Ramblings of a Bibliophile

“Life is too short to read bad books.” I’d always heard that, but I still read books through until the end no matter how bad they were because I had this sense of obligation.

That is, until this week when I tried (really tried) to read a book that is utterly boring and unrealistic. I had to stop reading.

Do you read everything all the way through or do you feel life really is too short to read bad books?

There's a big part of me that tends to finish everything I start. And I really do mean everything. Whether it's reading a book or playing sports, I was born with that curious strand of determination. Out of all the books I've read in my 22 years of life, there is only 1 book that I never finished, which incidentally happened this year. I was rather bummed to ruin my clean record but it could not be helped. I think if a book starts giving you a headache, it's a surefire sign that it just wasn't meant to be. But as of late, if the book is just that bad, I don't think I can justify wasting precious reading time when my TBR pile is over 150 books!

What's YOUR opinion? Question via: btt2.wordpress!

In other news, I'm getting the ball rolling on my very first giveaway! It's most likely going to be a multiple book/multiple winner giveaway that coincides with the holidays (or at the very least, the new year). At least that is the plan for now. So keep checking back!

Suggested by Jennysbooks:

Something I’ve been thinking about lately: “What words/phrases in a blurb make a book irresistible? What words/phrases will make you put the book back down immediately?”

Words/phrases that will make an instant grab:

• Magical
• Adventure
• Unpredictable
• Fantasy
• Exhilarating/Fast-Paced
• Humorous
• Sci-Fi (I'm a nerd at heart, what can I say)
• Love Story (some of the time, anyway)
  
• Original
• Page-turner
• Couldn't put it down
  
  

Words/phrases that will make me chuck the book ASAP:

• Politics/political thrillers
• Erotica (or other words such as, sensual, etc. But the cover is usually a dead giveaway)
  
• Anything involving overly grotesque murders (especially children and/or animals) *shudders*
• Spiritual journey (Granted, I don't mind the occasional spiritual book, but I find myself more annoyed with other people's perception of religion *shrugs*)
• When the blurb gives away the plot/story (HATEHATEHATE)
• True story/Non-fiction
  

But honestly, blurbs can be fairly misleading. Even if the blurb completely grabs my attention, I'll go home and look up reviews and ratings to see what other readers are saying. If the majority love it, I'll put it in my TBR pile. But then again I've been know to give anything a shot as long as it had enough to pique my interest. However, that doesn't mean I'll finish it. I guess it ultimately depends on my mood and what type of genre I'm looking for. Oh, and the cover. Yes I'm one of those people. I just won't read a book if the cover is hideous.

(I'll probably keep adding to this the more I have a chance to dwell on it)

Thoughts? Opinions? Also, feel free to link me to your BTT post if you have one!

If you could ask your favorite author (alive or dead) one question … who would you ask, and what would the question be?

Well, I suppose I'd ask J.R.R. Tolkien about his experience writing Lord of the Rings and how all those new languages (Elvish, Dwarvish, Entish, etc) came into being. I mean, the man was a genius. If you've ever read the Appendices in the back of Return of the King, you know what I mean. The detail is just mind boggling. And I suppose after this lengthy discussion, I'd make him sit down and watch all 3 extended editions of Lord of the Rings and ask him how he felt about them. Out of all the authors whose books have turned into film, his opinion is the one I'm most curious about. (Yeah, there's no way I could stick with one question, I want to know everything!)

So now it's your turn. What author would you choose to ask a question? And what would that question be? If you already have a BTT post, feel free to link me!