She's with us today to share a confession... are you ready?
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Reading Outside the Box: AKA
Overcoming Book Snobbery
Hi, Jennifer here and I’m a book snob.
Oooh. Wow, that just kind of slipped out. But it’s true. Well, okay, maybe “snob” isn’t the right word. I mean, even though I write sweet humorous romances, I do read many different kinds of romance. But, still…
I do tend to get a little annoyed when a friend or relative gives me a book to read. Uh-huh. I’m talking about someone actually thrusting a book into my hands all the while gushing about how much I’m going to like it. I know. I’m nuts—or perhaps a snob.
The thing is many of my non-writer friends (and family) try to recommend books that are, well, non romance and sometimes even—perish the thought—non fiction.
**shudder**
Yes, of course, I read other things beside romance but when I do, I like to make the decision on what I read on my own. Recommending books is such a personal and subjective thing, and nothing makes me feel more on the spot than when someone hands me a book, tells me to read then give the book back, AND then tell them what I think of the book.
Ugh. It’s like being forced to do a fifth grade book report all over again.
Recently, I was not happy when my dear sweet friend handed me a book in that same exact way. Non fiction. (What else?) About a woman in her thirties with breast cancer and what she goes through. And then while she’s going through treatment, her dad gets cancer.
Um…gee, no offense but that topic didn’t really sound too appealing. But I took the book politely, anyway. (Because I’m a good friend)
I dreaded opening it up even though my friend insisted it was good. Every time I saw her she’d ask if I started it yet, so to save face, I had to read it. Well, that night I opened it, I read a hundred pages.
The book was wonderful. It wasn’t depressing at all but beautiful and—surprisingly--fun. I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone. The book is called The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan. Check it out! Never in a MILLION years would I have picked this book up off a shelf let alone BUY it. So I was truly glad someone put it in my hands and forced me to read it.
Have I changed my book snob ways? Not really. You see, this wasn’t the first time I was pleasantly surprised by a book recommended to me.
Other non fiction books that have been given to me and that I loved include:
The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride
In Harms Way: The Sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors by Doug Stanton
Hmm… Someday I hope to get over this psychological hang-up I have whenever people give me books.
Maybe the fourth recommended book will be the charm.
*Are you a book snob?
*Have you ever had a book given to you that you were completely surprised about?
Jennifer Shirk
~Jennifer fancies herself a more prolific writer than she really is and has an unnatural tendency to use words like "fancies" and "prolific" when describing herself. Please feel free to check out her romantic comedy, The Role of a Lifetime from Samhain Publishing--where she promises she didn't use either of those words anywhere in the story.
Visit her at http://www.jennifershirk.com/.
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