Writing and Reading---Books

My favorite genre' is fiction, action. I enjoy reading fiction. I like a writer that  in the end that the good guy will win and the bad guy will lose. He may twist me around a lot to get there, but at the end of the book, I smile.  

I have friends who enjoy 'real life writing' in real life the good guy does not always win.  Sometimes the good guy, your best friend dies of a terrible disease. There are times when someone's family it tragically killed in an accident. AND then there are times the bad guy gets away with mistreating his wife and children, or the mother leaves some beautiful children. In books like that my friend will say, "Jack that is real life, the good guy doesn't always win."

My response is, "Heck, I know that, I live life every day same as you. The news is full of bad news, I hear and see it all the time. ?Why would I waste my time reading about it in a book with a price of $5 to $25.  I read for entertainment, I have enough sense to know it is fiction.  Kids know Ducks and Mice can't talk, but they still like Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse.

I knew Matt Dillon could not out-draw every crook if it was real life, but he did in 'Gunsmoke', and I liked it. I have read everything Louis L'amour wrote and the good guy was the hero. Tom Clancy, Jack Higgins, Jeffery Archer, Baldacci,  Ken Folliet, John Grisham, etc writes my kind of book. My first real fiction book was Tom Clancy's "Executive Orders." I was in my mid 50’s. I loved it. Clancy created a reading monster. For years after that, I read 2-3 books a week. I have now read thousands,  I had been missing a very interesting and rewarding past-time.

It wasn't until I wrote my first book 'Sticky', that I realized the author had labored 4-6 months writing a book that I devoured in 2-5 days. Now I must say, there is an advantage to being a late bloomer as far as reading goes.  You have hundreds of books waiting for you, best sellers, published while you were not reading. So for years now, I have bought many best sellers for 25 cents at yard sales. But I am catching up! LOL

Sticky and Josephine, he inspired the book Sticky

I do not prefer to be scared out of my shoes nor see a bad guy get away with murder in a book. I also have what my wife thinks is an odd trait. If I start a book and I do not like what I am reading,  I put the book down, and as soon as I can, I put it in a lending library.

Most of the RV parks have a lending library with a policy of  'take one, leave one' we usually leave twice as many as we take. We feel like we have won the lottery when we find a good book we have not read. When I start a book, I usually say, "Time to meet some new folk."

I prefer action, but Jan Karon hooked me with the 'Mitford Series.' The unlikely hero is an Episcopal Priest, Father Tim. I still say when we past an Episcopal Church , hey that's Father Tim's church.

BUT what ever your preference, read. Reading over 3 hours a week is supposed to extend your life span. MA said she should live forever!  LOL

Nite Shipslog

PS I didn't mean to be so wordy, sorry!

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 The 1946 Dodge and below the 1956 Buick Roadmaster