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MyBooksandMe

My Books and Me

I love reading. Which boils down to the fact I will read, to be honest, pretty much anything. I enjoy a wide range of genres, and prefer not to limit myself with preconceived notions about a book based on it’s genre. I do tend to gravitate towards fantasy a lot. I also find books with a political slant appealing, most particularly of the dystopian variety, but my interest is broader than that would suggest. I enjoy a lot of classics (well, who doesn’t – a book has to be pretty darn good to stand the test of time and remain popular with generation after generation of readers). I like historical fiction, contemporary fiction, sci fi, thrillers, mysteries, horror, children’s fiction, and even the occasional romance. Pretty much the only thing I actively avoid would be erotica. Of course, that doesn’t mean I like every book I read ever. It just means I will give most books a chance. Sometimes this can cause a lot of frustration, because I can end up reading a lot of not-so-great books. Particularly with so much self-published material out there these days. There are some real gems out there, but sometimes you have to wade through a lot of detritus to find them. And even some of the rubbish contains much to redeem it, and I find myself wishing the author had had the benefit of a skilled editor, because there is so much promise there that failed to deliver. I should make clear, I am no writer myself. I sometimes feel guilty judging the works of others harshly when it is still vastly superior to anything I could write. On the other hand, I think it does the author no favours to give false praise. I believe criticism is something we all learn from, and can lead us to better achievements. So when I review I try to err on the side of frank criticism where I feel it is warranted. This is not meant to offend, but inform. I may not be able to write fiction myself, but I am quite capable of assessing my own enjoyment of it – and that is what I intend to express.

Currently reading

Death Comes to Pemberley
P.D. James
The Ladies' Paradise (Les Rougon-Macquart, #11)
Émile Zola
Under the Dome
Stephen King
Son of a Witch (Wicked Years, #2)
Gregory Maguire
Today
November
26
December 2013
08
reviewed: The Various Haunts of Men (Simon Serrailler #1)
I generally enjoy murder mysteries, but it has been many years since I read one. This was definitely a good one to get back ...
The Various Haunts of Men (Simon Serrailler #1) - Susan Hill
finished reading:
November 2013
26
reviewed: We
The main criticism I have of this book isn’t actually a criticism at all, merely an unfortunate consequence of me being alrea...
We - Yevgeny Zamyatin
finished reading:
November 2013
23
reviewed: Anthem
I’m actually finding it really difficult to express my thoughts about this novella. I think my biggest problem with it is th...
Anthem - Ayn Rand
finished reading:
November 2013
18
finished reading:
November 2013
14
finished reading:
November 2013
12
reviewed: S.
How do I even begin to review this book? It's not so much a book, as an experience, I think.Firstly, just as a physical obje...
S. - Doug Dorst, J.J. Abrams
finished reading:
November 2013
5
finished reading:
October 2013
25
finished reading:
October 2013
22
finished reading:
October 2013
21
reviewed: The Obsidian Mirror
Too many books these days seem to be unfinished, as if having a series of books means that no individual one can hold a compl...
The Obsidian Mirror - Catherine Fisher
finished reading:
August 2013
27
finished reading:
May 2013
28
finished reading:
May 2013
8
finished reading:
finished reading:
April 2013
11
finished reading:
April 2013
10
finished reading:
April 2013
5
finished reading:
March 2013
22
finished reading:
March 2013
20
finished reading:
February 2013
27
finished reading:
February 2013
25
reviewed: Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy, #1)
I really liked the concept of this book, and it certainly delivered in terms of plot and structure. However, I kept finding ...
Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy, #1) - Sarah Rees Brennan
finished reading:
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