love this! I love how this newsletter has encouraged me to think more deeply about craft and what an author intends to do and how they do it, while leaving room for taste, mood, and life stage.
When I read the viral substack you refer to, I couldn't eloquently pinpoint what bothered me so much about it, THANK YOU. Your piece perfectly describes how I felt reading it.
I love both substack and bookstagram because it helps me find a wide range of books that interest me. I'm still discovering my taste in reading, and find it often changes. I refuse to judge others for their reading choices, let's all enjoy what we want!
I'm excited to read deeply along with you in your Margin Notes series, my copy of Brandy Sour came in yesterday from Blackwells :)
Thank you Sara. I appreciate your perspective so much. One of the most formative experiences in my high school education was a class in which we were encouraged to read everything we wanted to read. I loved choosing my own books and I still do. I hope to find more books I love every week, and you foster that.
Thank you Sara. I appreciate your perspective so much. One of the most formative experiences in my high school education was a class in which we were encouraged to read everything we wanted to read. I loved choosing my own books and I still do. I hope to find more books I love every week, and you foster that.
This really resonates with me too. I’ve gone back and forth between as well. I used to read pretty much only classics and similar type stuff. I remember decades ago in my early 20’s I discovered Bridget Jones Diary (which normally I would have felt was not my thing), and I was like “Wait, this is fun! And it reads quickly and makes me laugh” I realized sometimes you can read fun and lighter books and it’s a good thing (groundbreaking I know). These days I still find myself guilty of literary snobbishness sometimes (getting eye-rolly about “Romantasy” etc) but I feel like in general I like my reading life best when it’s a good blend of serious challenging reads mixed with some other genres, other lighter things to switch up the mood.
This line stood out to me: Some books are better than others, but reading the better books doesn’t make you the better person. I’m glad this was mentioned because it feels the opposite sometimes in online spaces
love this! I love how this newsletter has encouraged me to think more deeply about craft and what an author intends to do and how they do it, while leaving room for taste, mood, and life stage.
When I read the viral substack you refer to, I couldn't eloquently pinpoint what bothered me so much about it, THANK YOU. Your piece perfectly describes how I felt reading it.
I love both substack and bookstagram because it helps me find a wide range of books that interest me. I'm still discovering my taste in reading, and find it often changes. I refuse to judge others for their reading choices, let's all enjoy what we want!
I'm excited to read deeply along with you in your Margin Notes series, my copy of Brandy Sour came in yesterday from Blackwells :)
Thank you Sara. I appreciate your perspective so much. One of the most formative experiences in my high school education was a class in which we were encouraged to read everything we wanted to read. I loved choosing my own books and I still do. I hope to find more books I love every week, and you foster that.
Thank you Sara. I appreciate your perspective so much. One of the most formative experiences in my high school education was a class in which we were encouraged to read everything we wanted to read. I loved choosing my own books and I still do. I hope to find more books I love every week, and you foster that.
This really resonates with me too. I’ve gone back and forth between as well. I used to read pretty much only classics and similar type stuff. I remember decades ago in my early 20’s I discovered Bridget Jones Diary (which normally I would have felt was not my thing), and I was like “Wait, this is fun! And it reads quickly and makes me laugh” I realized sometimes you can read fun and lighter books and it’s a good thing (groundbreaking I know). These days I still find myself guilty of literary snobbishness sometimes (getting eye-rolly about “Romantasy” etc) but I feel like in general I like my reading life best when it’s a good blend of serious challenging reads mixed with some other genres, other lighter things to switch up the mood.
This line stood out to me: Some books are better than others, but reading the better books doesn’t make you the better person. I’m glad this was mentioned because it feels the opposite sometimes in online spaces
All I will say is, I’ve been waiting for this response to THAT essay and it’s every bit as good as I knew it would be 💅
I hate literary elitism for its moral superiority, too.
You write, “a ‘bad book’ is one that fails to achieve its own aims.”
So true!
Let us enjoy the books we love written my masters of the genre.
This made me feel so seen. Yes yes yes.