Why You Should Always Read A Book When It First Asks You To

by Suzanne Donahue    |   Monday, September 15, 2014 - Off the Shelf

Everyone has stories of books that no matter how great they are or how good your intentions, never seem to get read. Books you found or were given that have intriguing jackets or descriptions, appealing plots that at one time caught your imagination but still they sit on your shelf, staring at you like a dog in a shelter silently begging to be picked up. And you ignore them. But their need to be read is so intense you cannot let them go, you know you will have to pick them at some point. I have a book that was so insistent in its merit that even though I never read it I was always too afraid to admit I would not and so kept it with me for years.

The book is Case Histories by Kate Atkinson (author of Life After Life). I have had a hardcover copy on my shelf since right after it was published. I received it from the publisher as part of a “big mouth” mailing, which is when publishers send other people in the industry copies of their book in hopes that their competitors will 1) be jealous they didn’t publish the book and 2) read it, love it, and spread the news about it’s greatness to their colleagues and friends. There is nothing more potent than someone who loves working with books loving a book published by another house

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