Do you watch reality TV shows? Over the years I’ve tried a few – “Deadliest Catch,” “Project Runway,” “Top Chef” – but I didn’t have any interest in what I call relationship shows. I felt good about not following “Survivor,” “The Bachelorette,” and all of the versions of “The Real Housewives.” I justified what I did watch as having more focus on real jobs, creativity, and skills (like cooking) that I could potentially learn and do myself.
Well, guess what? I have finally capitulated to the gods of televised relationships by becoming irritatingly involved with “Married at First Sight.” I am not proud of this. The premise of the show is to marry a stranger and live together for eight weeks, and then decide to stay married or get a divorce. My brain says “crazy town,” and I can’t help the feeling that much of it is staged, but I can’t stop watching. My goal in confessing this guilty pleasure is to let others know it’s okay to watch reality television (even when it feels wrong). Also, I hope I’m not alone.
In celebration of this genre, here is a reading list to inform, delight, and possibly annoy anyone who has spent more than a few hours glued to the telly, both fascinated and appalled by reality TV.
- Cue the Sun!: The Invention of Reality TV by Emily Nussbaum
- The Lie About the Truck: Survivor, Reality TV, and the Endless Gaze by Sallie Tisdale
- The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines
- Not All Diamonds and Rosé: The Inside Story of the Real Housewives from the People Who Lived It by Dave Quinn
- True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us by Danielle J. Lindemann
New at the Library
Fiction
- Happy Medium by Sarah Adler
- The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton
- Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan
Nonfiction
- The Jazzmen: How Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie Transformed America by Larry Tye
- Throne of Grace: A Mountain Man, an Epic Adventure, and the Bloody Conquest of the American West by Bob Drury
- A Year of Granny Squares: 52 Grannies to Crochet, One for Every Week of the Year by Kylie Moleta
Children
- Angelina Ballerina and the Dancing Princess written by Katharine Holabird, illustrated by Helen Craig
- Floof written and illustrated by Heidi McKinnon
- Kid-ventors: 35 Real Kids and Their Amazing Inventions written by Kailei Pew, illustrated by Shannon Wright
This is just a small sampling of the many new titles added each week to the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District collection. Visit the district’s 15 locations, our website at www.fvrl.org, or call (360) 906-5000 to reserve titles or find additional listings.
You can email Jan at readingforfun@fvrl.org.
