I just watched a recent taped episode of Charlie Rose and he was interviewing Elmore Leonard. In the interview, Mr. Leonard talked about Elmore's Rules of Writing. Although I don't consider him to be the best writer ever by any stretch, I found his rules pretty interesting.

It got me to thinking, since I don't write all that much, but I love to read, maybe I should come up with my own list.

So here goes....

Jill's Rules of READING

1. Never get in bed with a book...it'll last longer than you will.

2. Never buy a book under 200 pages...after all, you can finish it on 4 good visits and 6 lattes at Borders.

3. Never read while walking your dogs...dumpsters have a way of popping up in your path and the bruise is ugly.

4. Never expect that when you loan out a book, that you'll ever see it again.

5. Likewise, when someone loans you a book, it's yours!

6. Never read a book with Fabio (or someone who looks like Fabio) on the cover.

7. Never read a book of the movie, after you've seen the movie. It's a waste of time.

8. Audiobooks, even the unabridged ones, are not as good as reading the book, but they do serve a purpose on those dull commutes or jogs.

9. Don't assume that just because a book is on the bestseller list that it has to be good (e.g. JOURNALS, by Kurt Cobain).

10. A good library nearby (if you use it) is a lot more valuable than a college education, and much cheaper.

Happy reading!