Last week I talked about blending different chili recipes to come up with a new flavor. I realized I do something like this with my reading choices. I’ve always got two or three books going. Different authors have characteristic flavors to their writing. Call it voice or style, or just their chosen subject matter. But it’s a unique essence that sets them apart. Tom Clancy for the cold-war politics, Michael Crichton for the science-out-to-get-you, Piers Anthony for the whimsical creativity, John Le Carré for the inevitable betrayal, Khaled Hosseini for the poignancy, William Gibson or Hugh Howie for their dark visions of tomorrow, Ursula K. Le Guin for the sheer poetry of her narrative.
Do you find yourself reading several books at a time? What’s your favorite blend of authors?
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