Clock is ticking to vote on favorite books
First up, imagine a giant sign.
You can’t miss it.
Pretend it’s like one of those signposts you see as you approach the California border ...
“No live plants or vegetables can be brought past this point. No desert turtles or certain species of salamander (see agent if necessary). No weapons of mass destruction or guns without rubber bullets. No members of the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee unless unarmed.
“Welcome to the Golden State!”
Are you getting it?
Fine, now imagine our huge sign on your front door.
This one says:
VOTING ON YOUR FAVORITE BOOKS CONCLUDES APRIL 25!
We are cutting you off in exactly one week.
There’s been plenty of time for you to think of the books that either made you think, changed your life or entertained the heck out of you while the kids made sand castles on some glorious beach.
Plenty of readers already have submitted the suggested two books (one serious, one as a vacation read), and some have added a few more.
I get that, because there are so many wonderful books, and I’d have a difficult time coming up with two of my own.
Some folks have turned the question around and asked: “What are YOUR two books?”
I’ll answer that next week, but let me say that no one enjoys reading — or needs to do it — more than some character who writes for a living.
In Stephen King’s wonderful book, “On Writing,” the zillionaire horror guru does a fabulous job of explaining how professionals actually put words together in a way that allows them to get paid.
Hint: Despite what you might think, we have to work really, really hard. And then work even harder doing a rewrite.
Deep bow to King for managing a few thousand terrific words from that single slice of wisdom.
ONE OF my favorite books is “Eat Pray Love” by Liz Gilbert.
Hopefully you’ve read it, or at least seen the movie and maybe thought about going back to read the book.
Second hint: It’s better than the film.
Happily, Gilbert also wrote a book about writing — encouraging would-be authors to “just do it.”
(Apologies to Nike for stealing the phrase.)
Gilbert’s book is titled “The Big Magic,” and I think that’s so appropriate because both writing and reading form a kind of magic.
Not surprisingly, King likewise used the word “magic” to describe how words and sentences come together — after brutal, sweaty work — and how eventually they feel connected properly.
But for a wider perspective, I love something written by the late scientist and author Carl Sagan, so we’re going to include the entire little passage here.
I also think it’s interesting that King’s advice to hopeful authors is simple: Read, read, read.
Sure, that seems almost contradictory.
When would a toiling writer have time to sit down and casually enjoy a great novel, or a fascinating biography?
The honest answer is that I don’t know, but we manage it.
So we’re agreed, then.
Books are magic, as so many authors and readers surely agree.
Now get your own favorites to me within the next week — email and Twitter addresses are right below.
As we’ve mentioned already ...
Just do it.
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Steve Cameron is a columnist for The Press.
Email: [email protected].
Twitter: @BrandNewDayCDA.