words, words, words...
I am lucky to have a new contributor to the blog.
so here is a post by...
I love to read. That’s something you hear a lot these days but I’ve noticed that most of those time it’s followed by, “I’ve read all of the Harry Potters.” Now, while I freely admit my literary prejudices, I’m not much of a mystery fan and the mere thought of reading anything else by Nicholas Sparks sends me in search of a hot shower and steel wool, I work hard to keep my discrimination to a minimum. I too have read and enjoyed the Harry Potter saga, but I also let my bookstore wanderings take me outside of the young adult section.
My love of the written word has evolved as I have grown and so my taste in authors has widened. I read constantly, everything from mindless science fiction to those novels pretentious, chain-smoking college students carry around as proof of their intellectual superiority. I honestly don’t know what I would do with my time if I didn’t love to read so much. What strikes me as odd is the vast multitude who read maybe, at best, one book a year. What is wrong with them I ask myself. The most common excuse, of course, is “I don’t have enough time.” While I sympathize, I can’t help but declare bullshit at the top of my lungs. Now I understand the demands on people’s time, but lack of time is not the reason they don’t read. I don’t know anyone who works more hours a week than I do but I still find the time. So what is the answer? Could it be that everyone I know is stupid? I subscribe to the notion that you can never underestimate the intelligence of the average person but this too rings untrue.
The answer I came to is that is that the average character just doesn’t have any idea where to start. Let’s face it, if you want to go see a movie there aren’t that many choices. Most theatres don’t offer more than ten films on any given day and each of those is usually advertised in such a way that the audience knows what they are getting themselves into. If the same person goes to a Blockbuster the selection goes but drastically. But it still isn’t an intimidating prospect. There are pictures, and reviews, and synopses on each box. The shopper is probably familiar with a bevy of actors and directors that help them narrow their choice. Besides if they screw up and pick a piece of crap, the worst that can happen is they waste a few hours. Books are a whole other ball of wax. The average bookstore has tens of thousands of volumes. The reviews and summaries are far less reliable, and since the average Joe or Josephina on the street hasn’t read more than a handful of books, at least voluntarily, in their life they have no idea where to start.
This is a valid concern. As much as I love reading, there is a lot of shit out there. It’s not hard to imagine someone’s enthusiasm dimmed after two or three pieces of that aforementioned crap has permanently tainted their pallets. So where does someone turn for help? Ask one of your closest friends who reads less than you do? Ask a stranger whose only qualification is they are reading at the same Starbucks you frequent? Well I get asked to recommend books a lot. It’s not easy to pick a book for someone else. Books are very personal. However, Humby did not ask my to write this because he owes me money, so I took a crack at it. I put together a list of 15 books that I think most people will enjoy. Don’t freak out on me, none of them are designed to improve your mind or anything, god forbid. These are just plain fun. They aren’t hard. They range in topic from hillbilly sodomy to all the way to a sappy love story. Check them out.
James Dickey - DELIVERENCE
William Golden - MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
William Goldman - THE PRINCESS BRIDE
Mark Haddon - THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME
Mark Harris - BANG THE DRUM SLOWLY
Robert A. Heinlein - STARSHIP TROOPERS
Joseph Heller - CATCH-22
John Irving - A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY
Ken Kesey - ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST
Billie Letts - THE HONK AND HOLLAR OPENING SOON
Larry McMurtry - LONESOME DOVE
Audrey Niffenegger - THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE
Tim O’Brien - IN THE LAKE OF THE WOODS
Alice Sebold - LOVELY BONES
Herman Wouk - THE CAINE MUTINY
By the way, I’m sorry to take away your last excuse. Now, go read a book, you bastard!
so here is a post by...
I love to read. That’s something you hear a lot these days but I’ve noticed that most of those time it’s followed by, “I’ve read all of the Harry Potters.” Now, while I freely admit my literary prejudices, I’m not much of a mystery fan and the mere thought of reading anything else by Nicholas Sparks sends me in search of a hot shower and steel wool, I work hard to keep my discrimination to a minimum. I too have read and enjoyed the Harry Potter saga, but I also let my bookstore wanderings take me outside of the young adult section.
My love of the written word has evolved as I have grown and so my taste in authors has widened. I read constantly, everything from mindless science fiction to those novels pretentious, chain-smoking college students carry around as proof of their intellectual superiority. I honestly don’t know what I would do with my time if I didn’t love to read so much. What strikes me as odd is the vast multitude who read maybe, at best, one book a year. What is wrong with them I ask myself. The most common excuse, of course, is “I don’t have enough time.” While I sympathize, I can’t help but declare bullshit at the top of my lungs. Now I understand the demands on people’s time, but lack of time is not the reason they don’t read. I don’t know anyone who works more hours a week than I do but I still find the time. So what is the answer? Could it be that everyone I know is stupid? I subscribe to the notion that you can never underestimate the intelligence of the average person but this too rings untrue.
The answer I came to is that is that the average character just doesn’t have any idea where to start. Let’s face it, if you want to go see a movie there aren’t that many choices. Most theatres don’t offer more than ten films on any given day and each of those is usually advertised in such a way that the audience knows what they are getting themselves into. If the same person goes to a Blockbuster the selection goes but drastically. But it still isn’t an intimidating prospect. There are pictures, and reviews, and synopses on each box. The shopper is probably familiar with a bevy of actors and directors that help them narrow their choice. Besides if they screw up and pick a piece of crap, the worst that can happen is they waste a few hours. Books are a whole other ball of wax. The average bookstore has tens of thousands of volumes. The reviews and summaries are far less reliable, and since the average Joe or Josephina on the street hasn’t read more than a handful of books, at least voluntarily, in their life they have no idea where to start.
This is a valid concern. As much as I love reading, there is a lot of shit out there. It’s not hard to imagine someone’s enthusiasm dimmed after two or three pieces of that aforementioned crap has permanently tainted their pallets. So where does someone turn for help? Ask one of your closest friends who reads less than you do? Ask a stranger whose only qualification is they are reading at the same Starbucks you frequent? Well I get asked to recommend books a lot. It’s not easy to pick a book for someone else. Books are very personal. However, Humby did not ask my to write this because he owes me money, so I took a crack at it. I put together a list of 15 books that I think most people will enjoy. Don’t freak out on me, none of them are designed to improve your mind or anything, god forbid. These are just plain fun. They aren’t hard. They range in topic from hillbilly sodomy to all the way to a sappy love story. Check them out.
James Dickey - DELIVERENCE
William Golden - MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
William Goldman - THE PRINCESS BRIDE
Mark Haddon - THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME
Mark Harris - BANG THE DRUM SLOWLY
Robert A. Heinlein - STARSHIP TROOPERS
Joseph Heller - CATCH-22
John Irving - A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY
Ken Kesey - ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST
Billie Letts - THE HONK AND HOLLAR OPENING SOON
Larry McMurtry - LONESOME DOVE
Audrey Niffenegger - THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE
Tim O’Brien - IN THE LAKE OF THE WOODS
Alice Sebold - LOVELY BONES
Herman Wouk - THE CAINE MUTINY
By the way, I’m sorry to take away your last excuse. Now, go read a book, you bastard!
posted by Humby | 12:36 AM
1 Comments:
the lovely bones.. i love that book :)..
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