Reading the "Right" Books

I read this post from Book Riot awhile ago, and it caused me to reflect on my own reading choices and experiences.  Succinctly, that post is about the urge to make sure one is reading the "right" books; to read those books that are all on the Top 100 list of books from this and that organization; to read the award winners; to read the obscure but culturally significant pieces; and, by consequence, avoid reading the fluff pop fiction.

I get this feeling.  Sometimes, I think there's a belief that what we read says something about ourselves.  And with social media, we can share what we are reading constantly and immediately.  Thus, we want what we read to share that we are a certain type of reader - sophisticated, cultured, learned.  I personally struggle with this sometimes, finding that there were certain books I chose to read because it was on one of those ubiquitous "Top 100" lists, or because it was purposely obscured and therefore cultured, or because it was a "serious" book of history and science and what I thought the book would convey.  Its not that I would not have read many of these books otherwise, or that I didn't enjoy it, but that part of the impulse to read it wasn't simply for the book itself.

The point of the post from Book Riot is how this inclination can lead to destroying our passion and love for reading.  I find a lot of truth in that conclusion.  In part, this is why I constantly seek book recommendations from others, why I constantly use the Goodreads recommendation engine to find new books, and use similar functions on Amazon.  I don't want to preclude myself from reading something because of my own occasional pretensions.  I don't want to miss a good book because it's outside my usual genres.  I don't ever want to think I'm "too good" to read certain books.

Some of the most enjoyable books I've read over the last few years have been the result of this philosophy.  Be it Ender's Game (recommended by my sister, my first real science fiction novel), to the Game of Thrones series (from college friend Dave, and fantasy genre, not my typical read), to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (from a summer library reading program), to Rules of Civility (recommended by a co-worker),or Contempt of Court (recommended by a local judge), I have found many great reads that I would have otherwise missed if I wasn't able to expand my normal reading horizons.

Just reminiscing on those books reminds me to continue to keep an open mind.  So, while I read The Goldfinch earlier this year because of the press and reviews it received (and I thought it was excellent), I don't forget to be willing to read those outside my normal wheelhouse, such as the just finished Neil Gaiman's "The Ocean at the End of the Lane," or the next read, "The Reading Promise," as part of another local library reading program.

There's too many books to read to limit one's selection to themselves.