After a long break of nearly a decade, I’ve starting reading fiction regularly once again. I switched up my routine a few weeks ago and now spend an hour or so each evening reading a novel.
For the past 15 years, I focused my reading on nonfiction because I found myself bored and uninterested in most fiction. With a few exceptions, I could barely finish a book.
It helped that I stumbled across a new Elvis Cole book by Robert Crais at the library. This is one of my favorite private eye/mystery series. I devoured the new novel in a few days and found another in the series at the library that I had not yet read.
Then I picked up a Shamus Award winning book about a different private eye series and read all the books in that series.
I get immersed reading about people, places and events. Often, I go down tangents reading more online about new cities, neighborhoods, restaurants and ideas that are introduced in these novels.
I am hooked.
I decided to read the books that had won Shamus or Edgar Awards in the past 10 years. I created a list and am slowly working my way through them. I realized that there are a few things I really enjoy in the series that I read:
- the main character is a man
- he is honorable – displaying integrity, character, honor, loyalty and friendship
- the good guy may not always win, but he is a good man (vs. an anti-hero like Walter White in Breaking Bad or many of the lead characters in current films and TV Series)
- there’s not a focus on politics, courtroom drama, gratuitous violence, sexual depravity, torture or other gruesome content
Some of the award winning books I immediately reject.
- After trying a few with a female lead private eye, I realized I cannot relate to the inner workings of a woman’s mind. I relate more to men.
- Others focus too much on racial identity, sexual identity, displaying vulnerability and other characteristics of the Millennial and GenZ generation. One main character in a promising series turned out to be autistic and socially inept. What a disappointment. I’m not interested in my fictional heroes being whiny, soft or milquetoasty.
I’ll give most books at least a few hours and hundred pages to capture my attention. If I’m not drawn in by then it goes back to the library and I’m onto the next one.
I’ve got a list of more than 30 authors who’ve written over 100 books so this should keep me entertained for a while.
For a few days I thought, “I should write the series I want to read.” I know what I like in a main character. I know what I like in terms of writing styles, details and storylines.
But whenever I put any thought into this, I am filled with a feeling ranging from “what could I possibly write about?” to dread. Clearly, I’m not a fiction writer.
I’m a fiction reader. It feels good to be back.