Monday Musing: Book talk

It's been quite awhile since I participated in a Musing Monday. Today's topic grabbed me and I felt I just had to write about it! Rebecca over at Just One More Page hosts this one. Go check out her page to participate and read some her posts.

Here's today's question:

We were all warned as children "never to talk to strangers," but how do you feel about book-talk with random people. When you see people reading, do you ask what it is? Do you talk to people in the book store or the library? Why or why not? What do you do if people talk to you?

I love talking about books, which is a must to have a blog like this! When I see people in public with a book I often try to look to see what they're reading. If the cover looks interesting (i.e. not some half naked woman draped around a half naked man which would indicate romance) then I'm likely to ask what they're reading. Most people are happy to tell you. There must be some sort of secret I'm-a-book-lover-too sign that goes along with asking someone what they're reading. I'm sure I'll figure out one day exactly what I'm projecting when I ask this question because I can ask almost anything else of random people and not get that light that comes just before someone pours out their heart and soul. Always happens when people talk about their books.

I always carry a book with me in my purse. Sometimes, I'll eat out for lunch instead of bringing mine to work. In those cases I'm usually sitting at the table reading my book while I eat. While I was reading Catch-22, an older man actually turned around in the booth in front of me to tell me that was his favorite book. He talked for a while about how he saw some of the same crazy things himself when he fought in WWII. He was disappointed that I wasn't as into it as he was, just as I always am when I discover someone doesn't love a book as much I do. I think the real reason we stop people to ask what they're reading is so we can find others to say, "Yes, that book was wonderful! Aren't we wonderful for enjoying it together?" Or maybe we simply want the whole world to feel inside the way we did when we read THAT book.

Musing Mondays: Recommendations

Rebecca at Just One More Page asks the following:

How often do you recommend books to others, and who do you recommend them to? Do you only recommend books to your “reading friends” or to anyone you think might find the book interesting? What does it take for a book to make it to your ‘recommendation’ list?

I often recommend books that I've enjoyed to friends, family, and the people that read my blog because if I liked a book then I want the whole world to read it and enjoy it too! Often I find that a book that I loved is just not the type of thing someone else would like but I still keep going, recommending. There's a whole list of books I've enjoyed over the years posted on my blog on the right hand side for you to browse and decide on for yourself. I've liked each of them to a page where you can read about it.

Monday Musings: Book Fads

You can check out all the other posts at Monday Musings. Here's the question:

How do you feel about wide-spread reading phenomenons - Harry Potter, for instance, or the more current Twilight Saga? Are these books so widely read for a reason, or merely fads or crazes? Do you feel compelled to read - or NOT to read - these books because everyone else is?

Well, if you read my posts on the first two books in the Twilight series, then you know how I personally feel about these books. However, that doesn't mean I think they're just a fad. I personally loved Harry Potter, as I've stated before, even though it was originally intended for children and young teens. Rowling is a wonderful writer. I don't necessarily think the same thing about Meyer but there are many people who do. I believe that once these books get some recognition that there are more people who pick them up simply because they heard about the series through it's popularity but there is something about each of these that appeals to certain people. Even though I thought Twilight was...well, you know, that doesn't mean that there aren't others that genuinely like the books because of the something about the book itself, not because of its popularity. Sometimes I do feel compelled to read a book because of its popularity. I figure, if it's so popular, there must be something to it.