Over Labor Day weekend, we were at a friend’s house (It was a lovely afternoon if you’re curious. You might not be but I’m putting it out there.) and we got on the topic of books. I didn’t bring it up. The book blogger stayed silent. 🙂 What an excellent title for a book! Anyway, this person asked what books I’d recommend. And here’s what happened in my head…
“Oh, what to pick? What to pick? No, seriously, what to pick?! Don’t panic. You read like, what, 100 books last year, just pick one. Oh, crap. I don’t remember any now. How can that be! Crap. Crap. Just pick one!!!”
Yea, so, can you tell I don’t like that question.
You might be wondering how that can be since I have this little space of my own where I (OK, on the days I get out of bed early enough to post something.) talk about books. What I like. What I didn’t like. And yet, when someone asks me a perfectly normal question about books, I can’t answer it. My head goes all…
“What did I like last year? Do I even remember the last few books I read? Ah, nope. I don’t. Don’t remember what I wore yesterday either… Ok…must make a list. Put ginkgo on the list too. Isn’t that stuff good for memory?”
I know what you’re actually thinking right now. She’s slightly crazy. No, really, I’m not.
You see, I’ve decided, the reason I’m not good at the above question is because I can’t pick one single book to say — “That was the best thing I read.” Because that wouldn’t be true. It’s not simply that I read so many wonderful books (OK, some books are better than others.) but I read so many *kinds* of books that to pick one seems wrong. Let’s face it, we’re always seeing reviews for a book that another blogger loved and we go out and get it and find ourselves disappointed by it. Sometimes so much so we don’t even finish and sometimes can’t wait to get the book out of the house because it was so disappointing you don’t want to look at it for fear it might ruin your reading karma.
What I need to do is ask the question, “What kind of books do you like to read?” That way I can say wonderful things like, “Mysteries. I read this fabulous book called Claire Dewitt and the City of the Dead by Sara Gran recently. Takes place in New Orleans…” and sound so wonderful and sophisticated that even though this is going on in my head:
“Oh, I so hate this question…”
I won’t sound like an idiot. Yes, it’s good to have a plan. I should also make that list…is ginkgo good for memory?
P.S. – I’m feeling the need to file this under something like things I should keep to myself so people don’t think badly of me but hey, I’ll get over it. Embarrassment only lasts a little while. Right?
Moving on. Tomorrow starts Book Blogger Appreciation Week. I didn’t sign up for the interview swap which I wanted to do this year and didn’t register either. Bad blogger I am. Anyway, go here to find out more. Wait, you probably already know all this but do it anyway.
Just Book Reading 
I have had that exact experience (down to the panic and the internal conversation). I hate it when people ask me “What’s a good book?” I have learned to ask them what they like to read, or what are there favorites – in part because it gives me time to stop panicking. I used to keep a list of favorites in my purse too, but haven’t done that in a while. It’s not that I remember any better now, I just need to make a new list (and clean my purse).
Glad I’m not the only one! 🙂 It’s such a little question but there are too many ways to answer it.
I have that Deer In Headlights moment all the time. I think it’s because we read so much. Where the average person might read a couple of great books a year and remember them, we might read dozens. It all gets lost in there. Plus all the genres! It’s too much pressure!
Deer in headlights is a perfect description!