Five books that read like television channels
As a Television personality for many years, it used to come to many persons as a surprise that my television viewing is pretty post-modern. It has been so for a very long time because I am not one for sitting down in front of the television for longish hours. I like breaks. I also love books so I am a binge-watcher dipping in and out of different channels for the most appropriate programme that will catch my attention. In that respect, I am a little bit like millennials. The first five minutes in true Television parlance must grab me and if that hook is not there, then I am going to wonder off to another channel. Today there are so many options, video on demand, over the top content, online channels, and traditional TV stations as well as pay TV. In solidarity with my fellow TV binge watchers I am dedicating this column to books that read like TV channels. Books that do not only have one point of view or one long story. I am not only deviating from the novel which sometimes can feel like heavy reading if it does not have exciting and racy content but going to short stories and non-fiction memoirs or stories as they are now referred. I will read a book above a movie and go to the movies from time to time. But I will stay if the movie grabs me. I have decided to share with you today the kind of books I am reading in this difficult time. Rather than give up reading completely because of the troubles of the world, let’s all read in drips, binge- read if you will where you can start from one channel and flip to another, where you can start from one story in the middle of the book and then go to the last story in the book. This is reading by freestyling and it suits me just fine at such a time like this. I am not obliged to read the whole book through to get meaning. Each chapter or story is complete in itself and often it gives you a quick fix without disrupting your day and you can go back to any portion of it in the course of the day or the following week. I love. Here is my selection.