Coincidences in Reading
I've neglected this blog for far too long... No excuses, I'm just going to post.
So, this idea has popped up a few times and when it happened three times in two weeks, I just knew it was time to post about it.
A couple weeks ago I made my trip to the library and grabbed the books from my ever growing "to read" list. I never really go to the library with the purpose of getting a particular book because by the time I'm surrounded by all those books, my mind kind of hums and my list gets blurry and I forget the books I was really wanting to get. It's just too overwhelming! (plus my two younger kids are usually harassing the high school kids who are studying-- or making out-- in the YA section)
BUT, as I was saying, I was at the library and I grabbed my books and as I started to read through them over the next two weeks I came across similarities. I read COUNTING SEVENS and THE THING ABOUT LUCK. Both stories make references to luck and superstitions-- which in and of itself is not such a coincidence. Then I read THE BOYFRIEND LIST and AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES which list exes. Then, saddest of all, I read POISON and SOLACE OF THE ROAD by authors who had both died all too early of cancer.
I find these instances rewarding, like I've cleverly-- albeit subconsciously-- discovered some secret literary element that ties all readers and writers together.
The other thing I love about these reading coincidences is that I don't have to get annoyed or paranoid when I read the jacket flap or back cover of a book and think someone has already written a book with the same idea I've been plotting and slaving over for months (or in my case, years...). There are several books with similar characters and plots, but each author has their own twist, making the same idea fresh and new.
So, this idea has popped up a few times and when it happened three times in two weeks, I just knew it was time to post about it.
A couple weeks ago I made my trip to the library and grabbed the books from my ever growing "to read" list. I never really go to the library with the purpose of getting a particular book because by the time I'm surrounded by all those books, my mind kind of hums and my list gets blurry and I forget the books I was really wanting to get. It's just too overwhelming! (plus my two younger kids are usually harassing the high school kids who are studying-- or making out-- in the YA section)
BUT, as I was saying, I was at the library and I grabbed my books and as I started to read through them over the next two weeks I came across similarities. I read COUNTING SEVENS and THE THING ABOUT LUCK. Both stories make references to luck and superstitions-- which in and of itself is not such a coincidence. Then I read THE BOYFRIEND LIST and AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES which list exes. Then, saddest of all, I read POISON and SOLACE OF THE ROAD by authors who had both died all too early of cancer.
I find these instances rewarding, like I've cleverly-- albeit subconsciously-- discovered some secret literary element that ties all readers and writers together.
The other thing I love about these reading coincidences is that I don't have to get annoyed or paranoid when I read the jacket flap or back cover of a book and think someone has already written a book with the same idea I've been plotting and slaving over for months (or in my case, years...). There are several books with similar characters and plots, but each author has their own twist, making the same idea fresh and new.
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