Over the holidays, I read a weak fantasy book called Prospero’s Children (by Jan Siegel published in 2000). It was one of the many second hand books I picked up before I left. It isn’t very good, well at least I didn’t think so. But the world and mythos it created screamed parallels with Mage the Awakening RPG (also see here, a previous post about it). In the book, there are the “Gifted”, mortals have inherited the gift from ancestors in Atlantis. Atlantis itself is the origin of all these gifted beings. They even use Atlantean language to cast magic.
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Before I went on holidays there were a number of posts about books and what to read. People seem to go after favourite authors or series. I don’t. I don’t like or take friends’ recommendations either. It’s the only reason I haven’t read Harry Potter yet. I don’t know why but when I pick up a book highly recommended by a friend, I find fault with it. I’m always disappointed. I seem to prefer to discover books by myself. I guess it’s about my expectations. Picking up a book where I only have the blurb and the front cover doesn’t set me up for a big fall.
Which is why, when I do a “book run”, I head out to second hand store shops and buy ten or twenty books in one go. If one sucks, I have another ten to go. I might base my choice on what the book claims to be about or I recognise the writer’s name. I guess I could go to a library but I do like to own books I like, even though I rarely (if ever these days) re-read a book.
Also buying second-hand prevents me going off an author. I know it sounds strange but if I buy a new book from an author I have thus far liked but the book is crap, it’ll turn me off that author (not completely but I’d be more inclined to look for something more “interesting” than their latest release, given a choice). However, if I pick up a second-hand copy and the book is crap, it doesn’t put me off the author. I’m much more forgiving. Anyway, I didn’t pay that much for them.
Though I do occasionally buy non-fiction books, these are nearly always based on reviews and recommendations (or based purely on the topic itself like “Access All Areas” about Urban Exploration).
Is there anyone else out there that has similar peculiar book habits?
I wrote up a review for Redbrick.books of “The Conscious Universe” by Dean Radin. I wonder will it provoke any discussion on the boards though?