Why I Only Share the Books I Love
Besides the fact that you absolutely need to read them too.
When I first found my love of books, I was around ten or eleven years old. It was the Twilight era, where I was sure no other book would surpass the amazing plot of a slightly tragic and clumsy human falling in love with a hot vampire who thought she was special (and also becomes a super cool vampire herself). Luckily, that wasn’t the case.
There was a wide world of books out there. Getting out of my constant rereading of black books with red items on the glossy covers, I tackled other reads. There was The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, more vampire books, The Summoning by Kelly Armstrong, and anything that piqued my fancy within the realm of paranormal young adult romance. By the time I made it to high school, I was reading anything that was put out in my high school library. My amazing librarian even set books aside for me as they came in, pre-barcode because she knew I already worked my way through the shelves of what we had.
I read contemporary, historical, fantasy, and anything else that I saw being recommended on this new thing called Bookstagram alongside book blogs run by readers just like me.
Which only made me more invested in perhaps starting my own book-centric blog too.
To be honest, I wasn’t very good at it. I was mainly copying what I saw other book bloggers doing at the time. I created Waiting on Wednesday books to express just how much I wanted an upcoming release– at the time, it was mainly the next Stephanie Perkins or Rainbow Rowell book coming out, or whatever Cassandra Clare was writing at the time. I shared cover reveals for the fun of it whenever they appeared on my Bookstagram feed or on Twitter (which was new and a big deal at the time). But mostly, I wrote reviews that stated the description and my opinion post-reading but also came off as a little bland and very similarly looking to everyone else’s.
It truly wasn’t a shame that when I decided I wanted to be a writer and publish my books, I also decided to stop critiquing books for no real reason other than to be a part of a community of other readers who never found me anyway. I didn’t do it well, it turned into a chore, and, I never really enjoyed talking about what I didn’t like.
Because where’s the fun in that?
Where’s the joy?
The whole reason I got into writing about books and wanted so desperately to be in the book community was that I wanted to rave about books I enjoyed. I wanted to be in this happy little world of my favorite things. I wanted to obsess over new book boyfriends, eagerly await new releases that are both right around the corner and also SO FAR AWAY (I’m looking at you, Onyx Storm), and just be able to enjoy without any negativity in my life, my favorite things.
So now, I get to do that. As an author, I get to build up other writers and never tear them down when they are chasing the same dream and joy that I am. I get to obsess and gush and be happy about reading and only look for the joy as a writer and reader, prepared to help hype up and encourage.
And I love that.
I am finally giving myself the leeway to fully enjoy what I do and permit myself again not to write reviews, but to be unafraid to talk about the books I loved. The books I want to rant about to anyone who will listen and recommend them with my whole heart.
With that being said, here are a few books that I’ve loved and I think you will too…
The Seven Year Slip by Ashely Poston
Besides the fact that this book made me want to try lemon pie now more than ever before, I read The Seven Year Slip a little after reading Ashley Poston’s other novel, The Dead Romantics (which I LOVED as well and need to get my own copy of). Her books never cease to make me have that “will I ever write a book as good as that?” existential crisis. But it’s worth it. This book blends the deep feelings of literary fiction with the soul, humor, and joy of romance and I loved every second of it.
Happy Place Emily Henry
I always say my favorite Emily Henry book is still People We Meet on Vacation since it was the book that made me finally fall in love with a good second chance friends to lovers romance, but for some reason ever since I read Happy Place, it has invaded my everyday experience. I think about it often.
Emotionally charged, Happy Place brings a story that is heavy on the heart and relatable when introducing miscommunication with the people you love as well as yourself. Per usual for an Emily Henry book, I also devoured this and admire her writing so much with its thoughtful characterization, banter, and wit.
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
Divine Rivals features a fantasy world that feels a la London, WWI (even though it isn’t). Two journalists fight for a single position at a city newspaper while also being thrown into a war between two gods.
I waited so long to read this book. I had seen it everywhere from the title and cover reveal to when it was published. I watched as people gushed over this book and yet still, I couldn’t bring myself to read it even though it was on Kindle Unlimited, downloaded onto my Kindle, waiting to be experienced. It took a friend forcing me to buy both Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows in hardcover to finally sit myself down and read them.
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross has the most gorgeous writing and storytelling. I am in awe of it. It inspires me to be a better writer. The characters dragged me in and I didn’t want to leave this world that was created let alone the relationships that formed and were quite frankly heart-wrenching. Utterly magical!
Have you read any books recently you feel the need to rant about with joy from the rooftops?