Savas Publishing & Consulting Group

Page-Turners

07/02/03

A month ago I asked what we are reading in EDH. The deluge of responses (via email, in person, and on the phone) was interesting and helpful. Unfortunately, I can only scratch the surface of what was submitted, so let me apologize up front for those of you who do not see your response mentioned.

Here are a few broad and utterly unscientific observations based on some 60 respondents:

The men are reading twice as much non-fiction as women, about one-third of it found on a bestseller list. The rest comprises specific interest areas (carpentry, refurbishing cars, gardening, etc.). Women, on the other hand, are reading fiction, most of which is on (or recently was on), a bestseller list. Most women read books recommended by friends, while most men stumble their way into a good read.

Men tend to read at night after the kids are down (and in most cases, after the wife is asleep), and most read two or more books at a time. (One was juggling seven!) Men keep their books by the bed or stacked in the bathroom. Men LOVE to read sitting on the john. (It is one of the real small pleasures in life.) Not so for women, who do most of their reading during the day (either at work, during lunch, or at home); they are too exhausted to read much after the kids are down. They keep books on their nightstand, and despise reading in the bathroom. (That's fine with me. It gives us guys at least one sanctuary in what was once our very own castle.)

I handled specific recommendations by focusing on a few lesser-known books/authors rather than the John Grisham types. Below are a handful of the more interesting (and eclectic) selections, with a couple personal recommendations tossed in at the end.

"Wow, are you courageous!" was how one emailer phrased her answer to my general question of what everyone is reading. "Either that, or have a lot of time on your hands, which I somehow very much doubt. Well, you asked for it. Here's my list. . ." Karen recommended the prolific Sharon Kay Penman and her medieval historical fiction series. One title is "Here Be Dragons" (Ballentine, 1993), a 13th-Century epic that has a 5-star rating on Amazon with 91 reviews. Impressive. I might read this one.

Heidi wrote to tell me about "Another Country: Navigating the Emotional Terrain of Our Elders," by Mary Pipher (Riverhead books, 1999). "The trouble is, old age is not interesting until one gets there," writes the author. "It's a foreign country with an unknown language to the young and even the middle-aged." Heidi "highly recommends" this book for children with aging parents or anyone who wants to learn a little more about why their grandparents look at life as they do.

Two readers shared views on "The Lovely Bones" (Little, Brown 2002), by Alice Seebold. Seebold adds a new and unique twist to the mystery-detective novel by telling the story through the eyes of a murdered young girl who relates events from her perch in heaven. Although Reader Evelyn found it difficult to get "involved with her characters" and "the latter part of the book was confusing," reader Mary "could not put it down" and was "totally engrossed by the characters and perspective."

Simon recommended Thomas Dish's cult classic "The Genocides" (Vintage, 1965, 2000), a science fiction thriller that will chill you to the bone. Let's call it an unsettling view of how "others" might look at life. At 160 pages it is a quick but very disturbing read that will stay with you long after you close the cover.

Let me close with two picks: "The Filthy Thirteen," by Jake McNiece (Casemate, 2003), and "The Peloponnesian War," by Donald Kagan (Viking, 2003). The first tells the true story of Jake and his handful of 101st Airborne misfits, a small unit of paratroopers that formed the basis for the movie The Dirty Dozen. You won't be able to put this one down. Kagan's magisterial study deals with the decades-long 5th century B.C. war between Athens and Sparta that ended the Golden Age of Grecian democracy and gave rise to Alexander the Great--and a changed world. Do you enjoy really good history? Buy both--today.

Movies, anyone?



		Blog Home
	Page-Turners 07/02/03 A month ago I asked what we are reading in EDH. The deluge of responses (via email, in person, and on the phone) was interesting and helpful. Unfortunately, I can only scratch the surface of what was submitted, so let me apologize up front for those of you who do not see your response mentioned. Here are a few broad and utterly unscientific observations based on some 60 respondents: The men are reading twice as much non-fiction as women, about one-third of it found on a bestseller list. The rest comprises specific interest areas (carpentry, refurbishing cars, gardening, etc.). Women, on the other hand, are reading fiction, most of which is on (or recently was on), a bestseller list. Most women read books recommended by friends, while most men stumble their way into a good read. Men tend to read at night after the kids are down (and in most cases, after the wife is asleep), and most read two or more books at a time. (One was juggling seven!) Men keep their books by the bed or stacked in the bathroom. Men LOVE to read sitting on the john. (It is one of the real small pleasures in life.) Not so for women, who do most of their reading during the day (either at work, during lunch, or at home); they are too exhausted to read much after the kids are down. They keep books on their nightstand, and despise reading in the bathroom. (That's fine with me. It gives us guys at least one sanctuary in what was once our very own castle.) I handled specific recommendations by focusing on a few lesser-known books/authors rather than the John Grisham types. Below are a handful of the more interesting (and eclectic) selections, with a couple personal recommendations tossed in at the end. "Wow, are you courageous!" was how one emailer phrased her answer to my general question of what everyone is reading. "Either that, or have a lot of time on your hands, which I somehow very much doubt. Well, you asked for it. Here's my list. . ." Karen recommended the prolific Sharon Kay Penman and her medieval historical fiction series. One title is "Here Be Dragons" (Ballentine, 1993), a 13th-Century epic that has a 5-star rating on Amazon with 91 reviews. Impressive. I might read this one. Heidi wrote to tell me about "Another Country: Navigating the Emotional Terrain of Our Elders," by Mary Pipher (Riverhead books, 1999). "The trouble is, old age is not interesting until one gets there," writes the author. "It's a foreign country with an unknown language to the young and even the middle-aged." Heidi "highly recommends" this book for children with aging parents or anyone who wants to learn a little more about why their grandparents look at life as they do. Two readers shared views on "The Lovely Bones" (Little, Brown 2002), by Alice Seebold. Seebold adds a new and unique twist to the mystery-detective novel by telling the story through the eyes of a murdered young girl who relates events from her perch in heaven. Although Reader Evelyn found it difficult to get "involved with her characters" and "the latter part of the book was confusing," reader Mary "could not put it down" and was "totally engrossed by the characters and perspective." Simon recommended Thomas Dish's cult classic "The Genocides" (Vintage, 1965, 2000), a science fiction thriller that will chill you to the bone. Let's call it an unsettling view of how "others" might look at life. At 160 pages it is a quick but very disturbing read that will stay with you long after you close the cover. Let me close with two picks: "The Filthy Thirteen," by Jake McNiece (Casemate, 2003), and "The Peloponnesian War," by Donald Kagan (Viking, 2003). The first tells the true story of Jake and his handful of 101st Airborne misfits, a small unit of paratroopers that formed the basis for the movie The Dirty Dozen. You won't be able to put this one down. Kagan's magisterial study deals with the decades-long 5th century B.C. war between Athens and Sparta that ended the Golden Age of Grecian democracy and gave rise to Alexander the Great--and a changed world. Do you enjoy really good history? Buy both--today. Movies, anyone?

Journal of the Indian Wars \| Civil War Regiments Journal Civil War Books \| Miscellaneous
Home \| Services \| Books \| About Us \| Submissions \| Contact Us