"My test of a good novel is dreading to begin the last chapter." ~Thomas Helm

It's September 11, and rather than reflect on the painful events of six years ago, I choose today to defy the terrorists and instead write about one of the great joys in life: reading.

I've noticed recently that people have very different habits when it comes to reading--not just in what they choose to read, but in how they read. Case in point: the latest Harry Potter book. People lined up at midnight to be the first to get it. For some, this was because they love the series and were impatient to find out what happened next. For others, it was more important to read it for themselves before the ending was spoiled for them. One of my colleagues skipped straight to the end, preferring to end the suspense immediately. Personally, I avoided the news like the plague in hopes of reaching the end and having it be a surprise!

By the same token, I often help people find books in a series. Some don't care what order they read them in; any book will do. Others won't move on to book three unless they've had a chance to read books one and two. I fall in the latter group, whether it's books, movies, or TV. I don't want to miss the nuances and undercurrents that refer back to events in previous books. And then there are readers who don't like series at all, finding them too repetitious.

There's also the "must read" factor. One of the wonderful things about the book field is that one never knows what's going to take off and be the next hot item. Sometimes word-of-mouth can really launch a book and its author to stardom. Some people feel compelled to read the latest bestsellers, curious to find out what's so special; others just can't muster interest in the "now" book. (How many people tried to read "The Da Vinci Code" and just didn't find it worth the hype?)

It’s partly in the attitude, I guess. Books that are boring “required reading” in school tend to be much more interesting when they’re read for fun, even though the book is the same. Pride and Prejudice was slow going when I read it for school, but once I didn’t have a deadline to meet, I really enjoyed it!

So... what kind of reader are you?