I looked at the titles in the image that accompanied that article and none were familiar to me but that did not make me feel inferior or poorly read in the least. I read a lot and have always loved reading. I usually read what crosses my path that catches my interest. I read to please myself, not to impress anyone else.
Spot on, Dave. One of their picks, Station Eleven, I stopped reading, just couldn't. But maybe you love it!(?). After a lifetime of reading "what I must" (work emails, college texts, etc), I now read what I want. Including your Substack!
Since I've been writing mystery stories I mostly read mysteries lately, too. And I have a problem with a lot of 21st century mystery novels because I find them mean spirited and no fun. Except Anthony Horowitz. But I don't think any of his novels made the NYT list. Besides his novels I find myself going back to the Golden Era of Detective Fiction, which is 20th century.
And don't feel guilty about Love Shack! I was lucky enough to play it in a rock band and it was hilarious fun!
I saw that list too - and, totally relate to what you say here. I keep a (short) list of books that Patti Smith (whose own books I love) has read or recommended but honestly, often cannot find anywhere. Others that I HAVE managed to track down leave me cold or just profoundly disturbed which does not always equal genius in my opinion - but does manage to make me feel less intellectual, somehow. I worked in public library systems for decades so I'm quite used to suggested "lists" that our patrons would present at the desk with and ask in a special, puzzled, always superior voice: "Have you not read ____ yet?" But everyone's tastes are different. Often I was met with scorn for not enjoying mysteries - at all - or worse still, gasp, James Patterson.
Let me tell you, snobbery takes many forms.
My own tastes are all over the place - lots of memoir these days, The Brontës (again), Kate Atkinson, Julian Barnes, Michelle Zauner to name a few. Every so often I dive into something I've always meant to read, like Frankenstein. But I always have a (growing) list of my own, compiled as I roam about Substack or the internet generally. To me, it's the best list of all!
Ah, I’m very much like you. Not a mystery or suspense or crime guy. No interest, at all. I love Claire Keegan - and she’s on the list with Small Things Like These. A surprise among many on the list is no Patti Smith. Really? Just Kids was a Book of the Year! That should be there. But I also noticed this list tended to lean toward books both fiction and non that had some very modern-day issue surrounding it: Migration, gender identity, race, etc. So, there’s that. But my bigger point is how reading or not reading these books reflects on who we are, personally, not only on what we read.
I looked at the titles in the image that accompanied that article and none were familiar to me but that did not make me feel inferior or poorly read in the least. I read a lot and have always loved reading. I usually read what crosses my path that catches my interest. I read to please myself, not to impress anyone else.
Great approach. :)
Spot on, Dave. One of their picks, Station Eleven, I stopped reading, just couldn't. But maybe you love it!(?). After a lifetime of reading "what I must" (work emails, college texts, etc), I now read what I want. Including your Substack!
Aww. You're the best! i have not read Station Eleven. Don't plan to.
Waiting for my preorder from an author by the name of
David W. Berner.
You’re a dear.
Since I've been writing mystery stories I mostly read mysteries lately, too. And I have a problem with a lot of 21st century mystery novels because I find them mean spirited and no fun. Except Anthony Horowitz. But I don't think any of his novels made the NYT list. Besides his novels I find myself going back to the Golden Era of Detective Fiction, which is 20th century.
And don't feel guilty about Love Shack! I was lucky enough to play it in a rock band and it was hilarious fun!
Yay! Love Shack! Tim roof, rusted!
Once again, “spot on” as the Brits say!
I saw that list too - and, totally relate to what you say here. I keep a (short) list of books that Patti Smith (whose own books I love) has read or recommended but honestly, often cannot find anywhere. Others that I HAVE managed to track down leave me cold or just profoundly disturbed which does not always equal genius in my opinion - but does manage to make me feel less intellectual, somehow. I worked in public library systems for decades so I'm quite used to suggested "lists" that our patrons would present at the desk with and ask in a special, puzzled, always superior voice: "Have you not read ____ yet?" But everyone's tastes are different. Often I was met with scorn for not enjoying mysteries - at all - or worse still, gasp, James Patterson.
Let me tell you, snobbery takes many forms.
My own tastes are all over the place - lots of memoir these days, The Brontës (again), Kate Atkinson, Julian Barnes, Michelle Zauner to name a few. Every so often I dive into something I've always meant to read, like Frankenstein. But I always have a (growing) list of my own, compiled as I roam about Substack or the internet generally. To me, it's the best list of all!
Ah, I’m very much like you. Not a mystery or suspense or crime guy. No interest, at all. I love Claire Keegan - and she’s on the list with Small Things Like These. A surprise among many on the list is no Patti Smith. Really? Just Kids was a Book of the Year! That should be there. But I also noticed this list tended to lean toward books both fiction and non that had some very modern-day issue surrounding it: Migration, gender identity, race, etc. So, there’s that. But my bigger point is how reading or not reading these books reflects on who we are, personally, not only on what we read.
Also read this in another Substack this week, quite timely and revealing!
https://leighstein.substack.com/p/even-the-ny-times-is-creating-content?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1994560&post_id=146599220&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=3qbvt&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email