I hardly know myself ...

[soulswallo]

Tonight I'm going from work straight over to Hailey's dance recital. I don't know how to put this without sounding like a raging bitch so I'm just going to say it. I'm really not looking forward to this. I mean, I like watching Hailey's dances but she's only in 2 or 3 of them. And the entire show is THREE HOURS LONG. The evening performance

Comments

[oddmonster]

You hit the nail head-on, baby. There's a huge difference between a hatchet job on a book and simply pointing out that specific parts of the book didn't work for you, personally. I think this difference a lot of times can be chalked up to the difference between reviewing and criticizing a book, where the latter definition is where you take the time to pull apart what does and doesn't make the book work; you contextualize it as part of a larger framework. In this case, the larger framework is the views of one reader, but in another it might be the genre field the book's published in, or how other critics are responding to it. I basically want more from a book review than "I liked it!" or "I hated it."

I believe that all books have an audience. I might not be that audience but that doesn't mean that there aren't plenty of people out there who fully enjoy a book that I don't.

Would you mind if I quoted this in an article I'm writing on the virtue of negative book reviews?

[soulswallo]

Of course you can quote me. Heck, I stole most of the idea from you (because you're brilliant and unequaled!) so feel free.

I've come to realize that I'm a mood reader. I read whatever I'm in the mood for and the hell with what anyone thinks! Honestly, I think that's one of the biggest reasons why I end up liking so many of the books I read - I'm already in the frame of mind to enjoy it before I even start.

(Yes, I've actually thought about this. Who hasn't?)

[oddmonster]

Thanks!

Do you find you're a seasonal reader at all? Like me, when the snow gets up past our windows and blocks in all the doors (you're going to have to trust me on this, CA girl) I love reading snow and ice stories. And similarly, right now, while it's all warm and sunny, I like to find warm, sunny stories to read?

Anything?

Can you tell me a little more about mood reading? Like, is it per day all "Today I have a headache, thus grouchy reading!" or is it more like "For the past two weeks I've been in the mood to read about alien abductions for no discernible reason"?

Not that there's ever really a discernible reason for alien abductions.

[soulswallo]

I do tend to read snowy/cold weather books as the weather turns cooler. I really have a tough time reading Christmas themed books outside of the months of November/December/January. However, Halloween/Fall books can be read at almost any time. Go figure.

As for mood reading, it's more like I get in the mood for urban fantasy books and I'll read them until I run out of steam. I also get in the mood for specific types of books within a genre. Recently, I've been reading a ton of fallen angel books. Mostly of the Young Adult variety, although it's been slowly migrating into more adult genres.

You don't do that? Get in a mood for something in particular and just go with it?

I did go through a sexy alien abduction phase a few weeks back. Nothing says lovin' like being abducted from your home and flown to the far reaches of the galaxy with a sexy alien. Am I right?