Folks who enjoy reading will usually say that their reading list is as long as their arm. I’m no exception. The problem is, books by Murakami, DeLillo, Zadie Smith, Faulkner, Lessing and Graham Greene keep getting bumped by books by writers like John MacDonald, Michael Connelly, and Dennis Lehane. I’m a bit of a pleb, I’ll be the first one to admit it. (If I’m honest, it’s a point of pride…) Because my reading tastes run towards the obscure and the pulpy, I’m not as well read as I’d like to be.
I treasure reading and I am fortunate to live in a world filled with an overwhelming abundance of books to read, so, what’s the solution? Chugging through some 100 greatest books list? Obsessively keeping up with what’s hot on bestseller lists? I’ve done this with music and it turned one of my favorite pastimes, finding and listening to music, into a chore. I didn’t jump off one silly consumer treadmill just to jump on another.
My solution came to me via two unrelated events: The first occurred while reading two graphic novels concurrently, I noticed that one could not withstand the inevitable comparison to the other. Then there’s this ridiculous and entertaining readers poll. And then I had my “of course” moment. I could make my reading list compete for my affections.
I just might be shameless and crass enough to actually go through with it.
Next up: The List (and who didn’t make the cut)
