I’m always amazed when people know minutiae about their favorite recording artists, actors, and writers. I love the Beatles, and I know Ringo wasn’t their first drummer, but that’s about it. I don’t feel that need some people have to find out everything, including what Paul McCartney had for dinner the night he met John Lennon. (I just made that up. I don’t know if that’s a thing.)
The Paul McCartney concert in 2005 was amazing.
I get the emails from Goodreads, alerting me to news about authors and books and such. Normally, I ignore it, as I do most of my emails. But two days ago, I saw something about JoJo Moyes and another sequel to Me Before You, so I clicked the link.
It turns out that a third book in the series, Still Me, was released yesterday. I held out for all of 24 hours before I bought it on Kindle.
I love everything I’ve read of Jojo Moyes, but I haven’t sought out all her books. I used to read everything Dean Koontz ever wrote, but now I’m behind by a few years. I’m only going to a Taylor Swift concert because a friend mentioned how excited she was to go.
Remember a few weeks ago, when I talked about the X-files expo? The only reason I went to that is because my boyfriend at the time found out about it and arranged the whole thing.
There’s something about fandom that I find fascinating, even while I don’t have the bug. I’m not sure if it’s because I have too many scattered interests, or if it’s because I spend too much time immersed in whatever book I’m reading. Maybe it’s something else entirely.
It’s like when I posted awhile back about how I don’t have favorites anymore. On a given day, I could be listening to Taylor Swift, the Rolling Stones, Queen, Eve 6, Barenaked Ladies, or Death Cab For Cutie. I might pick up a romance novel, followed by literary fiction, followed by science fiction, followed by self-help or psychology.
I guess it’s like that old saying, “Jack of all trades, master of none.” I know a little bit about everything, but don’t know a lot about any one thing. Is that a bad thing or a good thing? Or is it just what it is?
I think it’s just that I’m interested in so many different things. It’s the same reason I love buffets; I want to try a little of everything. I just don’t have favorites. I like new and different. I like adventures, and I’m okay with hating something if that means that I tried it.
I’m glad I accidentally came across Still Me now instead of hearing about it six months (or a year) from now. While I’d love to catch up on my favorite authors, I have a towering TBR list that’s waiting for me. It might be nice to catch up on every Dean Koontz book I miss, or read everything that Bryn Greenwood has ever written, but reading widely has benefits too.
At least that’s what I’m telling myself.
Are you a fan of anything?
Doree Weller 
Oh, my, I’m a fan of a lot of things. Music, movies, comic books, “real” books, television. And I’ve accumulated a lot of trivia knowledge whether I wanted to or not, depending on the subject. To use your example, no, I don’t know what Paul McCartney ate for dinner the night he met John Lennon, and don’t really care, but if I ever come across the answer in my reading, watching a documentary, whatever… I’ll probably remember it!
I do tend to remember trivia I read, but not so much with things I hear or watch. If I came across that particular fact now, it would definitely stick in my head!
I am a fan but I’ve come to realize that I am not a fanatic. I know who and what I like but not always the complete backstory. I’m reading a book about Stevie Nicks right now and while I love her (and Fleetwood Mac) I didn’t realize that they had done several tours without her and Lindsey Buckingham, not counting the ones before they joined. Nice post.
I didn’t even know there was such a thing as Fleetwood Mac without Stevie Nicks! I do enjoy little tidbits like that.
Oh yes, there was a Fleetwood Mac before Stevie and Lindsay and then during part of the 80’s and 90’s Stevie and Lindsay did their own thing. The Fleetwood Mac group did some shows without them or with one but not the other.