* Avoid novels - especially those purporting to be historical fiction - with the word "wife" in the title.
* Though they are ubiquitous and very popular with book clubs, one memoir a year is plenty. At the same time, a full blown moratorium is probably too radical.
http://reflectionsfromthebellcurve.blogspot.com/2013/08/memoir-moratorium.html
* Better to spend time listening to music than reading about science that "explains" why music exerts such a pull. No matter how rigorously researched or well written these books are, the basic premise now reminds me of non-fiction that tries to explain why people fall in love.
What lessons has your reading given you? BTW, a few attentive readers have lately commented on a recent decrease in my posts about books. Though my consumption remains undiminished, my non-bashing policy - in place since the inception of my blog in March 2011 - also remains in effect. So, since the last several books - including the final historical novel I'll ever read with "wife" in the title - didn't move me at all, the bell curve has been a little quiet vis-a-vis books. But stay tuned - great ones are never far away.
In my retired life, I have learned a few lessons about reading:
ReplyDelete1- My eyes tend to be bigger than my bookshelf. I need more self-control when choosing titles. Right now I'm looking at a pile of four unread books on my desk and I feel a storm a-brewing.
2- Sometimes I will not agree with the literary tastes of intelligent people whom I admire. For example, I refuse to pick up another book by Jonathan Franzen.
3- This has nothing to do with the literature contained therein, but I adore the sight, the smell and the feel of brand new books. Superficial, but it's a sensory overload I require at regular intervals.
4- And finally, I've learned the lesson that reading certain blogs can become habit-forming. The jury is still out as to whether it is worth my time to comment on any post.
P.S. I give an excellent rating to The Paris Wife by Paula McLain, to The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin, and to Pat Barton's Wife for putting up with her husband.