A Recipe for Good Books
By Liz Ukstins
By Liz Ukstins
My Grandma, Joyce, finds joy(ce) in reading. It is her favorite pass time, and she never leaves home without a book in hand. When she makes her weekly trip to the library, she brings her worn-leather notebook that has the title and author of every single book that she has ever read so that she does not re-read anything. But, why does she continue to read? After reading for a long time, don't things get repetitive and cliche?
Well, I asked her these questions once. She told me,
"Elizabeth, all good books begin with the same recipe...
...1 cup of character development
3 cups of plot
1/2 teaspoon of protagonists
1 1/2 teaspoon of theme
a sprinkle of setting
a dash of antagonists
a heaping cup of action
point-of-view, to personal preference
1/2 cup of conflict
6 fluid ounces of resolution"
She continued, "Authors, just like cooks, can add seasonings that make their masterpiece special. Though all books' bases may be similar, the details are what make them new and unfamiliar. Yes, the love stories get cliche sometimes, but how many Allies and Noahs can you really have without some sort of change? That is why I read. I read for the change. I read to be transported to other universes. I hope that you soon find something that gives you as much joy as reading brings me. Refer back to this recipe when you start reading a new book, and take note of the seasonings and details. Perhaps you can use the recipe to create a masterpiece of your own. Believe me, Elizabeth, reading will change your life."
