In addition to the challenges being presented by the two reading groups I belong to (International Fiction and Forgotten Gems) and my own choices of books for fun, I am also reading through an exceptionally long longlist of books that are being considered for inclusion in a promotion next spring and summer.
This list is so long and varied and contains so many books that I'd never (probably) have chosen for myself that I have asked other people to just hand me books to try.
So far I've read through 5 new books and all have certainly caught my attention in one way or another. It is an odd feeling letting someone else choose what you read - not bad, just odd. It isn't like studying or book group where you 'have' to read the book. It isn't like a recommendation from a friend. But it is like both of these things - with the advantage that if you don't like the book you can stop AND you can be honest and say you didn't like it with out fear of offending the person who gave it to you.
I'm liking the experience and I'm thinking that maybe when the final books are chosen I might ask random people to just hand me a book every so often. My reading is generally very varied, but I do have a preferred type and preferred places I go to for recommendations so this randomness may expand my horizons in many new ways....
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