The day I'm going to remember that day in January

There's always a day in July that I think "I'm going to remember this day come January" and there's always a day in January when I remember that particular day in July and don't feel so cold. Today is one of those days in July. It's 33o and the air is so thick I feel like I'm walking under water. It's also one of those days (like those days in January) when I'm happily hermit-ing inside reading fiction. Some of my neighbours meanwhile are basking in the gooey heat. In my self-imposed exile, I've been thinking a lot about "the great read" and keep returning to two major questions: what is the allure of a good novel and how does one find a great read?
I've run into two interesting articles today which may also be of interest to Cafe visitors. The first is a recent G&M article that describes how "a group of Toronto researchers have compiled a body of evidence showing that bookworms have exceptionally strong people skills. Their years of research - summed up in the current issue of New Scientist magazine - has shown readers of narrative fiction scored higher on tests of empathy and social acumen than those who read non-fiction texts." Fiction, the researchers suggest, "is really about how to get around in the social world, which is not as easy as one might think." Interesting.
The other interesting article comes from the beloved Nancy Pearl (you may know her from her action figure with real shushing action) who offers a great list of "perfect carry-on books" for summer travel. One of the things I love about Nancy Pearl is her Rule of 50 that she describes in Book Lust: "Believe me, nobody is going to get any points in heaven by slogging their way through a book they aren't enjoying but think they ought to read. I live by what I call 'the rule of fifty,' which acknowledges that time is short and the world of books is immense. If you're fifty years old or younger, give every book about fifty pages before you decide to commit yourself to reading it, or give it up. If you're over fifty, which is when time gets even shorter, subtract your age from 100. The result is the number of pages you should read before deciding." I wished I had Nancy Pearl's sage advice when, years ago, I thought a 14 hour flying day would be a perfect way to get through a book I could not stand. And yes, Peter, it is that one.