Guy Books, Gal Books, or Plain Old Books

I have made a concerted effort during the past couple of years to begin reading more novel length works.  I've always been an avid reader of magazines, newspaper articles, and more recently, internet blogs, but I've been trying to rekindle my interest in novels and it's working.

If I read a book that I enjoy, I'm not shy about sharing it with my friends.  I talk about it, reference it, and draw conclusions from it for weeks (or months according to my wife).  I'm nothing if not enthusiastic.  If I like it, you should like it too right?

Not that long ago, a social networking friend of mine commented that I should read a few more "guy" books.  Well, I have been reading guy books and also reading books written by women.  It seems that my friend assumed that I mostly read books written by women because I've mentioned The Joy Luck Club and The Opposite of Fate by Amy Tan a few times on Facebook.  I also referenced Mudbound by Hilary Jordan recently.

I've also pretty recently read Carl Hiassen's Nature Girl and Randy Wayne White's Sanibel Flats, novels with a Florida theme, and Doug Worgul's Thin Blue Smoke about Kansas City Barbeque and much, much more. The first two I read for entertainment and the third because I like bbq. 

I don't consider any of these books to be "guy" books or "gal" books necessarily, but rather just books that happened to be written by a man or woman.  They are books about real life experiences and some of the details are fictionalized to convey a particular feeling about a time in history.  In short, they're just books that I happened to read.  And for a bonus, Carl Hiaasen makes me laugh.

Guys may be shy to admit it, but some of the books written by gals are actually pretty good. And gals, throw in a book written by a guy every once in a while in between the latest Nora Roberts, Sandra Brown, Tess Gerritsen, and whomever else.  The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks might be a good place to start. 

And to any of my friends who may be keeping track - I recently purchased it and will begin reading it soon.  It happens to be written by a man, but the title and main subject are about a woman. Funny yes?