A student approached yesterday after class to ask me what my favorite book is. I was unable to answer with anything more than a response about what I've been recently reading. As those who read often know well, singling out one book is nearly impossible. I have had many favorites over the years, starting in high school when I might have said Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo, or Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger. In college I might have quickly responded with titles like Fear and Loathing On The Campaign Trail '72 by Hunter S. Thompson, or Love is a Dog from Hell by Charles Bukowski.
These days it's more likely to be a recent read. I've lauded Born To Run by Christopher McDougall and Going Out Green by Bob Butz. Right now I'm reading The Truth About Love by Josephine Hart and I'm being drawn in completely. Hart, like so many of her Irish and British counterparts has a lyrical style that relies as much on the influences of verse as it does on the twists of fiction. There are several others waiting on my reading table, so no doubt the answer about what is my favorite book will change by degrees in the coming days.
The more important question for me is "what are you reading now?" Because if you're not reading something, always, there won't be any growth in the possibilities.
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