I finished a Michael Connelly book, The Wrong Side of Goodbye, and I suggested that Carter read it because he likes Lee Childs and they are similar in that formula cop/detective/crime solving way. Also, because I’m always looking for something that he will read.
I checked in with him a few days later and asked how he liked it. He replied that it was OK, but he was only on page 20. I encouraged him that it starts slowly, but the helicopter crash at the beginning comes back and ties in eventually.
“The helicopter doesn’t crash.”
Um, yes it does. The first section is all about a Vietnam helicopter and how it’s brought down by snipers.
“Oh, I didn’t read that part.”
How could you not read that part? It’s at the beginning of the book?
“I skipped all that stuff at the beginning and started with chapter one. If they wanted me to read it, it should have been labeled.”
Oh son, you kill me. The two pages written in italics after the title page didn’t clue you in that it was part of the story?
He still maintains that he was reading correctly and it’s the author’s fault for not formatting his book correctly, but said he will go back and read the beginning.
Wouldn’t you read this part too?
The story of his life. He’ll do exactly what needs to be done to accomplish the task in a satisfactory way and not a bit more. I can’t wait to see what he is going to do with his adult life and how he is going to use the gifts that God has given him. He has already determined he’s not going to college after he graduates and his latest plan is to enlist in the navy to get vocational training as part of the Construction Battalion (builder/electrician/mechanic/something like that).
Inshallah, inshallah. I’m glad he has a plan. I hope the Navy doesn’t expect him to do much reading.