Read more books! Educate! Educate!
Dec. 29th, 2012 12:10 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ventaI spend a lot of time on trains, commuting. And a lot of that time I spend reading. I have, however, come to a rather sad realisation: I can't be trusted to choose my own books.
This became unusually obvious in late summer, when I was pondering my annual ponder of what to send![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
spindlemere for his birthday. By tradition, I always send him a book. So... what was the best book I'd read all year? Er... The Lies of Locke Lamora[*] Which would be a fabulous present, if only it weren't what he'd sent me for my previous birthday. And, er, I couldn't think of a single other thing I'd read that I felt inclined to recommend.
Most of the books I've read this year that I've really enjoyed have been presents. This isn't really surprising, because my own method of choosing books is ridiculously capricious, and tends to be based around liking the covers or finding them at eye-level on a library shelf. For years that seemed to serve me remarkably well, and I found some real gems, but I've obviously lost my touch.
Accordingly, this year my new year's resolution is to read better books. Which is where you, ladies and gentlemen of LJ, come in. Please recommend me a book which you love, and which I should read. I'd like fiction, but beyond that I'm willing to try anything. It'd be useful if it weren't something which is very out of print, but if you really think it's worth it I'll try and track it down (or turn up on your doorstep demanding to borrow a copy).
[Poll #1887610]
[*] 75% a brilliant work of genius. Loses its way badly by the end, though. Still worth a read.
This became unusually obvious in late summer, when I was pondering my annual ponder of what to send
spindlemere for his birthday. By tradition, I always send him a book. So... what was the best book I'd read all year? Er... The Lies of Locke Lamora[*] Which would be a fabulous present, if only it weren't what he'd sent me for my previous birthday. And, er, I couldn't think of a single other thing I'd read that I felt inclined to recommend.Most of the books I've read this year that I've really enjoyed have been presents. This isn't really surprising, because my own method of choosing books is ridiculously capricious, and tends to be based around liking the covers or finding them at eye-level on a library shelf. For years that seemed to serve me remarkably well, and I found some real gems, but I've obviously lost my touch.
Accordingly, this year my new year's resolution is to read better books. Which is where you, ladies and gentlemen of LJ, come in. Please recommend me a book which you love, and which I should read. I'd like fiction, but beyond that I'm willing to try anything. It'd be useful if it weren't something which is very out of print, but if you really think it's worth it I'll try and track it down (or turn up on your doorstep demanding to borrow a copy).
[Poll #1887610]
[*] 75% a brilliant work of genius. Loses its way badly by the end, though. Still worth a read.
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no subject
Date: 2012-12-29 10:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-29 10:51 am (UTC)In general I like whodunnits (but not police procedurals, nice cosy murders), I like historical fiction, I like books with surreal edges, but not too mad. I like sci-fi and fantasy, but there's a shocking amount of bad stuff out there so I rely on others to do my weeding :)
However, I'm very happy to be recommended out of my comfort zone!
no subject
Date: 2012-12-29 11:45 am (UTC)I don't think they currently have a publisher in the UK, which is shocking given how good they are, so you may have to resort to amazon.com or second-hand places, but they are well worth the resorting.