Unabashedly Bookish

[#1]

Lee Child is a legend in the world of fiction.  His main character, Jack Reacher, is an icon in his own right, so the idea of meeting the man who created him was really exciting. Lee Child is tall, handsome, incredibly charming and forthright about the success of his books.  I liked getting his take on the idea of ‘Manfiction', a phrase coined by Stephen King about Lee's books.  ‘Manfiction' is kind of the alter ego of ‘Chick Lit.'

One of the things I like best about my job is that I have to read to be prepared. Because I have kids, taking time out of my day to disappear into a good book was always a guilty pleasure.  Usually I read the book before I meet the author, though in this case I could not get a copy of Gone Tomorrow before our interview. I had a stack of books waiting to be read, but after meeting Lee and hearing about Manfiction and Jack Reacher, I had to see for myself what all the fuss was about.  I started the book on a New York subway and guess what... the book starts there too with someone who looks like a suicide bomber.  It grabs you right from the start, and ladies I can honestly say I like Manfiction as much as Chick Lit!

For more Manfiction, check out our Channel for Guys in the B&N Studio.

[#2]

LOVE Lee Child.  When we've talked about his books at the Mystery Book Club, he's one of the few authors that pretty much everyone loved!

[#3]

I never miss a new Jack Reacher book and have the latest one on 'hold' at my library....

And I have to admit that I am much more enthralled by Jack's adventures than I am reading about shoe-shopping or singles angst, even though I am a 'chick' - of many decades.  

I think for me chick lit is so obvious;  I've lived through all of its many sides myself, and most of the problems are those I learned to live with and deal with ages ago.  Boyfriends?  since the  50s.  Marriage?  how 'bout three times?  shopping?  oh, please!  Divorce, widowhood, been there, done that, too. 

But I never ever have had the pleasure of outsmarting and outmuscling a truly bad guy, so, wow, Jack keeps thrilling me time after time.   Maybe if I got a chance to clobber my own personal villian, I'd be ho-humming Jack, too, but till then...I'm his, every time.