Today I signed up for and made a profile at Goodreads! Goodreads is a great website that provides readers' reviews of all the books they're reading--millions of readers reading millions of books and reviewing with brutal, intense honesty. I use this website all the time, but actually, a student of mine inspired me to actually create a profile and contribute reviews. Here's how it happened . . . .
A former student, one Alex Pass, follows me on Twitter, and last summer, he asked for a book recommendation--I was flabbergasted! Didn't even recognize him as an avid reader in school--he had lots of other concerns on his plate--but he absolutely LOVED The Great Gatsby. So, when he asked, I recommended Unbroken, a fave of mine, and he ate it up! Loved every minute of it, and mourned with me when Louie Zamperini died last summer. He later demanded another recommendation, and I gave him The Things They Carried--another hit! He is now an official reader. He still demands more book titles, and the latest (The Girl on the Train) was another winner, and he told me on Twitter last night that he has created a profile on Goodreads.
I cannot even tell you how proud that makes me. This boy had a hot temper, a passion for all things America, a healthy tolerance for fun of all sorts, and he is a bona fide bookworm on top of it all. His decision to join Goodreads was based on his need for new recommendations--if he records all the books he's read and then rates them, this website will create a recommendation list for him. Hmmm.
I read. I have thoughts. Maybe I'll do the same. Maybe Alex will be my first friend on Goodreads! So I did it! I made an official profile and today, I wrote my first review. Sadly, not a good one. Indeed, my first official review was a rating of one star for our latest book club book, which I am actively disliking. The dialogue is terrible; sounds like dialogue written by either a seventh grader or maybe a ninety-year-old Victorian miss--both of which would be unsuited for writing dialogue in a contemporary summer romance novel. Ugh. The word "dastardly" is actually a part of one character's conversation. So is "austere," though, and the author uses that one wrong. She uses it to describe a mansion that is then said to have beautiful grounds, complete with gardens, trees, and balconies. That's not "austere," dear heart. Fortunately, I read the author's bio, and she's giving up the romance game to write young adult fiction with her daughter, so we're safe from further books like this one. --My review, mind you, on Goodreads is a bit kinder than this--you all are my friends and can handle the truth. I didn't want to hurt Mrs. Higman's feelings, and I imagine they're quite tender.
So another newness! And one that I feel will serve me well, as my Kindle and I are enjoying our own summer romance, never leaving each other's sides for very long. And I trust it will never be dastardly towards me.
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