Dear
Carmen Maria Machado: How I Decide What to Read.
By
Malik Roberson
When
I’m looking for something new to read outside of class, the rare few times that
happens, it is almost always an adventure or nonfiction book. Usually when I choose something with an
adventure, it’s because I want the ability to feel like I am doing something
that most likely would not be possible in real life. Things like swimming with sharks, mostly
because I can barely swim, or escaping burning buildings. Whomst'd've interacted with the main
character also matters a great deal since they can be crucial to the movement
of the storyline. It is also great being
able to experience a totally different place through the eyes of another
person, or people, while thinking about the effects that the character’s
actions have in the whole scheme of things.
This allows my imagination to run free for a brief period of time and
wonder how a small change in the timeline could change the entire outcome of
the story for better, or for worse. The last thing I do when deciding to read a
book is to look at the summary. It gives
a good idea of what will occur and helps me gauge whether or not I will be
actively engaged in the reading. Usually
when I decide not to finish a book, it is because I am unable to relate to the
struggles of the main character or the writing style does not engage my
imagination enough. If I cannot
sympathize with the struggles of the characters I find it difficult to make it
through more than a few chapters before I ditch the story.
When
I choose to read a nonfiction book I am a lot more lax about what I
choose. As long as it has to do with
technology or new innovations I will most likely be interested in it. Also, with this category, I am not limited to
books, there are a plethora of magazines and online articles that can quench my
thirst for knowledge.
Dear Malik,
ReplyDeleteIt would help Carmen Maria out a lot, I'm sure, to see some examples of books that have passed your sniff test versus those that haven't. What have you discovered about the kinds of books that really can hold your attention? When you sympathize with the characters, is there any pattern to what grabs you more or less? This is a fine start to a response, but seems much leaner on specifics than I think I would want, on the receiving end.
Best,
TT