Fifty Forgotten Books by R. B. Russell (2022)

 I'm beginning to develop a shorthand for a recent change in literature. At the moment, it's LITE21C. When I was young, "lite" literature was what was called 'the beach read'. These were typified by things like lurid covers, foiling of the cover-text and, most importantly, being in A-format (which is those smallest paperbacks, usually 18cm high and 11 across). Bookstands in airports were full of them, yes, which was part of what led to the beach read appellation, but they had a broader cultural signifier of light reading, and were widely available throughout the trade. Nowadays, the threads have changed, most works are not in that format, but we still have the need for light reading, of course. So light reads, deceptively but I don't think altogether intentionally so, are in the same format as the weightier ones. In fact, the level of intention is probably the important thing to investigate. It often appears to lead to confusion, at the least. This is a LITE21C read. I enjoy light reading on occasion, like many. But I do inevitably end up thinking, in these days of can't-tell-one-thing-from-another-ness, that I hope people are still registering the difference. These are mini-essays on the author's favourite 'lost' books, and contain genial stories of discovering them in secondhand bookshops, of characters met whilst doing so, also of a bit of personal history alongside: joining literary societies, starting his own publishing business with a partner, and again the characters encountered in doing so. He is part of a set who are very influenced by writers of the supernatural, like Arthur Machen and H. P. Lovecraft, and who work on producing new editions of them. I really enjoy all the stuff about collecting interesting old books, as it's a passion of mine, and always get pleasure from hearing about the deeper background of authors who are known to me in only a limited way. The classic terms of appealing light reading really. The designation is recognisable not because of any strict determination of content, I think at least, but rather because of the feeling it gives of being a congenial wander through a subject. Perfectly pleasant, and completely unchallenging. Very different to "weighty" reading.