Now I never thought I would have to write the following sentence.
Apparently some people don’t like crime fiction.
I know it’s quite unbelievable isn’t it? How can people possibly not enjoy a good tale of murder and intrigue? Personally I don’t get it. It’s like people who don’t like red wine or cheese. I know people like that exist but these are not people who I’m likely to become friends with.
However maybe investigating life outside crime fiction isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I have recently read The History of Bees. I admit this is not something I would have picked up myself. Mr F bought it for me, as he’d seen something about it (on facebook I imagine!) Not being particularly at home in a bookshop he’ll have dashed in, asked a shop assistant for a copy and dashed out again. Clearly this is not a crime fiction book. I’ll be honest when he gave it to me I did start to wander if he knew me at all. However in the interests of home harmony I gave it a go. Well once I started I couldn’t put it down, this is a superb novel. I’d highly recommend it to everyone and I’m very glad I was given it, as otherwise I don’t think I would ever have read it.
That’s one of the great things about World Book Night, it encourages people to not only read more but to read stories they wouldn’t necessarily pick up. York Libraries are celebrating World Book Night in just that way. As well as encouraging people to donate books for Bookcase For All, they are also sharing the book love by asking people to donate a new copy of their favourite book to a library for others to enjoy, and to encourage a friend or neighbour to join the library. They are also getting people to read something different by asking the librarians for recommendations of books that have inspired them or going onto goodreads to tell people what books they enjoy.
As readers of this blog will know I am passionate about reading, and think anything that gets people reading is a good thing, I also think that people who love books also love talking about them. That’s why World Book Night and York’s celebration of it is such a good idea. Although I do think one night isn’t long enough, it should be endless! We all love to talk about books, and when you read something that is really gripping you want to tell everyone about it. Running ‘bookcase for all’ is another excuse for me to bang on about books and reading. It’s such a thrill for me when someone comes back after having taken a book I’ve recommended and asks if we’ve anymore by that author (admittedly in a recent case he asked if I had any more by Mark Birmingham, fingers crossed he meant Billingham or he may have been rather disappointed!)
So maybe there is something to be said for broadening one’s horizons in the reading world after all (I’m never going to like white wine though!)
World Book Night is on the 23rd April. Find out more about York’s celebration at York Explore or via the York Press
Also keep an eye out for Bookcase For All on Look North next week, potentially Monday!
A crime readers blog 