6.17.2005
Set your books free
Lately, several novels have come into my possession by the pass-it-on method. One person buys (or receives) a paperback, reads it, and then gives it to someone else. Since my friends often have better taste than I do, I've received some of my favorite novels of the past year that way. The Time Traveller's Wife and The Dogs of Babel are two examples.
I had earlier passed over both novels based my assumptions about their plots. Time travel doesn't do it for me (nothing that smacks of sci-fi does, really), and I stay away from anything that could possibly involved a dog's death (see post about my relationship with my own dog). I can never turn down a free book, however, so they came home with me. Both novels were surprising, and gripping, and, rare of all generalizations, well-written.
So, I've decided to start a movement. Buy a paperback (or dust one off from your bookshelves). Think of someone you know who might like it. Give it to that person. It's a great way to prove to your friends that you know them better than they know themselves.
I had earlier passed over both novels based my assumptions about their plots. Time travel doesn't do it for me (nothing that smacks of sci-fi does, really), and I stay away from anything that could possibly involved a dog's death (see post about my relationship with my own dog). I can never turn down a free book, however, so they came home with me. Both novels were surprising, and gripping, and, rare of all generalizations, well-written.
So, I've decided to start a movement. Buy a paperback (or dust one off from your bookshelves). Think of someone you know who might like it. Give it to that person. It's a great way to prove to your friends that you know them better than they know themselves.
