Something has happened to me. I think it stems from the pure insanity of my life, but I've become a book snob. Between the day job, the night job and the fam, I don’t have time to read nearly as much as I used to. I miss the days when I could read a book and let myself get totally lost in the story, oblivious to the writing.
I’m my previous life (before writing) I’d pick up a book, and even if I wasn’t in love with it, I’d always finish it. After all, I’d already invested time into it and it might get better, right? And, honestly, I can’t remember a single book that I didn’t get some enjoyment out of. After I started writing (3 years ago) I found myself becoming more critical of the books I was reading on a technical level. I even posted about how disappointed I was to discover my favorite author wasn’t nearly as good as I thought he was. It had to do with me noticing things in other manuscripts that I struggled so hard to avoid in my own because they were lazy, or crutches, or just plain bad writing.
Interestingly, I’ve found, for me anyway, it’s the characters the make or break the story. I can forgive small plot chinks if the characters are amazing. (but not visa versa so much) I want characters that sweep me off my feet. I pine for books that leave me thinking about (and caring about) the characters long after I’ve finished them. The books I’ve read in the last three years or so that did that for me are Dreamland by Sarah Dessen, Where She Went by Gayle Forman, Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson, Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers, both Graceling and Fire by Kristin Cashore, Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr,
and The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. This list is easy to make, because months, and in most cases, years later, I’m still pining for the characters. These are the books that stick with me.Those are the standards to which I hold up everything I read. And, I’ve started putting books down that don’t measure up. After all, life is short and the TBR pile is tall.
It's weird. I'm less of a snob than ever. I think reading a variety of books that might not be my first choice (especially more YA and MG than ever in the last few years) has taught me these books are received by a number of readers with tastes different than my own. It's a reminder that all sorts of books are valid and make up the literary world.
ReplyDeleteOf course I still have my preferences and favorites! That won't change. I think I've learned to be more open, though.
I've only ever had one book I couldn't finish. I hope I'm not turning into a book snob but I do have to say that I'm no longer reviewing self published books as I've been burnt too many times along that route. I'm ashamed to say that the only books I've read out of your list is The Hunger Games Trilogy which was of course AMAZING. Have you read Divergent yet? I loved that one and did I mention how much I CAN'T WAIT TO READ LAST RITE!!!!! ;)
ReplyDeleteI tend to read books all the way through even though I'm seriously working on a WIP. Instead of becoming more critical, I think I am less because I appreciate what the author has to go through to craft a novel. That isn't to say I don't notice these things. But sometimes (and this does depend on characters for me too) I can overlook them. Great post!
ReplyDeleteDreamland is in my list to read :) I definitely will look forward to reading it now that I see it on your list!
ReplyDeleteNo I don't finish every book I start. I have the 100 page rule. If I haven't begun to love it by 100 pages I stop. No sense wasting my time. My TBR pile is huge and it isn't right to keep reading something I don't like when there are so many waiting for me.
ReplyDeleteI guess this is a case of ignorance being bliss. You read for pleasure in the past, but now you can't turn off your inner editor. I understand what you mean. I've experienced critiquing as I read since starting to write, but I make an overt effort not to do that. Books are written at varying levels of expertise and I don't want to look for reasons NOT to enjoy the story. I just try to get as much enjoyment out of the tale as I can--even if it's not totally awesome.
ReplyDeleteUp until recently I couldn't not finish a book. Now I have so many quality books I want to get to I'm not wasting time on bad books. So if it doesn't get my attention it gets put to the side and I might get back to it one day.
ReplyDeleteIf a book has weak characters, I tend to put it down.
ReplyDeleteI'm a complete and utter book snob now because, like you, I have a limited amount of free time, so if I'm going to read (which is one of my hand addictions), the book better me darn good. If I'm not enthralled within the first 50 pages, I'm dropping it.
ReplyDeleteI'm becoming slightly more of a snob, but I still finish (or plan to finish) every book I start. But, yeah, I'm with you on the characters. I've gotta have a MC and supporting people to glom onto. In re-reading some series now, after getting into reviewing/blogging, I recognize that the stories aren't as stellar as my first reading, but I still love the characters, so I'm still okay with highly recommending.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I'd never really thought about it, but I guess with your description, I am a book snob. In the real world, I do not finish every book I pick up. Sometimes the writing style or the story makes it difficult to finish. There have been a couple books that actually put me to sleep and I couldn't stand to finish. What makes a story unforgettable to me are the characters and their emotions, and sometimes the plot and backstory makes it hard to forget.
ReplyDeleteI try very hard to finish every book I start -- although it may be over a longer time period if I have a hard time stomaching it for whatever reason :-)
ReplyDeleteI feel like I can learn from reading anything. If it's poorly written or has unlikable characters, I try to pinpoint why I feel that way. I also learn a lot from the things I do like. In the end, reading anything will make you a better writer if done conscientiously.
I do slightly miss the days when I read with innocent eyes, not trying to gain insight into writing.