Lost in a Book

Once upon a time, when I had a two hour metro commute every day, I tended to want to avoid interacting with my fellow commuters, so I took to reading and I got a great chance to delve into those classic books I had always wanted to try, but never had the time. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and actually miss my commute just a little (not the smell, though... I don't miss that at all.)

Unfortunately, a recent edition of the Today Show and the "just in" rack at Borders have caused me to notice that the splashy descriptions on the front of literary entertainment marketed mainly to females is made up mostly of words such as "sizzeling, sexy, biting, and scandalous." In short, the must-read of the summer is most likely going to burn you, give you an STD, or get you arrested. What happened to the type of great novels I discovered deep beneath the streets of Washington DC? I am tired of the only thing rolling off the presses being ANOTHER story about a downtown working girl or updown socialite caught up in the world of gossip, fashion, and inappropriate behavior at the office. Two words... self destruction.

I propose that if you are really interested in a great summer read, you dive into one of the books listed on my Girly Book List (which is always taking additional suggestions) and get to know some of the real heroines of literature. These are characters you can really get behind and when the story is over you feel uplifted and inspired, instead of wishing you could take a shower.

There are antagonists who would argue that the great books I describe were actually the smut of yesteryear, and that they closely compare to the brainless drivel recently spread across your local book store shelves, but I defy that conjecture. Once any reader has experienced the wit of Elizabeth Bennett or the courage of Jane Eyre she will realize that these timeless classics will always stand out over the insipid novels of the here and now. Women of the metro, stand up and be counted as readers of real literature!