To me find a book is like all other hunting I have done. You go in-search of your prey with the hope of getting the big one. In other hunting, company is a great thing, but in book hunting I find it is not. So what am I? Well I guess I am the solitary hunter.
This behaviour is strange for me. I like being around people. I find all people to be fun and amusing to interact with (well honestly some are a pain in the butt). Being alone doing something I find very tedious, having others around makes it fun. Even the most boring jobs can be fun when shared with others. A day with out people in it to me is a waste of a day. But, when it comes to book hunting I would rather be alone.
Over the years I have tried to analyze this strange trait in me but with no success. I have gone book hunting while out with other people but it doesn’t hold the same joy or excitement. The rushing though looking because I don’t want to hold them up usually means I end up with a book I really don’t want. When alone I can spend my time my way. Holding on to one book and continuing my search till I find just the right book. It feels great when you hit that right book that makes you want to rush home and start reading. The trophy book just like the trophy buck in deer hunting.
As I have gotten older I have found that solitary time more and more rewarding for me. For a few years I didn’t do any book hunting because my arms had gotten to short—and I wouldn’t give into getting reading glasses. Now I don’t care that I have to use my glasses to read a menu they have become part of me.
So I shall remain loving to have people to interacting with—except when book hunting. Then I become the solitary hunter.
The last 2 days the weather has been like spring. So nice weather, to me, means going book hunting. Nice thing about book hunting you don’t need a gun. I will admit that I have enjoyed other forms of hunting but book hunting is still my favourite.
After hours looking at different books from hardwood flooring to a humming birds life I choose one of the stupidest reasons for buying a book. I liked the dust jacket so I bought it. Like most readers on the hunt, you’re tired and bag what ever fancies your eye. The story does sound interesting but it is a sequel and I have never read the first one. The artwork on the dust jacket is great and it does meet the “cool dude” theory I have. So once again I got stupid while book hunting. It happens more times than I will ever admit. Guess I should tell you the title. “Defender” by C.J. Cherryh.
There is once saving grace I have in buying this book. Well, it is an excuse I use often. One of the best books I have ever read I bought for the “Cool Dude” on the cover.
February 28, 2008 – 4:34 pm
I quickly finished a book I bought which is the norm for me. Never understood how people could read one chapter a night and lay a good book down. I need to devour a book and am upset if I can’t finish it the same evening. Guess the chapter a night people are the normal ones and I am the abnormal one. Really doesn’t matter to me which is which, just what I am reading matters in the grand scheme of things.
Ok! on with what I read. “Tyrannosaur Canyon” by Douglas Preston. It is a book I totally enjoyed. He is a new author for me and I found him a master story teller. Each page was something new to lead you farther into the depth of the story. I was finished too quickly wishing it was twice as long. After finishing, I read the reviews on the dust jacket, which brings me to my point.
All the reviews were good. The problem was how they described what I had just read. It seems they read a “thriller”. Now I know I am getting old, but a “thriller”, come on, It was a murder mystery. I found it as good a murder mystery as any by Agatha Christie. Yes, I know, high praise, but it is my opinion (and what that is worth, we’ve covered). So, being a very large pain about things, I decided to look up “thriller” in the dictionary. “A work of fiction or drama designed to hold the interest by the use of a high degree of intrigue, adventure, or suspense.” Ok! so it covers that loosely. Murder mystery covers it exactly. Call a duck a duck.
Then again maybe I am a purist about books. Drama is drama, humour is humour, science fiction is science fiction, fantasy is fantasy, murder mystery is murder mystery, and thriller is best left to Michael Jackson. Since I am getting old I guess you can call me a dinosaur, at least when it comes to describing books I hope.
February 24, 2008 – 8:37 pm
Kelli left a comment about Ian and his reading or my reading to him. It brought back a flood of memories. Found myself chuckling a few times as I went over the memories. So, yes Kelli I think it would make a good topic also.
Ian grew up with books all over his room. We started buying them when he was about 6 months old. Every-night he had stories read to him, not that he understood a word we were saying at that age. as he got older, the age of his own son now, he would pretend to read. I would be reading in the evening and he would get a book and sit beside me and pretend to read. I tried to avoid reading bedtime stories to the kids (will explain later so I don’t get the bad father rap). The kids had favourite books that they had to have read over and over. It was almost as irritating as Ian’s popcorn popper toy. They both would twist me around their finger and get me to read their favourite. One evening Ian sat beside me and started reading his favourite book out-loud. I was totally shocked. Took me a few minutes to realize he wasn’t actually reading, he had memorized the story. But he did learn to read, which he surprised his grade one teacher with the first day of school. Over the years you could always find Ian when you needed him. In his room with his nose in a book. I thought it would stop when he got his TV in his room but it didn’t. Slowed him down a bit was all. It was the same with Nintendo. Now he is as bad as he ever was. Today I helped his habit. Told him the discount store had recent hardcover books on sale for $2.98. But he isn’t the only Stewart with the habit. I had to buy 2 book there myself today.
Now I guess I had better explain the not wanting to read bedtime stories to the kids. I preferred to make up stories and tell them a story. They never realized my stories always had the moral twist to them. It was my way of filling their heads with “do the right thing”. Of the hundreds of stories I told them, some purely made up by me to drive a point home, the one they most remember was a bible story. Could be they remember it because they had me tell it so many times. I take the high road on it and say it was because the moral of it made sense to them.
I hope Ian will find time to tell Nathan some stories too.
February 16, 2008 – 8:26 pm
So, you find out you’re going blind, what are you going to do with the remaining days of vision? Let’s pretend, okay?
First of all we’re going to pretend that we don’t have braille or books on tape. Those are out of the question. We’ve got a few months left and aside from spending time memorizing the faces of loved ones and visiting what Lennon calls the “places I remember“, we’re going to spend some time with a good book or two. I mean, you’re going to have some time to kill on those flights around the world, right? What are you going to read?
Do you read for pleasure? Reveling in the comforting pleasure of a good book; the sound of the pages turning, the heft of the thing, the color of the type, a familiar story made into an old friend? Or do you read for knowledge? Spiritual comfort? Or just practical knowledge? How to Read Braille might be a good title.
For the record, I’m not going blind. I had a bit of an eye scare but everything is perfectly fine. Thing is though, when you forget your book and you’re stuck in a waiting room for a few hours, People magazine gets old and you start to think of things like this.
Anyway, it’s like a desert island list only… more final. What would you read if you were going blind?