for the ladies: what books/poems/works MUST your man appreciate?

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Shitfire I don't know what made me ask this one. Perhaps it was becasuse my last date seemd to fizzle once it became general knowledge I didn't read Gloria Steinham religiously. Nor was I bisexual, didn't have a prince albert or considered myself metrosexual. Dear middle of the road ladies/women, what would you have your lads read?

― mere fire, Friday, 5 March 2004 06:51 (twenty-one years ago)

My lad and I have found some areas of agreement, but I was delighted to have found one who read at all in the early days of our romance. By the time I discovered his deep disdain for all genre fiction and his anti-encyclopediac knowledge of classic children's literature, I was in too deep to come back. We agree on politics and poetry. What would I have my lad read? I would have him read David Sedaris, and he does. I would have him read Oscar Wilde, and he is. I would like him to dip into Wodehouse- he has not. I do not care at all if he has read the "bestsellers" but I would like him to know they exist. G.K Chesterton- I was delighted to find he had read Chesterton. Most important? That he reads daily for pleasure and knowledge. All else is taste, which one may live with or no. Gloria Steinem is not a particularly inspired feminist writer, rather prole really. You may have had a lucky escape.

― Rabin the Cat (Rabin the Cat), Friday, 5 March 2004 07:08 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm not picky. I want a guy who’s literate. If he does know how to read and doesn’t limit himself to Sport Illustrated and Maxim, I think it’d be awesome if he read graphics novels.

― Vermont Girl (Vermont Girl), Friday, 5 March 2004 13:24 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't expect my lad to read Gloria Steinem on a regular basis (I don't), but if he dismisses feminist writing or makes some sort of ignorant comment that feminists are man-hating bitches or some such nonsense then he's out. There isn't a particular list of books I'd like him to have read, but he should read regularly and have favorites of his own beyond the best-seller list. He should know that poetry doesn't have to rhyme and his favorite 20th century poet shouldn't be Maya Angelou. He probably shouldn't be so engrossed in one genre that it takes over his life (though if being a comic book geek or science fiction nerd enabled him to get through adolescence alive and he's maintained a special affection for it then that's cool). He should be a thoughtful reader. If he likes Zadie Smith or Jhumpa Lahiri or Wodehouse or Sedaris or Vowell or Wilde or Cummings or Woolf or Chabon or McEwan then that's a plus, but more he should be open to recommendations and have recommendations for me as well.

― mck (mck), Friday, 5 March 2004 15:26 (twenty-one years ago)

If he does not already have a New Yorker subscription, he must become so hooked that he procures one within the first three months of dating.

Oh, and a newspaper reader (preferably a decent paper, not the just whatever the crappy local may be) is U&K.

― quincie, Friday, 5 March 2004 16:07 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm with the ladies above. For the most part, if he just reads at all, that's good enough for me. Of course, if he reads only Grisham and King, then I don't really consider him a reader.

I don't even mind if he's primarily a genre reader. My boy loves scifi and fantasy, but he's more than willing to dip into literary fiction if something strikes his fancy.

I just want a smart guy, and one who spells and punctuates correctly, even in e-mails and other places online. Someone as anal retentive as I about language is what I need, regardless of what he reads.

― Caenis (Caenis), Friday, 5 March 2004 17:24 (twenty-one years ago)

What Crap

I Love Books finally has random googler to call its own.

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 5 March 2004 17:59 (twenty-one years ago)

shit, i mean't to post that on ILE. oh well, it's funny anyway.

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 5 March 2004 18:00 (twenty-one years ago)

"He should know that poetry doesn't have to rhyme and his favorite 20th century poet shouldn't be Maya Angelou."

Oh so true. Mine got extra points for not liking her and not pretending to. (I'm not a fan.)

― Rabin the Cat (Rabin the Cat), Friday, 5 March 2004 22:49 (twenty-one years ago)

OOF! Time ta move on.

― Ann Sterzinger (Ann Sterzinger), Saturday, 6 March 2004 00:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Mine only reads Louis L'Amour (over and over) but I love him anyway.

― pepektheassassin (pepektheassassin), Sunday, 7 March 2004 04:49 (twenty-one years ago)

I can't get my poor little ADD-addled boyfriend to read at all. I've come to terms with it, and I'm happy enough that he reads my Atlantic Monthly and Texas Monthly magazines, as well as whatever comics I bring home. Although he has improved lately. He came home wanting to talk about Killing the Buddha, a book I am in love with, after he read parts of it on the train. Perhaps there is hope for him yet, but only for short, graphics-heavy, easy to follow type books. Anything that requires too much concentration and he's off.

― Jessa (Jessa), Sunday, 7 March 2004 15:52 (twenty-one years ago)

One of the things that attracted me to mine was that he loved to read as much as I do. That is a must for me. And it doesn't really matter what as long as its not a lot of mass market. He got me to read Tim O'Brien's 'In the Lake of the Woods', I got him to read Haruki Murakami's 'Wind-up Bird Chronicles'. We sort of spurred each other on in terms of reading. Its the willingness to read new things and talk about them that I like.

― Megan (bookdwarf), Tuesday, 9 March 2004 18:15 (twenty-one years ago)

My guy had a couple really bad literature teachers in high school that put him off fiction for life. It's sad, since fiction is 90% of what I read. Occasionally, I'll give him a short story that I think he'll enjoy and he often does, but I've not been too successful at getting him to pick up a novel or seek out stories on his own.

He has mentioned recently that he'd like to try The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime and Cory Doctorow's new book (yes, he reads Wired and Boingboing), so that may be our next stop. It's something.

He's a good guy--just not a fiction guy.

― SJ Lefty, Wednesday, 10 March 2004 00:39 (twenty-one years ago)

I can't keep up with mine in terms of reading ("mine" being the infamous Mikey G of the 100 books a year fame). The bonus is that he comes with a huge library of books so I haven't needed to buy any for the past couple of years. The disadvantage is that we're having to move as we've completely run out of space for the bookcases we require!

― Cathryn (Cathryn), Wednesday, 10 March 2004 10:08 (twenty-one years ago)

For me, after several experiences (don't be impertinent, I'm not saying how many) I've grown to appreciate a gentleman that enjoys a variety of works, formats and genres.

Nothing so wretched as the man that will not go beyond his comfort zone, even if to say, "You know, mmm, not me at all, darling..."

And nothing so fine as to have him become impassioned with a new discovery!

― yesabibliophile (yesabibliophile), Wednesday, 10 March 2004 20:46 (twenty-one years ago)

So long as they read and understand that in my home books are treasured and the TV isn't, then we're in good shape. I've trouble forming bonds with people who don't read, as books make-up so much of my life and interests and I want to talk about and share them.

It's my desire to find at least one book for everyone who doesn't love to read, that will get them sucked into the joy of words. (For my almost father-in-law it turns out to be Pat McManus' outdoor humor stuff. For my stepfather, it's travelogues. I'm still working on my brother-in-law, though he does like Sedaris, so that's a start.)

― I'm Passing Open Windows (Ms Laura), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 09:35 (twenty-one years ago)

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