Judging a Book by its Lover
Judging a Book by its Lover by debgrant
How do we choose what books to read?
How I Got Here:
My parents chose the books before I got my own library card.
The covers caught my eye and guided my choices, often animal stories.
A couple of decades of teachers did all the book picking for me. There were a few summers of my own choices of sugar coma beach novels and sloppy sixties poetry.
Four more decades of work-related nonfiction
Currently swimming in the deep end of the retirement pool with more time to read than I deserve and too many freakn’ choices.
What I Have Learned about the Process so far:
I don’t know what I want. Yes, I still look at the cover. People are paid thousands of dollars by publishers to get me to look at the cover. Book covers go through fashion trends. The internet forced the book design industry to make sure the cover was still eye-catching the size of a postage stamp.
I reach for the lifeline of best seller lists, bookstore recommendations, book of the month club picks, and annual book awards. All are driven by heavy publisher marketing and lobbying efforts. They are not working in my best interest, only theirs. The book awards list, so far, has proven to have good reads even though the hidden agenda in the choice is not so hidden.
I have the freedom now to paddle between fiction and nonfiction. I pick fiction when the nonfiction gets too depressing. But then good fiction has powerful elements of nonfiction. Ugh.
I have a tendency to lean toward disaster nonfiction. Pick a disaster, any disaster. I am still doing self-therapy on why that fascinates me.
I’ll Read a Book that a Friend Recommends:
Suggesting a book to a friend is a vulnerable move. I don’t do it lightly. Neither do they.
I love the friend. I may not love the book. They are willing to take that chance.
I’ll read the book because I like trusting my friends. I don’t do trust easily. I know that friendships can’t live without it.
I still may not like the book. It will always teach me something. It may teach me something about the book lover or me.
I will not hold a bad book against a friend.
Books really are like friends. Many come and go without changing us. A few linger and change us forever. In the end, I hope I will be judged like a book - not by my cover but by friends who say…this one is worth reading, this one is worth my time.
What about you? How do you choose what to read?
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