Friday, October 5, 2007

Book of Love? No.

Did I ever mention how much I adore bookstores? We have a Books-A-Million right near my house that I just love to visit. Not only do they have books, but they have all kinds of games and Elvis bookmarks. No Bon Jovi, though. I keep suggesting it, but the manager doesn’t seem to listen. I could spend an entire day in there looking through the stacks of books that the authors worked so hard to put together.

I don’t read all types of books, though. I’m not at all into books of love, like romance and I don’t care for self-help books either. I always head straight to the true crime section, the biographies or if I’m in the mood...a good fiction mystery.

I buy all of my books. I can’t do libraries since I was a child and checked out a Nancy Drew book and found a piece of a used Kleenex being used as a bookmark. I’m by no means a germophobe, but that is just gross. It made me wonder what else people use as bookmarks with books they have no intention of keeping. No thanks. I’ll just buy a fresh copy.

When I was younger I used to read books all the time. Several a week, but now I go through spurts where I won’t read a book for several months and then I will devour four or five of them and go back to not reading again. Too many interests and too little time is the reason for that. Sometimes I like to write, sometimes I like to read, sometimes it’s the piano or learning the new “Soulja Boy” dance from the kids.

There’s also the 40 or so TV shows to keep up with on the DVR, oh and soccer, volleyball and cheerleading. Yikes, right?

Well, after reading the OJ hypothetical confession book, I got back into reading mode. I just finished “Green River, Running Red” by Ann Rule. It’s definitely not a book about love, though. It’s about the notorious 20 year search for the Green River Killer, Gary Ridgway and his victims. It’s quite interesting as to how people’s problems growing up can lead to something like this. Not only the killer’s in this instance, but the victims as well.

Ann Rule is, by far, my favorite true crime writer. My favorite book of hers is actually her first, “A Stranger Beside Me” about Ted Bundy. She worked with him volunteering on a suicide hotline and describes the cases and her revelations that the person she considered a friend, Ted Bundy, was also “Ted”, the serial killer.

I’ve been reading about serial killers and crimes since I was a child and watched them take bodies out of John Gacy's house and to this day, it still floors me that these emotionless, sociopathic serial killers are able to carry out these horrific crimes and yet blend themselves into society like they do.

Ann Rule’s book about the Green River Killer really piqued (thanks, Mom H!) my curiosity about this case. Another book was written by one of the detectives on the task force, Dave Reichert, who is now a Representative from Washington, called “Chasing The Devil”. It’s next on my “to read” list.

And then after that, I’m going to stick with the “psycho” theme and read that Rita Cosby book about Anna Nicole, Howard K. Stern and Larry Birkhead. Yes, I really am!

So much scandal, so little time.

21 comments:

Karina said...

I could have written that first part of your post...about browsing the bookstore for hours and also about having reading spurts and all the other interests that can keep me from reading, all except for the Soulja Boy dance. ;-)

But as far as reading tastes, I think ours differ a bit. I don't like to read biographies, autobiographies, true crime or anything based in reality. It's always fiction for me. Reading is an escape for me from the awful things reality has to offer, so I stay away from that stuff. I'm intrigued by it, but I just can't read it.

Kendra said...

there's one more thing we have in common... the way we read books. i'm the same as you... i go through spurts. i'll read 4 or 5 and then won't read for a few months, and then i'll read 4 or 5 more!

The Rock Chick said...

karina: I'm not that crazy about the Soulja Boy dance, either, but I like to keep up with the kiddies :) I read for escapism, too, but I think these books have the opposite effect on me. Everytime I'm done with one I realize how lucky I am. There's some real troubled people out there!!

kendra: I wonder why that is....I think it's just having a lot of interests..sometimes I prefer to write and sometimes I prefer to read....

cindy kay said...

I can waste SO much time in a bookstore!!

BTW, you said the book "peaked" your curiosity. The word is "piqued." *wink*

Sorry, couldn't resist-- I promise I won't do it again... (thanks for stopping by my TT list...)

The Rock Chick said...

mom: no, no, no, please do! Believe me, I like to write correctly. Really? Piqued? I guess you learn something new every day!!! Fixing it now! ;)

Anonymous said...

You might not like the library (which is understandable after finding a kleenex), but I myself very much enjoy it. I'm not sure how much it would have cost to buy all of the books that I've checked out from the library. I'd guess somewhere in the thousands of dollars (I got into reading as a child).

Not sure if it would interest you, but I try to keep track of books that I've read at my Currently Reading page. It also has sub-pages of books that I've already finished (only dating back a little bit since I only started it earlier this year). Oh and I'm always open to hearing more book suggestions, so maybe you could share some more!

The Rock Chick said...

Hi derek,

That's a cool idea--a currently reading page! I'll have to check yours out (but not from the library! (LOL)

I don't know if you're into Mystery/Fiction, but my fave author for that is Jonathan Kellerman. He has a series featuring a character named Alex Delaware and every book he writes is better than the next!

Jessica

Rebecca said...

Hehe - I tend to be the same way with books. I love reading, but there's so many activities out there that I love, I just can't spend that much time all the time reading. :-( If I could freeze time for a month I would sit in my apartment and just read my entire stack! :-)

Qtpies7 said...

LOL I am so not into the true crime stuff and very into the romance stuff. Especially Amish romance, lol, sounds wierd, I know!
I have Amy Grant's Mosaic, which is not a novel, and two other books to review by Christian authors. One is more murder/mystery and was pretty good.

katherine. said...

I read all the time too...mostly espionage type stuff...some just regular mystery...and I like Jonathan Kellerman...have you read his wife's books...Faye Kellerman? (if not...start at the beginning...)

How was the OJ book?

Anonymous said...

I enjoy true crime too. I have that Ann Rule book about Bundy though I haven't read it yet. We have a Books-A-Million about 2 blocks away from our house. I have spent untold hours there!

JAM said...

True crime is the one genre I cannot read. I read one true crime book about a murdering Florida state trooper that lived near here ten or fifteen years ago, so I got through that one, but I guess I mainly read for escape, and true crime bums me out instead of taking me into other worlds.

I do like to read self-help books sometimes, so I guess we're even.

Strangely, I never really liked to read science fiction, but have been getting into it more and more as the years pass.

I go through periods where I read some, and other periods where I read A LOT. It's hard though, because it's usually time I should be sleeping where I knock out a few hundred pages. Thankfully, I read really fast, but am not a "speed reader."

I saw a story about the green river killer just a few weeks ago on TV. That was an amazing story.

I guess at my deepest level, I want happy endings. True crime is anything but that, and I think that's what ruins them for me.

JAM said...

Oh yeah, Books-a-squillion used to be one of the great loves of my life, but then our Barnes and Noble opened a few years ago and I dropped B-a-s like Elizabeth Taylor switching husbands.

It was like moving from a trailer park past it's prime into a Beverly Hills mansion. Plus B&N has more and bigger chairs to sit in, something a full-figure guy like myself can appreciate.

Pen said...

You know, I am a firm believer that the books we truly enjoy and read most often can be a telling example of our own writing styles and what content we chose to use.

I enjoyed your post! Hope it's okay that I link your blog? :o)

Have a great weekend.

Crystal said...

I'm the same way with books. I haven't read one in a while (too busy playing with fire! *grin*) but that one sounds interesting.

The used kleenex is GROSS. Ewwwe. I've used NEW UNUSED kleenex as a bookmark I think, but used? What the heck is wrong with people??

The Rock Chick said...

Frigga: that's exactly what we need! A way to stop time for a while so we can spoil ourselves once in a while!

qtpies: Amish romance, huh? I have to say I've never even heard of that. Now I'm curious and will have to read one....

katherine: I haven't read any of Faye's books. They are on my list, too! I think their son writes, too, right? So many Kellermans! LOL I REALLY enjoyed the OJ book. I think it gave a lot of insight to the case.

carrie said...

I LOVE Ann Rule's books! Mom Huebert clued me in to your blog here and I'm so glad she did!!

Anonymous said...

I've been thinking about starting a novel lately. Not sure what, just have to go shop! Did you know Jon Bon Jovi is hosting Saturday Night Live??? Check it out!

Anonymous said...

I keep meaning to take time to read, but flop miserably. There was a time when I had every Dean Koontz book read, now I have at least 3 in my collection bought as gifts that haven't seen the light of day. I'm sure once I am done with school and no longer have to spend time on miserable school book reading I'll enjoy a good mystery.

k said...

i like the independent bookstores or the smaller chains best- the staff is usually nicer and more knowledgeable.
just saw that jon bon jovi is hosting snl next week.

Anonymous said...

I can get lost in a bookstore, but I love being able to get some suggestions from folks. Now, I prefer fictional mysteries to true crime (because I'm a wuss) but those sound interesting!)