read every single one of Lois Ducan’s books at least four times apiece. I went through one summer where I read her entire catalog twice through. I was that obsessed! As for that woman in your office complex, I hope she doesn’t trip and fall on her face sometime. That’s what I always envision when I see people walking while reading. Ha ha.
Have you read Duncan’s adult nonfiction book “Who Killed My Daughter?”
(No falls witnessed . . . yet!)
No, I haven’t read any nonfiction from her. What’s it about? I feel like I will need to put it on my list now (the list just keeps growing and growing, like Pinocchio’s nose — that little liar).
And so glad she hasn’t fallen yet, that you know of.
One of Lois Duncan’s daughters was killed in a drive-by shooting–the book is about her efforts to find out what happened through the services of various psychics. As far as I know, the killer(s) have never been caught–although I think this all happened in the 1990s, so I may be out of the loop. It also provides insight on Duncan’s own psychic experiences throughout her life–which makes sense when you think about the plots of most of her novels. Really an interesting read–whatever your opinion on whether psychics are legit or not. It may be out of print–I still have my very battered paperback copy that I’ve read a couple of times–I’m a big re-reader too!
It sounds thought-provoking. I will try and find a copy somewhere. I’m generally pretty adept at locating books like that. It helps to have a librarian for a wife, too.
People often ask me why I even own books. Why not just borrow from other people or from the library, and return them? And when I tell them I am a re-reader they look at me like I’ve grown a second head. Is it so rare to find people like us out there who like to read again and again the same books?
I re-read books all the time and enjoy them even more each time! I read on the treadmill; it helps pass the time. I’ve not read Lois Duncan but will check her out. Thanks for the recommendations!
I read on the treadmill too! I thought I was the only one! And you’re welcome!