Booklists

The Weekly Wrap: July 21-27

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I’m thinking right now about a pull quote by a publisher from one of the articles I’ve suggested worth reading: ‘Readers don’t want the same platitudes; they want books that are addressing taboos.” It makes me reflect on the books I read and review–and those kind don’t tend to be high on my list. While I don’t think all taboos are good, I tend to believe there is accumulated cultural wisdom behind many of them. From what I can tell, it seems that in many stories where the transgressive is an element, such acts seem empowering yet the stories often end as tragedies. Maybe people like these stories as mirrors of their own lives (or at least their fantasies). I’m not one of them.

That is not meant on a judgement of what others read. I posted a meme today that says “Read what you like. Let others read what they like.” I am not in the camp of those who would ban books. While I support the right of parents to help curate the book choices of their younger children, I do not think they should impose these decisions on other parents. And I cannot say I won’t read some books that challenge taboos, particularly if it seems an important book to review. But I’m probably out of sync with contemporary literary culture in its desire for such books. I’m just interested in different things.

Five Articles Worth Reading

“The Reading Revolution: How The Literary Sphere Took Over” is the article I referenced above. What is fascinating is that it offers good evidence that Gen Z is reading and driving book sales. For those who read the article, I’d be interested in your thoughts!

The Olympics in Paris began yesterday. Appropriately, The Atlantic posted “Seven Books That Will Change How You Watch the Olympics” Included in this list is a biography of Jesse Owens. As a big fan of Ohio State, I want to read this sometime!

In my younger years, I loved science fiction and have tried to read more in recent years–old and new. Esquire posted “The 75 Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time.” I found some authors to check out.

I read a lot of trade paperbacks. But I never knew the story of Jason Epstein and his role in creating the trade paperback. That is, I didn’t until reading “The Man Who Created the Trade Paperback.”

Finally, I’ve long been a fan of Ngaio Marsh, having read all her full-length Roderick Alleyn mysteries. She was one of the four Queens of Crime along with Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham and Dorothy L. Sayers. “Inside the home of New Zealand’s greatest crime writer” takes us on a tour of her home.

Quote of the Week

July 22 was the birthday of Stephen Vincent Benet, a once popular poet who was born in 1898. He made this pithy observation that I wish all with any sort of power understood:

“We thought, because we had power, we had wisdom.”

Miscellaneous Musings

I’m concluding 48 years of paid employment at the end of next month. People have asked if I will be ending Bob on Books. Very simply, no. I plan to keep reading, reviewing and talking about books. We all need a hobby!

I’m reading Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend, my baseball book for the summer. James S. Hirsch is the author. It’s an example of great sports writing, combining the story of Mays’ life with great game accounts of historically memorable games.

Earlier, I mentioned science fiction. I’m reading The Star Diaries: Further Reminiscences of Ijon Tichy by Polish science fiction writer Stanislaw Lem. If you like weird and witty, Lem is your man. Yesterday, I read an account of admitting a representative from earth into a galactic version of the United Nations. In other words, a hilarious account of bloviating bureaucratic blundering!

Well, that’s The Weekly Wrap for this week!

Find past editions of The Weekly Wrap under The Weekly Wrap heading on this page.

Overwhelmed with Booklists?

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Booklists2An hazard of being a bibliophile is being overwhelmed with booklists. I confessing to contributing to this feeling for those who follow my blog and social media. This time of the year is the best, or worst, depending on your perspective, as a number of outlets publish their “best of the year” lists. In the next weeks, I’ll be doing this myself. And I’ll be posting others.

Today, I came across a most impressive list–all the books NPR has reviewed since 2013, organized as NPR’s Book Concierge, which is quite elegant as a book site. The list is tabbed by years, with access to their reviews by cover images or lists. You can search by your favorite genre. In all, there are over 2,000 reviews.

So how do I avoid being overwhelmed? Here are some things I find helpful:

  1. I pay attention to what sparks curiosity or interest. It might be a favorite author, or a cover, or a subject I’m interested in.
  2. I notice books that keep coming up in genres I’m interested in.
  3. I look for lists in subjects I’m interested in. I like Five Books because they post five books by an informed expert on a variety of subjects. Some awards, like the Hugo Awards (science fiction and fantasy) are genre specific.
  4. I read a number of religious books, and Christianity Today’s Book Awards each year is one list I pay attention to. If there is a topical area you are interested in, finding out what the flagship publication in that area is, and learning if they publish a list of books helps.
  5. Some of the most famous lists also reflect a particular literary culture. If you like the reviews you see in a particular outlet, the list may be helpful. If you tend to check out when you read the reviews, the list might not do much for you either. I don’t feel compelled to read what the literati think I should read.
  6. On the other hand, some lists may be useful if you want to branch out and read in an area different from what you usually read. For example, if you want to read more books by international authors, searching international book award lists may be helpful. Wikipedia, has a great list of these.
  7. Often, these lists have a latent effect on me. I may notice a book, perhaps multiple times and move on. Then I come across the book in a book store, and it just seems the right moment to pick it up.
  8. A special form of booklist is a bibliography, usually in more academic books. Sometimes, when I’m researching a topic, there will be a reference to another book, sometimes multiple ones, that tell me that the referenced book is really the one to read on the topic.
  9. Some of the best book lists come from other bloggers who are readers. One from the Modern Mrs. Darcy site is a compilation of 52 lists this blogger has posted over the years.
  10. Finally, when I’m tempted to become overwhelmed and shriek “so many books; so little time,” it helps to remember that most books are actually meant for others, and that the joy of perusing lists is looking for that book that was meant for you.

For me, the “Best Books” lists are my adult equivalent to the release of the Sears Christmas catalog, the “Wish Book,” when I was kid and I could leaf through the pages and make my Christmas wish list. Those are long gone. We bibliophiles are more fortunate. I suspect these lists will be around as long as there are books.

Harvard Book Store’s Top 100

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Only have time for a brief post today. Came across Harvard Book Store’s Top 100 list.  Several observations:

1. If I am correct, I’ve only read 30 on this list! Yay! There are still good books out there I haven’t read.

2. I was glad to see some of my personal favorites on the list including The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Jayber Crow.

3. I was saddened that Cry, the Beloved Country  was not included. This work ranks for me up with Hemingway’s writing, and in many ways is far more moving as a tale of reconciliation.

4. Can’t figure out how Hundred Years of Solitude made #4.

5. Kind of wonder if the Harry Potter stories or Hitchhikers Guide will still make this list in 25 years.

6. I appreciated the foreign authors and need to dip into some folk like Calvino, Murakami, and others.

7. I was happily surprised to see two of Marilynne Robinson’s books in this list, Housekeeping and Gilead.

8. David Foster Wallace and Neil Gaiman keep popping up. Need to read them sometime.

If you’ve had a chance to look over this list, what surprised you and why? How many have you read?