On the road...to a good book.

When I was younger I had some weird obsession with reading books about death. I know, I know, that can’t be healthy but I am now aware that I was a definite freak in the fifth grade. Basically, if you take a gander into the depths of my bookshelf, it is not uncommon to come across books titled “Baby Alicia is Dying”, “ I Want to Live”, “ Don’t Die My Love”, “ Somewhere Between Life and Death”, “ Too Young to Die”  and “ Sixth Months to Live”, all credited to the same author, Lurlene McDaniel. I can confidently say my taste in books has improved since my little Lurlene phase. At least I hope. Somehow, it always ends up that holidays always bring a whirlwind of literature. Come holidays, come books. Sometimes I ask for them, sometimes I don’t, but I always receive many many books. My cousin bought me the book “On the Road” by Jack Kerouac telling me “you really have to read this before you go to college.” I know he meant it in a “here is something deep that you might like and refer to later in life”, but I took his gift as a “you really should read this because if you don’t you will be considered an outcast in any literature class you ever take.” When I received it, I had never even heard of it, and already my sister was giving me a speech, “Are you serious? You have NEVER heard of Jack Kerouac? Oh. My. God.”Then, it really got me thinking. What makes a good book “good”? Is it because one person of notable respect deems it “good” and then everyone else just follows along? I have read some good books in school, I mean I thought they were good… but looking back at it maybe it is only because my teachers were getting paid to tell us that. “Catcher in the Rye” was neat and so was “Kite Runner”, and even “On the Road” is turning out to be pretty intriguing, but I can’t help but wonder if I had never heard anyone else’s opinions on these novels if I would still like them as much. I mean really, by now I could totally be on the sequel to “Sixth Months to Live.” Oh well, it is what it is.