Booking Through Thursday: What, in your opinion, is the definition of a “reader.” A person who indiscriminately reads everything in sight? A person who reads BOOKS? A person who reads, period, no matter what it is? … Or, more specific? Like the specific person who’s reading something you wrote?

I think a reader is one who *likes* reading and reads because they like it. So, my seven-year-old nephew, who is always reading something, is a reader. On the other hand, someone who reads a novel for tenth grade English class is not necessarily a reader. They may be going through the motions, but they might not really don’t care for the written word. (That said, just because a person is reading a book for an assignment doesn’t mean they are not a reader in that moment.)

For an analogy, I turn to the world of sewing. A person who sews a dress for herself or her daughter is a seamstress (not me, as I’d never do that). A person who rehems a pair of pants is just hemming a pair of pants (that might be me). I can sew but I’m not passionate about it, and I wouldn’t consider myself a “seamstress”. I think the definition of “reader” is similar.

After reading HTR&W’s prologue the other day, I asked a similar question: How does one read well? It doesn’t take much to be a reader and enjoy reading. But what makes that reading good reading?

I wrote a very long post discussing and analyzing Harold Bloom’s argument to the question “why read?” Don’t feel you have to read all of that post, but I’d love to hear you weigh in there (or here if you prefer).

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