I found myself asking a variation of this question twice in the first two days.
The first time was at lunch yesterday, down the pub with my old boss. It was not so much a "Do you read?" question, but a comment on what he was reading at the time. Markus Zuzak's The Book Thief was sitting on the table.
"What do you mean you haven't read The Book Thief?" I asked with a great deal of incredulity. Knowing that my old boss loves books about the World Wars, and he is a big reader, I was a little shocked that he's not read this seminal work. Okay, I've read it four times over and begrudgingly, watched the film, which for an adaptation, is rather good.
"I'm loving this book. It's been sitting the pile for years."
"Well, I'm glad you've got onto it. You've missed out until now."
"I can see that."
I like knowing if people are readers. Reading anything is a start, but if you like the books I like to read, there is half a chance we'll get on.
We talked of other booky things. I talked of my upcoming trip. He shook my hand when I told him I was going to make a stopover at Villers Bretonneux while I was in France. My old boss is high up in the Army Reserves. I just want to pay my respects and remember my uncle, who got the second bar on his Military Medal at this battleground. My uncle came back to Australia unharmed. I still want to stop in.
I also told him about the days after this pilgrimage. Bayeux, to visit another battle ground, a nip in to see the Bayeux Tapestry and then on to St Malo, where I am very excited to be going.
I showed him the B&B Reindert and I have booked out for the two nights we're there. I've wanted to go to St Malo since I read Anthony Doerr's All The Light We Cannot See.
I texted him the name of this book. If he likes The Book Thief, odds on he's going to like that too.
(All The Light We Cannot See has been made into a miniseries and comes onto Netflix in November.)
This morning, once again talking about my upcoming holiday with another bloke at work, St Malo came up in the conversation. Strangely, his mother was on a plane heading over there, her group's final destination: St Malo.
My next question to my colleague. "Do you read?"
"Yes."
"Awesome. Have you read The Book Thief?"
"Yes." Even better.
"Well, if you liked The Book Thief, you'll probably like All The Light We Cannot See.
"Thanks for the recommendation."
I'm always heartened when I learn that people are readers. I know not everybody reads books, but it is wonderful when you find out that somebody reads - and you have something else to talk about.
It's even nicer when somebody asks you, "And what are you reading?"
My current answer. I've just finished A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens on audiobook. I've only just got around to reading it. (I've read David Copperfield, Little Dorrit and Bleak House - I'm doing okay with Dickens.) I'm now listening to Anna Funder's superlative book about George Orwell's wife, Wifedom. It is stunning.
On paper, I'm about halfway through my friend Kristine Kennedy's book, The Riot in a Woman. I'm really enjoying it, and I can hear her voice in every page. I'm about to start Bodies of Light by Jennifer Down as that is this month's book group book. I've read it before, but I need to refresh myself on it.
And I'm wondering what will go on the kindle to take away with me overseas in a few weeks. \
Did I mention that I'm heading over to Europe soon?
Wifedom yes 👏
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