The above quote is by Somerset Maugham. He was a writer in the late 19th and early 20th century. I have never read any of his books, the most famous of which is Of Human Bondage, I am sad to admit. I just love the quote which is attributed to him. It is something I agree with totally. I love reading. I grew up reading and it is something I continue to enjoy it to this day. I read a wide range of books depending on my mood and I am always looking for something new.
Looking back on the books I liked in my childhood it makes me smile to realize that a majority of them were “old” books even when I was a child. I grew up reading Nancy Drew, The Three Investigators, and my personal favorite the Boxcar Children. Nancy Drew and Boxcar children books are still in print today but Three Investigators books have sadly faded away with time. If anyone runs across any of them send them my way. One of the coolest things about these books is that today I can give them to my nieces to read. The Boxcar Children is a little above my oldest nieces reading level but having had it read to her she really enjoyed it and I hope that as she grows older she will have a love of reading. I can think of few things that will bring her greater joy.
As I grew older my reading expanded more. I began reading some science fiction and even tried my hand at “classic books”. I am going to be honest. I have never been a greater reader of the classics. I have read some but by no means as many as I should have. I think now being a little older I would enjoy them more. I believe my problem in my younger days is that I always wanted a happy ending in a book. One thing I quickly discovered is there is no guarantee of happiness in classic books. I realize now that to be good a book doesn’t necessarily need a happy ending. As long as the ending doesn’t feel cheap and contrived I am a happy man.
One of the books that I read in high school that stuck with me and remains one of my favorite books is Enders Game written by Orson Scott Card. I am not sure how I ran across it in the library but after reading it I was hooked. There are sequels that are good books in their own right but none of them compare to this book. What drew me to this book about a world where children were trained to win a war against “buggers” and save humanity I still don’t know but it is a book I never tire of reading it. High school is also where I read Harry Potter for the first time. I had made fun of it for years before finally reading it and realizing what I had been missing out on. I read quite a bit more than that in high school but those are the memories that leap out at me. Well that and my decision to read the Canterbury Tales my senior year. I did it but it was one of the most challenging reading experiences I have had. If you are wondering why just google it and see why it is not light reading.
As an adult now my reading is a little more eclectic than it was in high school. Some of my favorite books include the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan, The Stand and the Long Walk by Stephen King, Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot series, Stieg Larsson’s Millenium Trilogy, The complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and many others. I was amused the other day at Target when I was looking at an endcap with “Books for Women” on it and realized I had read about half of them. This was mainly because they had a lot of Jodi Picoult on it which I started reading when I was still in a store and they were being passed around by women I worked with. A majority of her books are good and I own three of them myself. My favorite of her’s that I have read is Nineteen Minutes, a heartbreaking story but a damn good read. I though I would list the last five books I have read because they are all good reads and also illustrate how I tend to jump around a bit.
1. Anatomy of an Execution by David Dow
2. Brisinger by Christopher Paolini
3. Horns by Joe Hill
4. Faceless Killers by Henning Mankel
5. Fer-De-Lance by Rex Stout
I also must confess that I read comics. This is something that embarrassed me for quite a while but I am getting over it mainly because I realize more and more that it is nothing to be ashamed. Writing for comics is usually very good and the art can be spectacular. I think they get a bad name because of all the garbage out there. Many people think comics are for 13 year old boys who want to look at half naked women and there is certainly some of that floating around but more and more there are comics for grown-up men and women. They can tell stories of good v.s evil, allegories for current events, love stories, or a thousand other things. When done right they can be as powerful and moving as a well written novel. Yes there is a great deal of crap out there in comics but to be fair there is a great deal of crap out there in books. Trust me I have read some of it. I really think there is a comic out there for everyone. I would just encourage to put aside your bias and do a little research. You might be surprised. I would also like to recommend a free online comic that I love. It is called Questionable Content, http://www.questionablecontent.net/ . It is a great comic by Jeph Jacques that is updated five days a week and here is what it is about. Straight from the site: What is this “Questionable Content” thing about, anyway?
Questionable Content (or “QC,” as it is frequently abbreviated) is an online comic strip that is ostensibly about romance, indie rock, little robots, and the problems people have. That description truly doesn’t do it justice. It is about life. It is very funny, sometimes sad, and often ridiculous but I love it. I don’t get a majority of the indie rock references but it is not necessary to enjoy the comic.
I hope what people take from this besides that I am a nerd(and loving it) is that reading is fun. It can be an escape from the world and lift you up when you are feeling down. It can expand your horizons and introduce new worlds to you. Please read and after your read something you like recommend it to someone you care about or if it was bad someone you don’t : ) . I am always looking for reading recommendations so feel free to post them under the comments
confessions of a tall man 