Chase Talks About His Reading Profile

My favorite types of books are nonfiction books about pop culture. Specifically, I enjoy books related to TV shows, movies, music, etc. Not too long ago, I read a couple coffee table-style books about the making of the original A Nightmare on Elm Street movie and the entire Friday the 13th series: Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy by Thommy Hutson and Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete Friday the 13th History by Peter M. Bracke. Both books are great examples of the type of nonfiction I am drawn to. I am fascinated by the trivia, behind the scenes stories, and mechanics of something with which I am familiar. These two books were done in a collective narrative structure coming from multiple participants in both movies. I love this type of format especially because this narrative structure manages to hit the same types of appeal factors that a fiction book would over a book just listing the facts.

A few years ago, I read Jim Henson: The Biography by Brian Jay Jones, which helped me discover a new level of reading nonfiction. The book spanned the life, career, and death of Muppet creator Jim Henson with strong emphasis on his work. Each time I read about something he had created whether it be early avant-garde commercials, familiar Muppet moments, or other works I would stop and watch those moments on a myriad of streaming services. In other words, technology and the resources it makes available to us has made me appreciate reading nonfiction even more as I feel more active in the process. (I suppose this would be similar to someone reading a Harry Potter book and then watching the corresponding movie.) I had a similar experience reading The Facts of My Life by Charlotte Rae who starred as “Mrs. Garrett” on the 80s TV show The Facts of Life. I was able to explore the life and career of one of my favorite actresses in a way that enriched her story and brought it to life for me. I will also say that it’s a great way to prolong a book that you don’t want to end.

My preferences in fiction books are to pin down because I cannot pick up any discernible pattern in my reading habits in this area. I have to feel that a book will have some meaning for me, so I am not apt to just grab something to read. My love for horror movies is a known fact, but it would be a misnomer to say that the horror genre would appeal to me. It is hard to find one where the pacing is as exciting as the movies are to me. I will definitely be reviewing the horror genre for this blog in an attempt to connect with it. One of my good friends from high school, Lori Rader-Day, has had three mystery novels published and another one on the way. Through interest in her work, I have been able to get a taste of the mystery genre.

Finally, I do enjoy graphic novels from time to time. The classic Smurf graphic novels are a favorite. The Franco-Belgian style of comics, as are the Smurfs, is one that is not rivaled anywhere in the world, and it is an area of graphic novels that I have a growing interest in. In the past, I have read some of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Afterlife with Archie graphic novels. More recently, I have enjoyed the series Scooby Apocalypse, which reimagines the Scooby Doo gang in a post-apocalyptic world as the title suggests.