Reader's Bill of Rights

I found this in one of my magazines this month (Utne) and thought it would be appropriate to post. It's reprinted there from Better Than Life by Daniel Pennac.

1. The right not to read.
2. The right to skip pages.
3. The right not to finish. (And thank goodness for that. I think I'd still be stuck back in senior year in high school on The Catcher in the Rye. --LS)
4. The right to reread.
5. The right to read everything.
6. The right to escapism.
7. The right to read anywhere.
8. The right to browse.
9. The right to read out loud.
10. The right to not defend your taste.

Also, a good quote for these winter months from an "anonymous farm woman" in 1921: "May I ask you to tell me of a few books that you have loved, that have made you sit up and just shout with delight? I am going to buy four new books this winter and I want four new friends to stay by me, to read over and over."