A Book Swap

In the dating world, not everyone gets what it is like to really, really, really love reading. So obviously, one of the first things I absolutely loved about Nathan was that he, like me, was (and still is) an avid reader. However, what we read is completely different. He reads, not exclusively but mostly, science fiction and fantasy. I read, well, basically everything BUT science fiction and fantasy.

Even though we don't read the same books, we can still talk about the books we're reading with each other in a general sense. But wouldn't it be more fun if each of us had more of a context of what the other was talking about? That's what we thought, too, and that's how we came up with a book swap: I would read a book chosen by Nathan and he would read one chosen by me. Here are the books we chose for each other and why we chose them. This week, we'll also both be sharing our thoughts on the book we read.

Whitney

Book Choice For Nathan: Gone With The Wind, by Margaret Mitchell

Why did I pick Gone With The Wind?
 I love Gone With The Wind. I can still remember reading it for the first time, and being in awe that I, like all of the characters in the book, was starting to hate the North. (Of course, not ACTUALLY, but that is the power of Margaret Mitchell's writing.) I also know that Nathan likes action and well-developed characters, and Gone With The Wind has both. It's also one of those "classics" that I think everyone should read, as it really sets the tone for the historical fiction genre.

Nathan

Book Choice For Whitney: Dune, by Frank Herbert

Why did I pick Dune?
First off, Dune is my favorite book of all-time, so I think it should be on almost anyone’s to-read list, if they haven’t read it already. Secondly, Frank Herbert is my favorite writer, and although not all of his works are masterpieces, in terms of plot, his ability to provide me with a sense of a character’s feelings and imagine how a scene looks is unparalleled with other Sci-Fi and Fantasy writers, in my opinion. Typically, Herbert is able to do so in only a few paragraphs, so the plot (which is a central to most Sci-Fi and Fantasy works) isn’t derailed by endless descriptions of landscapes and characters. In Dune, Herbert is able to combine the plot of a political thriller with a brilliant science fiction storyline that works in action, drama, and subtle mystery.