Is reading complicated? One would think it is a very simple matter; you encounter a book, you want to read it, and you read it, end of the story. But over the years I have come to discover that reading and the book community have many more rules than one would anticipate.
If one reads a certain genre of book, like Young Adult, readers of other genres may come to think less of you. On the other hand, if you only enjoy a genre such as classics, other people might disregard your taste as antiquated and mundane. And if you don’t enjoy certain popular books then your very intellectual abilities are criticized; Do you even think critically about your books? Did you even get the message? Did you even read it?
This is why I’ve created this blog. I can read whatever I want and if someone does not like it I don’t care, and neither should you. Do you like Jane Austen? GREAT. Maybe you enjoy modern authors like Taylor Jenkins Reid? AWESOME. Or perhaps your thing is reading fanfiction? AMAZING. You should read whatever you enjoy. Nothing less and nothing more.
In this blog, I will introduce, explore, and analyze some of my favorite books. They come from vastly different genres; ranging from Classics, Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller, Historical fiction, and whatever other genre I may find and want to read during the next few months. But they all have one extremely important thing in common; They make me happy. And that’s what books are all about, if a book does not bring you joy then pull a Marie Kondo and get rid of it (Unless of course it is a school textbook, then I would put your wallet and grades first and keep it.)
To start off I would like to introduce both of my favorite books at the moment: Emma, by Jane Austen, and The Whisper Man, by Alex North.
Both of these are vastly different. Different eras, different authors, different genres, and different audiences. And that is okay. Your favorite books don’t need to be related, they can be opposite and they only need to be enjoyable for you.
The most compelling way I can find to describe the book “Emma” is within the novel’s first paragraph; “Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her.” The story is filled with life lessons and interesting characters. It is a tale that has comedy, romance, friendship, family, and most importantly; a happy ending. It evokes conversations about class, gender, and personal reflection without lacking entertainment
On the other hand, Alex North’s “The Whisper Man” is a book that filled me with a sense of dread and disgust, yet I could not tear myself away from it. It was so captivating that I did not stop reading it as my flight this summer was taking off, the plane was being lifted off the ground but my eyes could not lift from the pages. The basic summary is that it consists of a story about a father and a son healing their grief while unveiling their new town’s heinous history. It also kind of has a ‘happy’ ending.
In my next blog post, I’ll expand more on both of these books; why I like them, what I learned about them, how their stories connect with audience members like me, and much more.
I liked how you introduced your next blog post at the end of this one, almost like a bit of a trailer. I also noticed that you mentioned how the reading community can be fairly judgmental of others within the community. This is something I have not personally really experienced, likely because my reading is almost entirely limited to books assigned to me. However, I noticed another blogger talking about books said something very similar. This lead me to wonder if you had any insights as to why this occurs? Is it simply a matter of people not understanding other peoples taste in books (much like the debate of pineapple on pizza), or is there another more complicated reason for this behavior? Are there any types of readers in particular who tend to be more judgmental than others?
From the start, you were able to define your blog with a very intense personal style that I adore. Your writing feels very authentic and not “calculated”, and I really enjoy that. Your use of strong verbs such as “captivated” and “evokes” helps to strengthen the reading experience. Well done!
I definitely agree with your sentiment that the book community can be a little judgmental. I think the eruption of ‘BookTok’ on social media has made some develop a superiority complex – which is dumb. Nobody’s claiming Colleen Hoover is on the same level of classic writers but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy it for the light-hearted read it is! I am also such a big Jane Austen fan, so I’m so glad you’re enjoying Emma. You did a great job at describing the novel with varied verb usage, like ‘critically’ and ‘anticipated.’ Keep up the great work!
Your blog post hooked me from the beginning, and your writing style is very intriguing. I also loved your reference to Marie Kondo – it made me laugh. I am curious to read your other blog posts. This was a great preview.