I had a hard time at first with this week's TTT topic, a wishlist of book topics, since I just know that there really is a book centered around pretty much anything. There has to be! There's only sixty kajillion books in the world. So I suppose this is more of a list of topics I need to try harder to look for.
1. Novels Centered Around Public Schools: Obviously this is a bias for me, but I think teaching staffs are such microcosms- there are people from such diverse backgrounds. This is definitely an area I'd liked to explore more of in my own personal writing.
2. Stories Set in Restaurants: Again, such possibilities in terms of diverse employees! I worked in a few during college and always felt like I was living some weird sociological experiment. Also, getting a business off the ground is tough work, and most fail- I worked at a place called Sharky's Crab Shack one summer that tried desperately but failed a few months after I went back to work.
3. Novels Featuring Unique Careers: Blimp pilots, anyone?
4. A Literary Choose-Your-Own Adventure Story: Who didn't love those growing up? What a challenge it would be for an author to create one of literary merit.
5. A Plot About Someone Who Really is Starting Over: Once in awhile a book will end at that moment where the main character is leaving to start over- they're abandoning their troubles, their homes, their people. Then what? How does one completely rebuild?
6. Books About Hippies: I love the sixties- I'd like to think that I would have been some bra-burning, acid-tripping, free-loving, flowers-in-my-hair kind of girl. Since I'm not doing any of those things, I'd love to read about people who are.
7. A Non-Fiction Text that Survey Religion: Sometimes I confuse Buddhism and Hinduism. I'd love for someone to give me a solid, up-to-date, easy to understand, interesting, text on world religions (pictures would be nice).
8. Road Trippin'- I'd love more literary road trip stories in places that are unexpected- through Peru or Russia or somewhere other than the United States.
9. Behind-the-Scenes Settings- I love reading about what happens behind the scenes. Maybe of a sports team? The trading floor of Wall Street? The White House? The Sydney Opera House?
10. Experiments with the Physicality of Books- Visual Editions has done an awesome job with this- making the book more than just words, but an experience. I'd love to see more.
Have anything (good) to recommend that fits any of these categories? What would you like to see more of?
Kate recently read one along the lines of #4.
ReplyDeleteAll of the good sounding road trip books are YA. Someone needs to write a solid, literary road trip book (with really good music involved).
I really struggled with this list this week! I think you've got some great ideas. :-)
ReplyDeleteI know you're a huge fan of TC Boyle so you've probably already read it, but if not, may I suggest "Drop City" to fulfill #6?
ReplyDeleteHave you read Top of the Rock: Inside the Rise and Fall of Must See TV? Definitely a good behind the scenes book.
ReplyDeleteYour idea of novels centered around public schools is a good one. I think that novels involving public school usually have an undertone of bullying, which is a misconception because most schools don't have this problem. It would be very interesting to read about the teachers at a school instead of just the students!
ReplyDeleteCheck out my TTT list: http://booksavvyblog.blogspot.com/
That is one great wishlist!
ReplyDeleteCheck our TTT of this week.
Leydy @ OUaT & Redcarpetendings
I always thought that a book or reality show centered around public schools would be good. I think that there are so many characters and so many story lines that can be followed. It can be a comedy or drama. I would like it to be more dramatic because people need to see what these students go through and of course what the teachers deal with as well.
ReplyDeleteThere is a series similar to the Choose your Own Adventure books....It is called What If by Liz Ruckdeschel. Great list!
ReplyDeleteEm @ http://theyabookbutterfly.blogspot.com/
Bloglovin follower.
#4 would be really cool. But this is kind of a strange topic. . . because we have so many books on so many topics already!
ReplyDeleteFunny enough, I almost put books set in restaurants on my list, but then I realized that I've read TONS of those. There are bunches and I keep reading them because I enjoy them so much. Maybe because I worked in a restaurant for several years, too!
ReplyDeleteSusan
www.blogginboutbooks.com
Re: #4 -- as far as I know, the world's first literary choose your own adventure novel was just published by Livingston Press:
ReplyDeletehttp://againstthelogicians.wordpress.com/2014/08/19/if-the-novel-arrives/
Not an actual CYOA novel, because that's apparently a trademarked phrase... But you get the idea (And if you'd like a review copy, just drop us a line through the Wordpress site.)