What Were They Reading?

I love hearing people talk about books and what they got from it,
Truly proving that what one gets from a book or anything is what they bring to it,
I have a friend, El, you know who you are, who gets really worked up,
She asks me how did that happen and why did the author do this or that,
I always have to tell her I don't have a clue,
I am also fascinated by those who take away something totally different than I did,
Or when I really love it,
And they didn't,
Or they were really caught up in it,
And I wasn't feeling it at all,
I often think, laughingly,
"What were they reading?"
I am so sure they thought the same due to my responses,
Though I am not much of a dissector, I do love feeling as though,
I know the characters and can relate to them,
If non-fiction, I read to learn, to know, to be enlightened,
And while those things can surely occur in fiction,
I mostly read to relax, enjoy and to be introduced to new characters,
I particularly love those books who bring back characters,
But in different settings,
Allowing fans to get to know them differently...
I always think of my favorite character, Cinnamon in my own books,
Everyone one who has ever read about her see her differently,
Even differently than I wrote her,
It is so interesting when I hear people describe her,
Some found her powerful and empowering,
Others found her needy and dependent,
Some said savvy,
Others said not savvy at all,
Many could relate to her and her struggles, many thought she had no struggles at all,
Even more wanted to be like her vocally,
Some said, 'No way, while secretly wondering what it took to get it like that,
Still others said no way and meant it,
As the author,
I would often say to myself,
Listening to them talk,
"What in the world, were they reading?"
Then I knew,
They were reading it how they thought, wanted it, or felt it should be,
That's cool...
They were reading!

Blessings,
angelia