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In the long ago time of February when I came down sick with a really bad cold that caused me to miss several days of work, Bookman brought me home some “chicken soup.” No, not fake vegan “chicken” soup. It was a book. And not one of those “Chicken Soup for the Soul” books. If Bookman had been silly enough to do that I think I probably would have barfed on him. A chicken soup book doesn’t have to be a specific book, just a book to help a person feel better. The book Bookman brought me was What Makes this Book So Great by Jo Walton. I didn’t finish it when I was sick and have only picked away at it from time to time since then. But when I caught a mild cold two weeks ago I picked it up again and managed to finish it just as I got better. Was finishing the book and my return to health a coincidence? Don’t be too quick to discredit chicken soup!
What Makes this Book so Great is a collection of essays that originally appeared at Tor and I think you can still read them there. The essays in the book are generally short, about three pages or so, perfect for cold weary brains. Walton takes a light and breezy tone, she only talks about books she likes, and it is like listening to a friend who is really excited about this book she just read and wants to tell you all about it and why you might want to read it too. Fun stuff!
There are also a few essays not about books but about book related things like wondering whether people skimmed while reading, mulling over why some people have a hard time with fantasy and science fiction, or outlining the difference between literary criticism and simply talking about books.
But most of the book is about books, specifically fantasy and science fiction books. As someone who has been reading SFF since she was a pre-teen, I’ve read my share, but there is so much I haven’t read and so much I haven’t even heard about before. Even my husband who is also a reader of SFF was stumped on occasion when I’d ask him, have you ever read … ? Which means this is a really good book for discovering “new” books. I have a tidy little list because of it.
You don’t have to be a fan of fantasy or science fiction to read this book but it helps. However, if you’re new to the genre and looking for some ideas about books to read, this would definitely be a good book to browse through.
Now that my chicken soup book is finished, I hope that means I will manage to avoid getting sick again for a long time.
This sounds great. I used to love SFF when I was a teen, and am slowly redeveloping my interest in them again. This sounds like a great book to read especially when you are sick and can’t focus on an actual SFF.
Hope you are feeling better now?
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I am glad you did not need to barf at Bookman! This sounds a great book to get as a present and books about books are really great to browse in. I will try to look this up because I quite like SF/fantasy but am not very well informed about it.
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Ian, I am glad about that too as I am sure Bookman is as well! I do love books of this sort, not that I am in need of more books to read, but I find them to be comforting but also mildly stimulating. Walton will certainly give you lots of book suggestions if you are looking for some; a nice mix of old “classics” and more recent fair as well.
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Nish, ah, well you will probably find some good reading ideas in this book if you are looking for some. Oh, yes, all better now, thanks 🙂
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Nice job on the Read-a-Thon, Stefanie. And this one sounds good, albeit I confess I’m not a fan of SFF, books or movies. But, never seen the genre as chicken soup. 😉
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Thanks Arti! That’s ok that you aren’t a fan of SFF, the world needs geeks and non-geeks alike 🙂
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Sometimes I fantasize about writing a book like this. I like short essays, I like reading about books and writing about books and talking about books. Sounds like something I would like.
And there is no medicine quite like real chicken soup!
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Jane, yes! Wouldn’t that be fun? But that’s also why I like blogging so much, we kind of do the same thing, don’t we?
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Exactly!
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This sounds similar to why I love the English quarterly magazine ‘Slightly Foxed’ so much – have you heard of it? It’s a small, delightful quarterly journal of people writing short essays about books that they love. Old and new, classics and obscure. I discovered it last year and subscribed, it’s become one of my favorite things to read. Sometimes I buy the books they are writing about, and sometimes I just enjoy reading about a book and why someone loves it. It’s one of the coziest things to read – it would make great chicken soup reading as well.
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Emily, I have heard of Slightly Foxed but I haven’t known anyone who has read it and it’s kind of pricey so I have never subscribed. It sounds pretty good! I might have to consider giving it a try 🙂
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Oh wonderful Jo Walton! Does she talk about Mary Renault at all? She does, right? I love Jo Walton because she reps really hard for Mary Renault, in a time when not that many people remember how great Mary Renault’s historical fiction is.
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Jenny, I’m pretty sure she mentions he and might even have an essay but I can’t remember for sure and I forgot to look when I had the chance. Renault has been on my TBR for ages but I haven’t managed to get to her yet. Must make more of an effort!
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The essays collected in What Makes This Book So Great are still up at Tor, so if you have a comment, you can still go there and say something. Occasionally Walton even responds!
Jenny, have you seen this post on Renault?
http://www.tor.com/blogs/2014/09/love-as-contest-in-the-work-of-mary-renault
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Jeanne, thanks for the information! How fun that she even sometimes responds!
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What good timing on my blog-feed! I just finished reading Walton’s book Among Others earlier this week. I knew it would be a good fantasy, but had no idea that it was also basically a long love-letter to SF/F books, and how they can save us when we’re young and lonely. (I tried to make a list of all the books she mentions and used *many* sheets of paper.) Now you’ve got me wanting to read everything Jo Walton’s ever written on the subject of good books.
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Sarah, I’ve not read Among Others yet but I am greatly looking forward to it and hope to manage it sooner rather than later. Walton is lots of fun writing about books, her enthusiasm is contagious and she is incredibly knowledgeable. You will end up with a long list of books to read!
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I’ve only read a small portion of this, and suspect it will take me forever to finish, but I’m really loving the book thus far. I so enjoy Walton’s take on books, even when I don’t agree. She is a fan, and a knowledgeable one, and that makes it a pleasure to read about her experiences with reading.
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Carl, take your time, that’s part of the pleasure of this book. There is no reason to rush. I too enjoyed her take on books even if I disagreed or the book didn’t sound like one I would enjoy reading. But that’s what we do on blogs too, right? A good part of the fun is just talking about books we love.
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I am glad you are better! The novel I read by Jo Walton contained an awful lot of glowing recommendations of SF and fantasy books woven into the story, but the way she talked about them indicated some prior knowledge of the books was necessary to really get the most out of those passages. Which at the time I found frustrating (I love reading about books! I’m always ready to be converted to a new author!) Maybe this is the book where she actually says all the things I needed to know!
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Litlove, thanks! Yes, it probably helps to have at least some SFF knowledge for the Walton book you read. Dip into this book sometime and see what you think. You may find a book to try 🙂
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I really need to read one of her books–I am either always collecting them or borrowing them from the library! I had this one checked out and very much enjoyed perusing it–looks like a very good ‘chicken soup’ book! And your comment about those other chicken soup books made me laugh! 🙂
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Danielle, I’ve not read any of her fiction and I very much want to but you know how these things go! This is definitely one that is good for browsing. As much as I hat the chicken soup books I have to admit when they were still new and had not quite become a thing yet, I actually bought one to give as a gift to someone. Ugh.
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