When I peruse some of the many thousands of book and movie blogs out there I'm always struck by something in particular.
Most bloggers (that I've come across) will read and write about one genre of book. This makes good blogging sense. A website, dedicated to one particular genre makes it a go-to place for other readers of that particular genre, it can create blogging-fandom and infamy!
Romance, supernatural fiction, fantasy, YA fiction, contemporary fiction are the more common ones, but the problem is, is that as I read through these excellent blogs, it highlights to me just how lacking in a favourite genre I am. My reading taste is so painfully eclectic it used to take me so long to select my next read (GoodReads, ended up being a blessing because when I found a book that I was interested in, I could put it on my 'to-read' list and now I can just move on to the next speedily).
The great part of eclecticism is that I frequently get to read a whole host of different books, from different genres, and writers from opposite ends of the spectrum. The bad part is that because I have a larger net I cannot become 'expert' in any one genre, also, I have to filter through more than double the rubbish to find the good books from each genre. I believe that with a more centralised selection, I'd have a smaller net of books and it'd be easier to separate the chaff from the wheat.
I remember (before I finally admitted to myself that I just have eclectic tastes) finishing a book, let's say it was a fantasy novel, and say 'well, I obviously love fantasy, so let me get the next one' I would go to the library, and search and search and search, finally pick a book, take it home and hate it, or just find the whole premise of the book too fantastical. I've done the same with crime fiction, horror, sci-fi and contemporary fiction.
I came to the conclusion that I am not a fan of a certain genre, but I am quite simply a fan of good-writing, regardless of which genre it comes from.
So, although my eclecticism is both a blessing and a curse, I feel fortunate that I have the capacity to enjoy works from all genres and scopes (but I do kinda wish that I had a favourite, I'd still read widely, but would have a go-to genre for creature-comforts).
Do you have a favourite genre, or are you suffering from the same eclecticism as me?
Oh I wouldn't call it suffering at ALL! You know, I started off as being a scifi/fantasy blogger back in 2007 and since then that has gone out of the window :p I now just read what sounds good to me and I'll never look back. I so love just reading whatever sounds good to me!
I didn't realise that you'd started out blogging on Sci-fi/fantasy. Why, do you think, did you moved on from it? Had you already read all the good ones ;)? I'm going to continue reading the way I do, otherwise, if I force myself to read anything I'm not interested in - I end up acting like a stubborn child and dig my heels in, and read nothing at all!
I hope you're feeling a lot more chilled now that you have a stable schedule once again!
I can relate alot to this. I am sort of happy being an eclectic- it means I'm not missing out on anything.
What kinds of book do you read Ghadeer?
Im always inspired by the books you read, and I love books with gothic conventions and darker stories, so I cam totally understand the allure.
In fact I'm not sure I'm going to allow myself to read your reviews anymore because you make me want to read the books.... are you sure you're not working secretly for Amazon? haha.