 If there are no books around, but they have a TV that's bigger than
the fireplace, it means that someone is a sports fan and that person
is in charge of the family purse strings.Books, however, suggest
a certain intellectual aspect. Whether the family is a bunch of
smart cookies or simply bored depends on the kind of books they
read. If you walk in and there are Bibles everywhere, it means that
you are about to be blessed with Scripture-quoting zealots. A Bible,
a Koran and a Torah canoodling side-by-side on the same shelf means
that the homeowners are either lost and searching for answers or
they just want to keep their options open.
My husband is one person whose dream is to one day have a library
full of books in our house. The problem with that is that he hates
to read unless he's in the bathroom. So, ideally, we either need
bookshelves in his bathroom or a toilet in our library.
However, just because a family has a roomful of books on shelves
doesn't necessarily mean they read them. What you have to look for
when determining clues about a person is not what books are on his
shelves, but what books are not on his shelves.
What book is hidden in the folds of an afghan wadded up on the
sofa? What book is opened face-down on the coffee table or
nightstand? In my husband's case, the bathroom is a chief source of
information as well.
If you came to my house looking for clues to my family through
our literature, the bookshelves would look like a whirling dervish
had danced through the room. It would be difficult to find one book
that is actually standing upright, binding out, like a little
sentinel guarding the secrets of its pages. No, our bookshelves are
visited often by every member of the family; thus, they resemble an
Amtrak collision.
I like to read historical romance novels, biographies,
motivational and how-to books. A nice combination of flight and
fancy. I'm an anytime, anywhere kind of reader. My husband reads an
eclectic mix of technical manuals, invention magazines, a wide
variety of "For Dummies" books and sci-fi novels. Of course, he is
quite selective in his reading times and location.
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All of my children read for a half-hour to an hour before sleeping
and anytime they are required to be silent, like in the car or
waiting for a haircut or vaccination. My newly minted teenager
likes fantasy novels like Harry Potter and "The Edge Chronicles" and
other series-type books. And for those of you who are wondering, he
has read every Harry Potter book available and has not yet been
moved to satanical worship. He has not joined the occult, started
wearing black eyeliner or even asked for a magic broomstick for
Christmas.
My daughter likes mysteries, history and fairies but draws the
line at anything scary. Which is good, because she kicks in her
sleep. For those of you who may wonder why this matters, I challenge
you to try to keep your kid out of your bed after they've read a
scary book.
My youngest likes his books with lots of pictures. Especially
pictures of things with wheels: trucks, race cars, motorcycles, you
name it. He also likes comic books like Captain Underpants and
Calvin and Hobbes. Like my husband, he is also selective in his
reading location. So if, while looking for books in my house, you
happen to come upon a comic book with questionable stains on it, I
suggest you dig through our bookshelves and select a different book.
The clues you have just deciphered through our books have given
you enough information to start a stimulating conversation with one
of us if you were to meet us at a dinner party. That is, however,
very unlikely, as we will probably be at home reading a book.
[By LAURA SNYDER]
Laura Snyder is a nationally syndicated columnist,
author and speaker. You can reach her at
lsnyder@lauraonlife.com
or visit www.lauraonlife.com
for more info. |
