This Is Why I Read
Recently, I have been re-reading the Miles Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold. I discovered it a few years back because I read the back of The Warrior's Apprentice and became intrigued by the name Naismith. She has a few series available now, and I've read most of them. When I decide I like an author I go all out. The most recent thing I'm going through is a collection of short stories called Dreamweaver's Dilemma. Her essay Beyond Genre Barriers contained a phrase that provoked me, so I'm going to share it.
"So in the end, I have not a conclusion [she was searching for a reason some people refuse to read SF, and then any genre of fiction], but a plea to all readers.
Be open. All genres have something to offer you on some level. Do not let a marketing convenience constrain what you can choose to learn and know. True genius does not disdain simplicity, nor does it mistake mere obscurity for profundity. If you read at all, you are already playing a wonderfully strange game with your brain, and you may be assured you are nowhere near the limits of your possibilities."
I've always felt this way. It doesn't matter what genre it's in. If you try enough varieties of it, you'll find something you like. I also love that this choice is called what you "choose to learn and know". Yes! Reading is an education. It doesn't matter if you do it for fun; you are learning something from each book you read. It might be a new word, a new concept, or just that you don't like the author's style. Now you know it!
I feel like my Dad now. He always caps his moments of encouragement with an exclamation.
Until next time (Papers, Curtains, and Politics, oh my!),
Greeny