Sam Strives for 55 - A BOOK READING JOURNEY!

With J. Sam WIlliams

Dear Readers, 

We’re about to embark on a journey together. One filled with the exploration of new ideas and different perspectives. I’ve always loved reading - whether with the book in hand, the book on the screen, or the book in my ears - the consumption of new reading material is always exciting. The encapsulation of life’s most precious moments - stories - are what make life worth living. I do my best to read, craft, and tell stories, and my hope is that I can pass along some good ones to you. 

As we go through the year I’ll be rating books on a 5 star system, with a brief review as to how that book earned that star rating. Here’s a look at what each star rating means:

★ = I do not recommend, but perhaps you might and that’s okay. 
★★ = Unless you’re really into the subject matter, I do not recommend. 
★★★ = Give it a go. It’s good! It didn’t quite make it into the For Sure Absolutely Read This category, but hey, it’s all subjective. 
★★★★ = For Sure Absolutely Read This - but you might not like it. That’s okay too! I did. 
★★★★★ = You must read this. It’s excellent, and even if you don’t love it, you’ll definitely learn something, and you’ll probably like it. 

Here’s an explanation as to how the system works. 

There are 4 categories that each book is looked at: Intrigue, Writing Style, Flow of Storytelling, and Re-Readability. Are these the perfect way to judge a book? Absolutely not. Are they workable for me? Yeah! 

Once the book has been looked at for those 4 categories it has a chance to qualify for the 5th category: TESS or That Extra Special Something. So a book can only earn a 5th star if it earns 4 stars.

A brief breakdown:

1. Intrigue
   
   1. Fiction: Is the main conflict, and side stories interesting? Are the characters in some way endearing, fun to read about, or fascinating? 
      
   2. Nonfiction: Is the subject presented in a way that doesn’t bore you?
      
2. Writing Style:
   
   1. Fiction and nonfiction: How is languaged used to present the material? Are there run ons? Too many metaphors? Too many adjectives used? Is it the writing too didactic?
      
3. Flow of Storytelling
   
   1. Fiction: Does the story plod along? Does it move too quickly? Is it too easy to predict what will happen?
      
   2. Nonfiction: How bogged down by details that aren’t properly explained or expeditiously presented? 
      
4. Re-readability:
   
   1. Fiction and Nonfiction: How likely am I to reread it and why?
      
5. That Extra Something Special (T.E.S.S)
   
   1. What’s the thing that really made this special? 
      
      1. Something a book only qualifies for if they’ve ticked all four sections before it (intrigue, writing style, flow of storytelling, re-readability).
         

And here’s an example of how this will work with future books:

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell:

1. Intrigue 
   1. This book is essentially the prequel to Freakonomics. It takes several examples of moments where a product turns the corner and becomes the “it” thing - something that grips the nation, so to speak - and attempts to explain why. It’s a fascinating concept.
2. Writing Style
   1. Malcom Gladwell is an excellent writer. I highly recommend anyone read his old articles, or even listen to his Podcast. 
   2. Juicy quote: 
      1. “The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.”
3. Flow of Storytelling
   1. At the beginning Gladwell’s breakdown of the Tipping Point phenomenon is masterful. However, after several examples of the same thing, the book becomes a bit more repetitive, and in the end, you’ve got the basic concept of the whole thing before the second half of the book has even started.
4. Re-Readability
   1. Exceptionally not re-readable. This is a one time book for me, not because I didn’t like it, but because it hammers home its point so much, I doubt I’d need a further reminder about what the Tipping Point is or how fascinating it may be.
5. TESS
   1. Does not qualify. 

Final Rating: ★★★

Happy reading everyone!

J. Sam Williams is an illustrious black-tailed hawk, longing to eat as many vegan mice as possible. In his human form, he is a High School English Teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he lives with his wife, one dog and two cats. A somewhat retired breakdancing teacher, he is now a co-host on the Alohomora Podcast! He has been published on Lunch Ticket, immix: a journal for justice, Mugglenet, and a slew of small sports journalism publications. You can find him on twitter @Jabbernator.

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