In my latest column at the Washington Independent Review of Books, I reflect on books I love—not only warmly, but also critically, because what does that word love really mean when it comes to books.
Here’s an excerpt from the article:
Two bits of fun over the last week led me to think about the idea of books we love — think about it both warmly and critically.
The first was a Facebook challenge: Post photos of seven books you love, one each day for seven days, no explanation needed, and pass the challenge along to someone else. More on that in a moment.
The second was my wife, Tara, and me showing our son, Dash, our wedding video for the first time — sparked by us celebrating our 10th anniversary this past Thursday. Most weddings feature readings — Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians topping the list, surely, though poems by Shakespeare and Browning are also favorites.
But our ceremony featured three readings from classic and contemporary fiction. (Our minister, the wife of my high school English teacher, joked that Tara and I had thought about getting married in a library.)