Information and opinions about books may change over time
Grace Sosa
Photo by Mercy Sosa. The image was created in Canva.
Dear Daary, it is very easy to please when it comes to book content. However, I’ve recently started to notice that the more I read, the more I disagree with my old ideas about books.
The first thing I do after I finish a book is measure and review it Twitter, Goodreads or in my notes app.
In 2022, I created a Twitter thread of all the books I read that year, rating them out of 10 and a quick review.
In retrospect, I wouldn’t rank some of the books in that thread as highly as I used to. I was getting to try new genres that I wasn’t used to reading, it made me enjoy books that I wouldn’t find interesting now.
Books like “November 9th” by Colleen Hoover and “Bromance book series” by Lyssa Kay Adams — the book I have previously reviewed – they are books that I don’t feel the same now as I did when I first reviewed them.
After I read “November 9,” I was hooked on Colleen Hoover, an author who achieved an unusual level of fame on social media. I gave the book a rating of 8/10, leaving it at the top of my book rating. However, if you ask me what the book is about now, I won’t tell you.
When I first joined #BookTalk hype, Hoovers stories entertained me as much as they did me. But later I realized that they were not as interesting and well written as the other books I was reading.
Hoover’s books followed the same story line over and over again, making me tired of the repetition.
“The Bromance Book Club,” I originally gave 7/10 on twitter, which is higher than I can give it now.
When I wrote my review on Twitter, I said that the book club was the best part; I still stand by that. However, my score would now be a six out of 10. While not a huge change in my ratings, my review of “The Bromance Book Club” gives some clues as to why. What if the book was like that. confusing and boring for me after I take time to meditate on the book.
In that review, I also mentioned how tired I was of the same type of stories these days. So I delved into genres like fantasy, fantasy and young adult and found stories with better plot, better writing and different themes and characters.
Usually, unless a book is given five or 10 stars, it probably didn’t have a big impact on me and I found books with good plot and writing.
The more books you read, the more likely you are to find your passion for reading. For example, I love books with twists and turns or books that keep you on the edge of your seat until the end.
Some of the books that I have rated highly and that fall under my interests are “People of the Spirit” series by Holly Black and “Atlas Six” by Olivia Blake.
“The Folk of Air” is a three-part series about the dreams of adults such as “The Cruel Prince,” “The Evil King” and “The Queen of Nothing.” I rated these stories between eight and nine, making it one of my top series reads.
With its references to the real world and magic and its allusions, this series captured my attention and held my attention until the end.
“The Atlas Six” by Olivia Blake was a mind-bending book that left me confused, but in a good way all the time. I originally gave it an eight out of 10 rating which is still going on today, making dark school one of my favorite genres.
Not every review you read is going to be a misrepresentation of someone’s opinion of the book. Some people spend years studying English and know how to criticize and analyze literature.
But some people who read for fun will change their minds over time. So don’t always trust a book review and don’t let it stop you from reading what you love.
Sincerely, novelist.