Reader Question: Best book you ever found by accident

January 7, 2010

Most of my book purchases are relatively thought out. I see something lauded in the New York Times Book Review. I know of it as a classic. It’s this month’s book club read. Or it came highly recommended. Rarely do I grab books blindly, in a vacuum.

But it has happened. And, in fact, led to the discovery of two books that are among my very favorites.

Book 1: Cyberpunk Brilliance

I was in my late teens, slovenly, ill-directed. Wallowing in college, asset-poor but relatively book-rich. I had not yet grown fully into my literary self, but read like the dickens. I was wandering around a suburban Border’s Books listlessly; I think it was the holiday season. Young though I was, I had a highly refined disdain for Yuletide cheer. I don’t know what possessed me, but I swiped a book at utter random off of some fiction-like shelf.

By my lucky stars, it turned out to be Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash. It’s like the book was written just for me. I had just recently come to the epiphany that I was probably going to be–and wanted to be–a geek for a living. Stephenson’s style actually informed my entire professional attitude (for better or worse). In a flash I realized that the Internet could be hilarious. This was in a time of news groups and Archie searches, way before LOLcats and Rickrolling. It was life altering. Stephenson is one of the funniest writers I have ever read.

Book 2: Western Reverence

The second random grab was in Powell’s City of Books. A bit older now, not much wiser. Starting to fancy myself as a young lady of letters (this was untrue; I was staggeringly ignorant, as I still remain today). This time I scored Wallace Stegner’s Angle of Repose. I was so bowled over that I wrote a long paean of a book review on my then-web-site, which was a blog, but the term didn’t exist yet. This in a time way way long before I ever made a habit of writing book notes or reviews.

Stegner’s work is in the same love-of-landscape-and-history vein as certain Steinbeck novels. It had that multi-generational epic feel that I am still a sucker for. And such a story. Perhaps if I am moved to complete a project I’ve long thought of doing–re-formatting old database dumps of “posts” on this paleo-site of mine into WordPress import-able posts–I’ll be able to share the record of my excitement for this random book. As a bonus, there was an incredible comment from an intriguing commenter. But I’ll save that, perhaps for later.

How about you: Luck with random books?

Have you ever discovered something super great by grabbing blindly off of shelves? Do you do this often? What’s the worst outcome you’ve seen (I grabbed a “staff recommended” paperback at an airport Powell’s branch for a trip to Vegas this year–oops, turned out to be bodice-ripping drek)? Do tell!

An aside: I realize I mention Steinbeck, Stephenson and Stegner in this post. How alliterative!

6 Comments

doug says:

This April I randomly picked Redmond O'Hanlon's CONGO JOURNAL out because I needed a book for Vanuatu and it was one of the books in the Penguin Classic range, which was the most affordable thing at the airport and I had decided I should start reading travel narratives. Absolutely loved it. Had slightly more awareness of Paul Theroux when I picked up DARK STAR SAFARI later that trip, but it was still pretty arbitrary; didn't get to it until last month and enjoyed it equally if not more. Two very different looks at the African landscape from two very different writers; O'Hanlon is eternally present tense and experiential, and scientifically focused, while Theroux is endlessly casting back to his previous experiences, presages the end at the beginning, and is a much more acerbic social critic. His thoughts on the aid culture are a must-read for anyone who feels guilty on a quasi-regular basis for not donating to support poor people in Africa. (I could go on, but I'm starting to exceed the lengths of comment decorum.)
Cork Catherine says:

Was in the student bookstore on campus (which is tiny) looking for a notebook and browsing the sale section. I grabbed Faulkner's Intruder in the Dust because it was marked down to €2.95. Hadn't read Faulkner for years but when I started, I could just hear the southern accent smoothly telling the story. I adore this book – funny, a good mystery and beautiful, oh so beautiful. I would love to hear what others think of it. I wonder if it was just one of those right book for me at the right time kind of things. You rarely see it mentioned in discussions on his works.
- lyzadanger says:
  
  Only you would pick up a Faulkner blindly. I'd run away in panic.
nyquildotorg says:

The Tao of Pooh.
Jessica says:

I found “The Great Santa Search” by Jeff Guinn on a clearance table at my local Walden Books. It has brought me on the most wonderful holiday journey the past few years as I read that book as well as the other books in the series. It was just what I was looking for and I didn’t even know I was looking. Funny how that works out. :) The series is told from the perspective of Santa. In fact it’s written as if it’s being told to Jeff Guinn from Santa. It’s a great mix of history, humor, and legend. I’d recommend it to anyone.
Scott says:

I picked up “Marley & Me” at the airport, since I had just finished the book I brought for the trip. I was finished by the time we touched down. This was before the movie came out, so I had never heard of it before walking into the newsstand.