I've been working at a library for the past nine years. Recently, I was promoted and I am now in charge of purchasing books for the fiction collection.
Up until now, our fiction collection hasn't been very diverse. The majority of our patrons read mainstream literature like Nora Roberts and Jodi Picoult, but not much else.
When I started in my new position, the first thing I wanted to do was try to expand the literary horizons of the people coming into the library.
Now I'm not so sure it's possible.
Many of the older readers have expressed that they like the authors they already know--even though writers like James Patterson don't even write any of their books as much as they outline them and have someone else take over after that.
Nobody seems all that eager to start taking on new and more challenging work by more contemporary authors.
As one woman said, "I don't like to think when I read."
I didn't even try to digest that statement.
Speaking of digestion, I've started wondering if maybe you can have a reading palate the same way you have a culinary palate.
Is it possible that after a certain age, your reading tastes solidify and that's all there is to it?
When I was in eighth grade, I was in the bookstore with my mother and saw John Steinbeck's East of Eden sitting on the bookshelf. I felt the urge to read it simply because of how massive it was. It looked like it would be an accomplishment.
So I spent the better part of eighth grade trudging through the book, and to this day, it's still my favorite.
I find that now I'm still drawn to books like that--challenging, epic, filled with ideas, etc.
I'm not saying there's anything wrong with James Patterson, but I find that when I try to read him, I have the same experience someone might have trying food from another country for the first time.
It just doesn't taste right.
I'd like to believe that I can use my new job to help expose exciting new authors to people instead of just serving them the same old thing, but I also have to keep in mind that I'm here to give them what they want.
Still, I can't help but think of when my mom used to hide vegetables underneath my mashed potatoes.
I wonder if there's any way I can hide an O.Henry story in the new Danielle Steel...
Up until now, our fiction collection hasn't been very diverse. The majority of our patrons read mainstream literature like Nora Roberts and Jodi Picoult, but not much else.
When I started in my new position, the first thing I wanted to do was try to expand the literary horizons of the people coming into the library.
Now I'm not so sure it's possible.
Many of the older readers have expressed that they like the authors they already know--even though writers like James Patterson don't even write any of their books as much as they outline them and have someone else take over after that.
Nobody seems all that eager to start taking on new and more challenging work by more contemporary authors.
As one woman said, "I don't like to think when I read."
I didn't even try to digest that statement.
Speaking of digestion, I've started wondering if maybe you can have a reading palate the same way you have a culinary palate.
Is it possible that after a certain age, your reading tastes solidify and that's all there is to it?
When I was in eighth grade, I was in the bookstore with my mother and saw John Steinbeck's East of Eden sitting on the bookshelf. I felt the urge to read it simply because of how massive it was. It looked like it would be an accomplishment.
So I spent the better part of eighth grade trudging through the book, and to this day, it's still my favorite.
I find that now I'm still drawn to books like that--challenging, epic, filled with ideas, etc.
I'm not saying there's anything wrong with James Patterson, but I find that when I try to read him, I have the same experience someone might have trying food from another country for the first time.
It just doesn't taste right.
I'd like to believe that I can use my new job to help expose exciting new authors to people instead of just serving them the same old thing, but I also have to keep in mind that I'm here to give them what they want.
Still, I can't help but think of when my mom used to hide vegetables underneath my mashed potatoes.
I wonder if there's any way I can hide an O.Henry story in the new Danielle Steel...
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