Thinking about Books

I always think about books. What I plan to read next, mostly. I started a book group among my friends so we can talk about books. Sometimes I actually think about books I'd like to write.

I tend to read a lot of biographies, although in the past year, most everything I've read is fiction. My dream book to write is a biography. I know who I want to write about and what the focus of the book is. I've done some research. It will take a lot more research. In depth with serious travel involved. I always put it off because of working a full time job. Now I realize that I would have been better off taking two weeks of paid vacation to do the research. It's hard now to do it and still have an income. Unless I apply for a grant or something. Or write it in a different way than planned. I've become someone who jumps on doing, but this is still my great hurdle.

I dabble with fiction, but I suck at it. It's fun writing, relaxing writing, but it isn't good writing. I have a novel that is nearly finished, a clever premise, I think. It would have promise, if I had any fiction talent.

Last night as I was falling asleep, I got thinking about my cousin's wedding and that led from one thing to another, and ended up as the plot to a book. Will I do anything with it? Maybe. Who knows. I suck at fiction. No one would speak to me again if I did it as a memoir. Probably good I suck at fiction because no one would speak to me if they read that book, either.

But mostly I was thinking about The Three Musketeers and how much I loved that book when I read it. Sometimes a book surprises me. I'm not adventurous with my reading -- or anything in my life for that matter. I like what I like and I really don't want to stray. I don't read books about murder or made up worlds. I don't like mystery or fantasy or horror. But I like books that are well written, and I'll put up with a lot in a book that is well written. Like The Three Musketeers.

If I want to read bad fiction, I'll pull out my own stuff.