Goodreads?

I ended up on Goodreads tonight. For all three of you that will actual read this, it's a site that let's you share with your friends what books you have read (or intend to read) and if you opt to, your reviews and ratings of these books.

I don't know why I read reviews after I read a book. It's like the equivalent of reading YouTube comments after laughing hysterically at a funny video. You're bound to become concerned for the future of humanity since nearly every internet dweller seems to be swimming in the shallow end of the gene pool.

Book reads are infinitely more terrifying. These people have actually devoted attention span to reading a book and have put together a thoughtful review, not some random, text speaking moron with no hopes of ever becoming a productive member of society. (Yes, text speak is stupid. If you do it outside of actual texting, seriously re-evaluate your priorities in life...and then smack yourself for being an idiot.) When I read a negative review after completing a book I enjoyed, I feel defensive. I suppose none of us like our preferences to be attacked, but I go all insecure, high school girl and think "What's wrong with me?"

A big part of this stems from my fear of intellectual snobs. I've known many, and still do. Most I call friends, but I'm not a fan of this side of them. They believe they are more intelligent than you and therefore your opinions and thoughts are inferior and a waste of time, along with whatever you hold dear. (Okay, I didn't say they were close friends.) I carefully edit myself around these people. These people love to post reviews about why you are stupid for liking such an insipid story.

What does this have to do with Goodreads and this blog? Thanks for pulling me away from the shiny object.

The reviews. Basically, it digs at one of my huge fears. I'm comfortable knowing you can't please everyone. People have different tastes, different interests and that's how we keep things interesting. What scares the hell out of me is the cold, gut ripping reviews that tear a book to shreds. Was that necessary? Did you get your rage out on the poor author that wrote that? Oh, and by the way, where the fuck is your book? What have you accomplished that gives you so much power to judge? That's right, it's in a spiral notebook with scribbles of sad poetry in the margins.

Maybe that's all I need to remember. These people are just ugly in general and nothing will make them happy aside from that oh so deep indie book they read when they were fifteen that just totally understood and spoke to them. Is that something I can tolerate though? I'm a very non confrontational person, and most days a nice person (once I have coffee). I can take critiques pretty well and I come around to tough love without grudges. Cold blooded ripping to shreds by intellectual snobs? Not so much.

Let me give you a clear example: Twilight. Unless you have been living in a cave, you know the premise. I read the series, twice actually. It was a guilty pleasure that I was sucked into, but didn't think was "the greatest book of all time" as many believe. Why did I read it a second time then? Thanks for asking. I was trying to figure out what drove me through them to begin with. I was more analytical the second time around, and by the end of Breaking Dawn, I was pissed! I realized each book was 99% foreplay, and right as everything was about to get awesome, someone busts into the room and interrupts the hot action.

What. The. Fuck.

This was especially true about the last book. I thought, alright, she is totally going to redeem herself. We've got hoards of vampires showing up, the bad guys are on their way, werewolves are multiplying...battle royal four books in the making. Then it all comes crashing down because...Alice shows up with a kid. Seriously?Not cool. And the first three books were just a build up to the one and only fight with a "mysterious" villain (did anyone NOT know it was Victoria?). But the one fight was actually good! Her bad guys were really great! The rest....well...

See how easy it is to hate on a book? And I actually enjoyed aspects of the storyline. Here is where my respect for the author comes in. It's a success. I know not everyone agrees, it depends on your definition of the word. I have never wanted to be a writer to be some thought provoking, life changing, literary award winning author. I write because I enjoy telling a story. My sole purpose is to entertain and provide an escape for a few hours to a reader. Why isn't that enough? That's what Myers did. She created characters that love or hate, you know the names. She entertained. Myers-1 Haters-0 So take your Mary Sue and Gary Stu crap and move on already.

By the way, I am so fucking sick of those terms. The next time some unoriginal, holier than thou idiot uses them, I'm going to punch an Emo kid in the face. Don't make me punch an Emo kid. They are suffering enough already. Grow up and use big kid words. Your Mary Sueing is just as one dimensional as the character you are referencing. Wow. The irony.

I guess this whole blog is just a vent of my fear. For all I know, it might never even be an issue since I actually have to complete a work in order to sell it. I just thought on the off chance that one day I do get to where I dream about ending up, someone might look here and realize I'm a human being.

Try to be gentle.