Living in a city where everyone likes to discuss and share everything they encounter, I now and then get sucked into conversations about what I’m reading or not reading for that matter. They can range from enjoyable intelligent discussions to some near fanatical pitches that make me wonder if this person is receiving a commission for each copy of the book that is sold. The worst is when you get cornered by a literary vigilante who proceeds to pompously (or pretentiously, take your pick) probably verbatim recite his or her college paper on why the novel being discussed is or is not a prime example of Deconstructionism or any other movement (postmodern or otherwise), leading you to believe they may only be talking to hear the sound of their own voice – thank goodness for drink refreshing, an acceptable escape.
Anyhow, I’ve been asked a few times why book reviews are not included on TRAffIK. Let me explain.
In my lifetime, I’ve read many books. I learned to read at a very early age and would make my parents buy me a new book every time we went anywhere that might sell them. If there weren’t books available, I was content with a magazine. I would spend hours at libraries and bookstores, and those are still some of my favorite places. Just like with music, I never really wanted the popular reads. I would always go for authors and books I’d never heard of. It might be safe to say that by the time I was 16 or 17, I had probably read more books than most people will probably read in a lifetime (the majority of the company I keep is not included in the phrase “most people,” as I am surrounded by a myriad of literary enthusiasts.)
I started off with a strong interest in crime novels and anything located in the mystery section, yet later developed a much more defined interest in historical non-fiction, autobiographies, and biographies. This is a preference that remains to this day. I have a natural inclination and desire to learn about how things work, the origins of certain movements, and the paths that led people to become who they are.
This isn’t to say I didn’t go through the whole Fear St., Sweet Valley High, Babysitter’s Club, and V.C. Andrews middle school phase as well and of course my peers at times influenced my reads as I vividly recall how we all took turns reading the James Patterson (in particular “Along Came a Spider”) and Stephen King novels, as well as the Agatha Christie Poirot and Ms. Marple series’ in 4th, 5th, and 6th grades. Perhaps I read too many of these books early on, leading me to not touch much of those genres now that I’m in my 20’s.
I’m not very vocal about my reads, unless they are something written by a peer or a friend and I’m trying to spread the word. I’ve also never been a good candidate for a book club. I like the idea of a book club, just like I like the idea of Super Bowl Parties. I’m a social person and I like the social aspect of such activities. However, there are some people that thrive and are damn good at relaying what they took away from a book. I love reading reviews people write about what they’ve read. These people I have respect for, as I’m not so good at penning those myself, nor discussing them at length. Reading books to me is an enjoyable personal hobby, but I file it as part of my personal life. I’ll gladly tell you about a book I’m reading or have read, should you ask, but I will gladly refrain from discussing it for hours on end dissecting every twist and turn and exposing it’s hidden allegorical meanings.
This isn’t a recent development either. Whenever my parents would ask what I was reading, I would reply curtly “a book” and leave it at that. While in grade school and high school anytime a book report was assigned, I would groan along with my classmates. Not because I didn’t want to read the book, quite the contrary—it was because I never felt like discussing it much after I finished reading it, it wasn’t that I didn’t (and don’t) absorb the content, the opposite is true. I not only absorb the content, but I retain it as well. I can tell you exactly what the books I read twenty years ago were about and what I took away from them. I just tend to read books very quickly and although I enjoy them, once I’m through reading them, that’s pretty much it – on to the next. What I didn’t mind doing in lieu of these book reports were the more creative assignments some teachers offered as alternatives, such as coming up with a movie poster complete with casting for the characters in the book, or the shadowboxes made of shoe boxes where scenes from the book could be re-created. Reading a book as a whole class was also a form of slow torture for me, as by the time we finished reading the book I probably could’ve read the book 4 or 5 times.
One thing I did enjoy when it came to books and didn’t mind discussing was learning about the pre-existing effects certain books had attached to them. I’ll use the Steinbeck novel “The Grapes of Wrath” as an example. By now most of you are aware that I grew up in Bakersfield, Ca. Bakersfield is a city located in Kern County. Much of this story took place in Kern County, a story the Kern County Board of Supervisors found unacceptable deeming Mr. Steinbeck’s depiction of the events that transpired during the “Dust Bowl” inaccurate and to boot presented the community highlighted in a negative light thus leading them to ban the book from public schools and libraries in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s. Now if every book had a back story such as this, I would’ve been more apt to listen to a teacher drone on for an hour each day, extending the life of the book for us by including it as part of our daily curriculum.
But, I digress…
With all this said, I had initially hesitated to include book reviews on the TRAffIK website. However, after thinking it through I decided that incorporating such reviews might help me (and you as well of course) to discover new books and authors that I might not come across on my own. I will refrain from writing them myself, as I have many friends that can do a much better job at this than I ever will want to do, unless there are books I really feel like discussing. What I will do is provide you with one to two books I have read each month that should be an easy read to incorporate into your daily lives.
I usually tend to read two books at a time. One is usually a little harder read that may require more of an investment from me, usually time-wise and mental receptiveness (by this I mean focus). The others which are what I will tend to include on this list are shorter reads meant mainly for entertainment.
The second thing I will do for those of you that have implored of me to include book reviews, is I will call upon my friends who I know are more than cognizant in this area of the arts and are constantly exploring the various bodies of literature. People who, if I liked to discuss literature would be among the first I would want to discuss it with. So look for this new addition to our list of topics covered in the next couple of months.
In the meantime here are some quick reads that I have read in the past, that I would recommend for their entertainment value.
by Stacy Parker Aab
This book made its debut last month and was one of the first books in a while that I’d had a curiosity to read. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to work in the White House and those associated with it, you should check this book out. The author Stacy Parker Aab, was part of the Clinton administration and although females might find many of the situations she writes about relatable, males shouldn’t shy away from reading it just because it has “Girl” in the title.
“The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson: The Pretty Boys and Dirty Deals of Henry Willson“
By Robert Hofler
I actually read this book a couple of years ago now, but just came across it again as I was searching for another book in my room. Henry Willson is not a likeable fellow. This book has lots of interesting stories on the stars of “Old Hollywood” not just Rock Hudson (such as: Tab Hunter, Troy Donahue, Rory Calhoun, James Darren, Alain Delon, John Gavin, Montgomery Clift, Guy Madison, Lana Turner, Rhonda Fleming, Jennifer Jones, Joan Fontaine, and Natalie Wood).
But Enough About Me: A Jersey Girl’s Unlikely Adventures Among the Absurdly Famous”
by Jancee Dunn
My first thought about this book, is that so many of the people in our social circles could probably easily someday write a similar biographical tale of their own. I did like that Jancee did a good job of writing about her life instead of just using this as a blatant excuse to name drop. I also liked hearing about her involvement in the early days of MTV2 and of course the descriptions of the Rolling Stone offices and contributor lifestyle from back when it was in it’s hey day.
