by Giselle Renarde
Today I finished reading a boring book that's not worth mentioning, but that means tomorrow morning I'll need to choose a new book to read. I've got a stack to select from. Maybe help me pick?
Most of the books on my to-be-read list came to my from library sales and other people's garbage. (That's right--I'm not above reading garbage!) I grabbed this particular garbage book because I have no friends or influence and it's so notorious it naturally piqued my curiosity:
Another potential read jumped out at me at a sale of discarded library materials. God, I love libraries. They provide me with novels like:
This next one's from a Little Free Library. I couldn't believe my luck in finding a Robertson Davies book I haven't read. Only thing is it's a really thick book and I'm a slow reader so I'm scared once I start on it I'll be married to it until the year 2525:
The only Stephen King book I've ever read is On Writing. Considering he's my girlfriend's favourite author I'd say it's high time I read some of Stephen King's... you know... fiction. I picked this one up at a shop called Books Ends, which is a permanent location that sells discarded library materials and donated books, CDs and DVDs to raise funds for library programming:
There we have it. What should I read? After looking over the book blurbs when I was pulling those cover images from Amazon just now, I'm leaning toward American Dervish. Anybody read it, or any of the other books on my little list?
I'd vote for the Davies, but that's because I've never ready anything by him that wasn't wonderful. (And I've never read this one!)
ReplyDeleteBut why choose?!
We have a library store in town where they sell books they take in as donations. That way, I'll often catch a title I wouldn't otherwise see in a bookstore.
ReplyDeleteI actually like really long books. The kind you can wrap yourself in for a month or more. I've started Don Delillo's Underworld several times, but so far it hasn't caught hold. I think it's a matter of mood/headspace to catch it right.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read any of these myself, but American Dervish looks very interesting to me! I vote for that one.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on the slow reader thing. I see really thick novels and quail inwardly, even though I read a bunch. I've been reading Boy, Snow, Bird (standard sized novel) for like 3-4 weeks...
Hmm. Well, I don't suggest the tradition of throwing them all down the stairs to see which lands on the highest step. Oh, wait, that tradition is for grading school papers, not choosing books. I'd rule out the Dale Carnegie, then close my eyes, turn around three times, and reach out to the tabletop where the books recline. If you feel disappointed at the first one you pick up, rule that one out and try with the other two. Or if you're glad you picked the first one you picked, go with it, especially if you picked it on purpose by remembering where it was even with your eyes closed.
ReplyDelete