Books and relationships

I saw this article about a week ago and I have been thinking that it deserves a post. The article discusses how for some people, books can be a deal breaker in a relationship. If the books that you and a potential partner read are radically different, than the relationship may not work. Or if you are a reader and your partner is not a reader, how that might affect the relationship. According to the article, books are a reflection of a person's personality, intelligence and educational background. Now I agree with the idea of books as a reflection of a person's personality and possibly educational background, but as a measure of intelligence or as a reason to end a relationship? The article starts with discussion of a women calling her friend and complaining that the man she just had to break up with had never heard of Pushkin. Now I have heard of Pushkin, but I have never ready any of his work, does that make me uneducated? There are plenty of authors that I have heard of from Woolf to Beckett to Dostoevsky and yet I have never read any of their works. Am I adverse to reading their works? No, but I just have never really had the inclination either. So to use what authors you have read as a measure of someone's intelligence or a as sole reason for dumping someone is stupid to me. But on the other hand, I do admit that if a women is not really a reader, that is a bit of a turn-off for me. I like the idea and the reality of being able to discuss books and literature with my partner. And I also admit to checking out other people's libraries or lack thereof when I am in someone's home. (Yes, that does mean I checked out your book shelf in your bedroom, sweetheart.) But would I dump someone over what they read, hmmmm not really? Although, my ex did like to read basically only trashy romance novels or really bad fantasy novels by authors like Piers Anthony and this did drive me crazy at times, but it also was not a good reason to end a relationship.

The only other issue that I have with this article is that it explicitly says that apparently only women think that reading is important. It states that men are not typically readers and "rare is the guy who’d throw a pretty girl out of bed for revealing her imperfect taste in books". Now there are a few men quoted in the article that profess that they do like brainy women, but the article does seem a bit tilted toward women and their issues with men who just aren't as smart as them.

Hmmmm so apparently men are shallow beings who don't read. I guess that means, my brother, my dad, all of the men on both sides of my family and so many other men that I know, must not be real men as we do like to read. This again is one stereotype we need to end right here and right now. This means w also need to encourage and work with our boys to grow to love reading. We cannot create a society of educated people without raising them to love reading, both boys and girls. I mean look what happens to our country when we allow a non-reader to run the country, we go to hell in a hand basket. I know I am preaching to the choir in this post, but I still wanted to put this out there. Also, since I am preaching to the choir, if you have not done so yet, please go to this website and email your Congress-people and let them know that they have to save the very important Reading is Fundamental program. This program provides free books to school kids across the country for them to take home and learn to enjoy. In my experience in public schools, this is the only way some kids get to have books in their homes and for all kids there is no such thing as too many books in a home.

Book meme me!!

FranIAm tagged me with this book meme, so here are the rules form her site.

Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. (No cheating!)

I looked on the couch I was sitting on and Freakonomics was sitting there. Apparently, I had not yet put it away. It is not uncommon for me to have books on my couch, but usually they are the ones are am currently reading, not this time.

Find Page 123.

Find the first 5 sentences and read them.

Post the next 3 sentences.

"By 2000, more than two million people were in prison, roughly four times the number as of 1972. Fully half of that increase took place during the 1990s. The evidence linking increased punishment with lower crime rates is very strong."

Tag 5 people.
Comrade Kevin (because I have a feeling that he will have an interesting book to mention)
Whiskey Marie (because well this girl is crazy, in a good way, and so I really want a look into her books)
Cunning Runt (I know the Runt has got to have great taste in books)
BAC (I know she wouldn't disappoint)
Morse (I know he is moving so I know that he has got to be near some books)

If any of you do not want to do this, that is perfectly fine with me and if anyone else wants to pick this up, than please do because as Fran said, "who doesn't love books!"

What book am I?

I have seen this several times around the blogosphere, but finally really did it.

You're A Prayer for Owen Meany!

by John Irving

Despite humble and perhaps literally small beginnings, you inspire
faith in almost everyone you know. You are an agent of higher powers, and you manifest
this fact in mysterious and loud ways. A sense of destiny pervades your every waking
moment, and you prepare with great detail for destiny fulfilled. When you speak, IT
SOUNDS LIKE THIS!


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.