Photo by Hans, CC0 1.0 Universal via Pixabay

I’ve just begun a delightful little book, I’d Rather Be Reading, by a kindred spirit, Anne Bogel. In her opening chapter, she talks about literary confessions, the guilty secrets of bibliophiles, such as the important literary works they haven’t read, or didn’t like.  That got me thinking about some of my own literary confessions:

• I just don’t get why everyone loves the work of Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
• Great American Read just named To Kill A Mockingbird its “Great American Read.” I think East of Eden by John Steinbeck a far better literary work, which didn’t even make the list.
• There are at least a couple series that I really like that I have never finished. I’ve nearly finished them and have all the books. I guess I don’t want them to end.
• I am ashamed how little of Shakespeare I have ever read.
• My unread books might outnumber the ones I’ve read.
• We didn’t have “young adult” fiction when I was a young adult–and now I feel too old to read it!
• There was a period when I binged on Tom Clancy novels.
• I’m reading Cloud Atlas right now, and liking it more than I thought I would.
• I have not read a single Harry Potter story.
• I avoided reading Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle growing up, but have enjoyed his Lanny Budd books, perfect on my Kindle for morning workouts on the treadmill.
• I loved Calvin’s Institutes. Calvin loved God, and wrote with precision.
• I think John Henry Cardinal Newman had great ideas that get lost in an effluvia of words!
• I think most theologians could use a good dose of G. K. Chesterton in their writing.
• I’m a sucker for a good baseball book, or even a bad one!

I could go on, but my literary soul already feels better…and it is time to give you a turn at the confessional.

So, what are your literary confessions, those guilty secrets of which you would like to unburden yourself with other bibliophiles? It is even OK to confess your outrage at some of my confessions!