As we get older, it becomes harder to find a story that we don't already know well. The bar fight when the muscular and gutsy hero defeats two bullies and their leader is old hat -- we've seen it before. The bookish librarian doesn't realize how clearly Joe Success sees her curves and intelligence, how much he thinks of her. The wily spymaster is going to be surprised when Grandma takes him and his sidekick down. We've seen all that before, too.
So maybe you are interested in adding a little breadth to your reading. I suggest going to a library. Just about any will do. Look for book displays, which are usually in two parts, fiction and nonfiction. Just approach the non-fiction section from a safe distance. Don't touch yet. Just look at spines and titles. See anything that interests you? Try to find 3 or 4 titles that are on subjects you would like to understand better or are a little curious about. Lug the little stack to the checkout desk and take the books home.
Have a little wine after dinner and pick up one of the non-fiction books. Look over the cover carefully. Look at the table of contents and read the inside-cover info. See what comments are on the back of the cover. If there is a preface, glance over it. If you have handled the book a bit, and nothing has interested you further, move to the next borrowed book. But if you have a glimmer of interest, try the first paragraph of the book itself. Look at the table of contents again and see if any chapter seems intriguing. There is nothing to be lost by reading the end of the book or any parts of interest. If there is a bibliography, look over the titles to see if the same subject or a related one might be more gripping. If you do see another title you would like to look at, take a minute to jot down the title and author and put the note in the book like a bookmark. When you return the book, ask the librarian if the new title is in the library and to borrow it for you if it isn't.
Rather like an art or furniture expert, you put occasional time and energy into finding what is worth your declining reading hours of life. The search is much like shopping for cute shoes but may pay off better and require less cash.
Bill
Main blog: Fear, Fun and Filoz
Main web site: Kirbyvariety
