I’ve made a few attempts over the past year or so to start a blog. This is somewhat because I like to write but mostly because I get bored. The only problem is, I tend to write a couple of blog posts and then get bored and forget about it. So I figured, why not write about the books I have read. Anyone who knows me can say with absolute certainty that I read a ridiculous amount of books, and I am proud to be called a book nerd. That being said, I detest those snobbish book types who only read classics or books that don’t make it onto the top 100 simply because that means they can scoff when someone says they’ve never heard of the book they’re reading.
Like music, just because a book is popular in the general public, it doesn’t necessarily mean it is terrible. While it may not be the most brilliantly written book, if it has gotten millions of people to read in a society that owns more DVDs than books, then I believe that is a sort of success and should be celebrated. Therefore, I read all types of books and only judge them AFTER I have read them. For example, I have read all of the Twilight books. And yes, they have a very basic plot-line and are not particularly well-written, but they did get millions of teenagers (and adults) to read something instead of just watching the movie. And to be fair, I’ve read worse…a lot worse.
So, in this blog you will find my interpretations of classics like To Kill a Mockingbird alongside new fantasy novels like The Mortal Instruments and Twilight. It is important to remember that there is more to a good book than how well it is written. I believe a good book is either well-written, or draws you in despite not being well-written because of the story. It is important not to forget the story. I have read many classical books, masterpieces I am sure, but I have been unable to finish them because I wasn’t interested in the story they were trying to tell. I’m the first to admit that I still struggle with books by Dickens because he has such a long-winded way of saying things. What could be said in one paragraph seems to take him a whole chapter. It therefore distracts from the story, which is just as important as the words used.
Now, a great story – a true classic, will be both well-written and draw you in. But it has something else, something more. It has that something that makes you want to stay up all night to read it, and when you are done you feel slightly lost and immediately want to read it again and again. Which you do, because it’s the type of story that you can find something new every time you read it and you can never get sick of the story, of the words. THAT is the type of books I love to read, and they come in all lengths and genres.
So for those reading this blog, you will not find snobbish, boring reviews filled with long words and confusing theme suggestions based on minor plot elements. Instead, I hope to spread my love of reading to a wider audience. I hope my reviews will help people to decide to buy a book for the pleasure of reading, of discovering a new story and a new way of thinking, rather than to just appear knowledgable by picking up the first book they find in the classics section and hoping someone will see them reading it. Reading should be a pleasure, not a chore. If you struggle to finish a book, it’s probably not worth finishing. It’s better to enjoy reading something that others might turn their noses up at, than to miserably read a book that you hate.
Reviews of a Book Nerd 