Why We Read What We Read - Lisa Adams & John Heath
We readers have many dirty little secrets - and our bestselling books are spilling them all. We can't resist conspiratorial crooks or the number 7. We have bought millions of books about cheese. And over a million of us read more than 50 nearly identical books every single year.
In Why We Read What We Read, Lisa Adams and John Heath take an insightful and often hilarious tour through nearly 200 bestselling books, ferreting out their persistent themes and determining what those say about what we believe and how we relate to one another.
I really enjoyed this book, and I kind of wish the authors had a book blog or something. Hmm, maybe they do. I should see if I can find one, because this book literally had me chuckling out loud at times. I don't know that I really gained any huge insights into popular reading habits - nothing I didn't basically already know, anyway. Working in a bookstore, I'm well aware of how much people gravitate toward Nora Roberts, and John Grisham, and any number of other, well, beach reads, really. And there's really nothing wrong with many of these books. It's just kind of sad that so many people read that sort of thing exclusively, and never pick up any of the really great classics, like The Count of Monte Cristo, or The Picture of Dorian Grey, simply because they're too long, or their covers just aren't flashy enough. Furthermore, on the subject of John Grisham, for example, while I may eventually pick up one of his books, it just baffles me a little that, if you're the sort who reads only one or two books a year, why would you consistently choose essentially the same book? I've certainly been "guilty" of reading almost an entire author's canon, but never to the exclusion of everything else that's out there. But I think for some people, book shopping has become more like grocery shopping or something. Instead of coming in and browsing, and picking up something new that grabs their attention, people just come in, go straight to their prolific author of choice, and grab the newest one. Which is really too bad, because they're missing out on a lot of really great books. Probably some duds, too, and I guess if you're only going to read one or two books a year, sticking with your favourite author is one way to ensure that you'll enjoy all two of them, but it just seems so limiting.
And then of course, there are the religion and self help books, and all that fun stuff, and it's with those books that this book really helped me, I think. I don't really read much of that type of book, so I don't really know anything about most of them. But of course, people are buying it. In droves. So this books reviews of some of them have given me at least a clue as to what's inside some of them. Did you know, for example, that pretty much every time a woman opens her mouth, she's telling you that while she knows you love her, she would appreciate your re-affirming that, and also, she would really like a hug? See, now that I realize this, I don't have to read Men are form Mars, Women are from Venus. Which is a good thing, because, based on the above and other samples of the "wisdom" contained in that book? Ug. Apparently, according to most of the top-selling relationship self-help books, I'm pretty much doomed to an ultimately unhappy marriage, because I'm sorry, but I'm not going to bow to the traditional gender roles. I will not stay home to cook, clean, and raise babies so my husband can go out, earn money, and feel like a studly stud. I might even - gasp! - occasionally question him on something. I'm a terrible wife, I know. Gag me.
Anyway, fantastic read, although I don't know if someone who didn't work in books would get quite as much out of it as a bookseller does. But I'd say it's a very worthwhile read for anyone who does work with books.
Next up: The Diamond of Drury Lane, by Julia Golding
In Why We Read What We Read, Lisa Adams and John Heath take an insightful and often hilarious tour through nearly 200 bestselling books, ferreting out their persistent themes and determining what those say about what we believe and how we relate to one another.
I really enjoyed this book, and I kind of wish the authors had a book blog or something. Hmm, maybe they do. I should see if I can find one, because this book literally had me chuckling out loud at times. I don't know that I really gained any huge insights into popular reading habits - nothing I didn't basically already know, anyway. Working in a bookstore, I'm well aware of how much people gravitate toward Nora Roberts, and John Grisham, and any number of other, well, beach reads, really. And there's really nothing wrong with many of these books. It's just kind of sad that so many people read that sort of thing exclusively, and never pick up any of the really great classics, like The Count of Monte Cristo, or The Picture of Dorian Grey, simply because they're too long, or their covers just aren't flashy enough. Furthermore, on the subject of John Grisham, for example, while I may eventually pick up one of his books, it just baffles me a little that, if you're the sort who reads only one or two books a year, why would you consistently choose essentially the same book? I've certainly been "guilty" of reading almost an entire author's canon, but never to the exclusion of everything else that's out there. But I think for some people, book shopping has become more like grocery shopping or something. Instead of coming in and browsing, and picking up something new that grabs their attention, people just come in, go straight to their prolific author of choice, and grab the newest one. Which is really too bad, because they're missing out on a lot of really great books. Probably some duds, too, and I guess if you're only going to read one or two books a year, sticking with your favourite author is one way to ensure that you'll enjoy all two of them, but it just seems so limiting.
And then of course, there are the religion and self help books, and all that fun stuff, and it's with those books that this book really helped me, I think. I don't really read much of that type of book, so I don't really know anything about most of them. But of course, people are buying it. In droves. So this books reviews of some of them have given me at least a clue as to what's inside some of them. Did you know, for example, that pretty much every time a woman opens her mouth, she's telling you that while she knows you love her, she would appreciate your re-affirming that, and also, she would really like a hug? See, now that I realize this, I don't have to read Men are form Mars, Women are from Venus. Which is a good thing, because, based on the above and other samples of the "wisdom" contained in that book? Ug. Apparently, according to most of the top-selling relationship self-help books, I'm pretty much doomed to an ultimately unhappy marriage, because I'm sorry, but I'm not going to bow to the traditional gender roles. I will not stay home to cook, clean, and raise babies so my husband can go out, earn money, and feel like a studly stud. I might even - gasp! - occasionally question him on something. I'm a terrible wife, I know. Gag me.
Anyway, fantastic read, although I don't know if someone who didn't work in books would get quite as much out of it as a bookseller does. But I'd say it's a very worthwhile read for anyone who does work with books.
Next up: The Diamond of Drury Lane, by Julia Golding