Author Searches to Find How 'Summer Reading' Came About
Los Angeles, California (PRWEB) July 24, 2013 -- Wanderer had come across a very interesting article by Craig Fehrman which was written for the Boston Globe titled: How America learned to Love Summer Reading. The article reveals how an investigatory reporter for the Boston Globe in 1894 asked a librarian what the people of Boston were reading. Immediately, the librarian said that she could tell what season it was by the types of books they read. For example, in the summer, by a huge landslide, light-hearted fiction was the winner as opposed to a more diverse group of genres in January.
Craig Fehrman digs deeply into this subject as he cites, Cindy Aron's book, Working at Play: A history of Vacations in the United States. As America's middle class grew in the mid-1800s and railroads expanded their routes; the opportunities for vacations became more popular. With vacations, leisure time reading began to grow. According to Fehrmnn, would often remind customers to take along some good books as well.
Today, as the late and great beloved comedian, Jimmy Durante, would often say, "Everybody's gotta get into the act." Thus, we see organizations like: New York Times Book Review; New Yorker; Cosmopolitan; Huffington Post; Oprah's Book Club; PBS's Washington Week and a host of others with their suggested lists for summer reading.
Unlike the Boston librarian back in 1894, who observed the citizens of Boston were then reading very light-hearted fiction, this year, in an article by John Freeman also for the Boston Globe stated "A good summer read need not be escapist. It just has to be absorbing, pleasurable, and worth putting into that precious, brief window when the book competes only with itself for your attention." In other words, a relaxing time for the reader when he/she doesn't have to stop reading because they are on vacation or they don't have to rush back to work after their lunch hour is over. They just relax and turn the pages - a key to 'summer reading'.
Richard Wanderer believes with the current erosion of the middle class- families treading water to stay solvent - serious fictional books can also be more in order for summer reading in 2013 than they were in 1894. As a matter of fact, on July 22nd, the Los Angeles Times reported, because of economic conditions more Americans are giving up their summer vacations for work. Author Wanderer's novel The Holiday Party (A Tale of a Corporate Takeover) http://www.theholidayparty-ataleofacorporatetakeover.com begins on a cold wintry day in New York City. Therefore, for those absorbed readers who are vacationing on a hot humid summer's day this could be a remedy to instantly cool down.
Boston Glove article, How America Learned to Love Summer Reading, by Craig Fehrman- http://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2012/08/11/how-america-learned-love-summer-reading/CEOArfbYLK8X16l6w6rt4O/story.html
Boston Globe article, Summer Reads: Fiction Boston Globe by John Freeman - http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/books/2013/06/22/novels-that-make-good-summer-reads/ZSVSVpQsUNwKENPS3I1gbO/story.html
LA Times article, Working During Summer Vacation? So are 61% of Americans - http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-travel-briefcase-20130722,0,458796.story
About Richard Wanderer's Novel:
Richard Wanderer's suspense novel, The Holiday Party (A Tale of a Corporate Takeover) http://www.theholidayparty-ataleofacorporatetakeover.com deals with the takeover of a family owned national magazine, which was run in an employee friendly manner, by a huge media conglomerate that installs a Draconian thrift regime. It has received many strong reviews calls it: "A sharply observed saga of workplace tyranny", San Francisco Book Review, "Page-turner"; MidwestBook Review, "Highly Recommended"; IndieReader, "Suspenseful"; Bookviews by Alan Caruba, "Leaps off its pages"; Cynthia Brian of World Talk Radio, "This book is so well written and is frightening in its accuracy and its realism and ferocity." Published by Two Harbors Press, the novel is in softcover and also available on Kindle and Nook.
Contact: Patricia O'Brien, St. Bernard Public Relations (818) 986-7777
Patricia O'Brien, Richard Wanderer, http://www.theholidayparty-ataleofacorporatetakeover.com, (818) 986-7777, [email protected]
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