http://blog.booklistonline.com/2007/08/10/secrets-of-the-readers-advisors-revealed/ Behind the Book Reviews--The Official Blog of Booklist Online Sat, 30 Mar 2013 16:38:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 http://blog.booklistonline.com/2007/08/10/secrets-of-the-readers-advisors-revealed/comment-page-1/#comment-65356 Rita Vogel Wed, 22 Aug 2007 15:00:15 +0000 http://blog.booklistonline.com/2007/08/10/secrets-of-the-readers-advisors-revealed/#comment-65356 I hate to feel cheated. For example, when the opportunity to correct both my farsighted and nearsighted vision by wearing one contact for each presented itself, I tried it and denied it. I’m told with repeated practice, your brain adjusts to it. The idea of one eye seeing things close up and the other seeing the landscape made me feel that I’m missing half of everything. This could be totally ignorant of me, but I’d rather wear glasses.
Now, the business of skimming. One can’t read everything, but one should treat herself to the best. I hate abridged books because I don’t trust those who remove chunks of stories. I don’t want anyone else panning for my gold.
One can appreciate the irony in an author’s suggesting you don’t read books. I doubt that talk show hosts read every author who guests on their shows. Anything less than reading cover to cover seems like cheating to me. However, if one confesses to it, as Bayard seems to, I see nothing wrong in admitting, “I haven’t read the book, but I’ve heard/read blurbs, etc.

]]> http://blog.booklistonline.com/2007/08/10/secrets-of-the-readers-advisors-revealed/comment-page-1/#comment-64952 Keir Mon, 20 Aug 2007 20:07:54 +0000 http://blog.booklistonline.com/2007/08/10/secrets-of-the-readers-advisors-revealed/#comment-64952 Kaite, a wee bit more about Bayard here. I think Bayard makes some good points — I often wish I were better at putting down books than I am at picking them up — but the idea of embracing not-reading is still somewhat painful to me. I still want to read everything. Unrequited love, I guess.

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