Friday, March 15, 2013

Do You Stick with Certain Authors, or do they stick with you?

A while back I began compiling a list of some of the books that have stuck with me. The process is harder, the list longer, and my memory worse than I expected.

But little victories are sweet. I recently had the great pleasure of "matchmaking," that is, making the just-right recommendation to a friend about a book. In this case, when Patty and I were talking about (what else) books, I felt like I knew just the sort of read she was looking for. And Michael Creighton was her man.

A week later, she (almost giddily) told me she had ordered the book.

Gulp! Ordered it, and not from a library? Made a commitment like that just on recommendation? Naturally, I was nervous. What if it didn't work out? Imagine my relief when, a few days later, she told me she'd considered skipping that day's workout to spend some more time with Michael.

Whew.

The book: Timeline, a delightful forensic/time-traveling < 500-page adventure published in 2003. I can't take full credit for this particular match, however - my friend John recommended the book to me several years ago.

Regardless, Patty's happy, I'm happy, and  - here's a really cool thing about this type of matchmaking - I can keep setting my friends up with Michael.* 

In addition to Michael Creighton, Barbara Kingsolver is another author I'll stick with (and recommend, virtually anytime). What about you?

* Yes, that Michael: the author Jurassic Park, among others. Airframe was the first title I read of his - for what it's worth, I've heard that it hit just a little too close to home for certain airline industry execs. Prey is tied (with Timeline) for my "favorite" Creighton book. And - while my hubby disagrees - I didn't think The Andromeda Strain was all that.

Funny thing about matchmaking: there's really no accounting for taste. ;D



No comments: