We all have preferred book types we like to read. Sometimes we have similar interests in books as friends of ours.Even when that happens, we never read the same book as someone else.
A book hits you differently based on where you are in your life and what's going on around you. Since no two people have identical experiences, memories, or associations, we interact with books differently. Hell, I interact with books differently based on my life stage.
Books I read when I was 18 are different books when I reread them at 38. I think it's wonderful how our brains and hearts react and interact with material and characters and how that changes based on our life stage. We look at old favorites with new eyes and have new experiences to apply to things that happen in the book. I can recall where I read certain favorite books of mine and still see myself there, reading them in my mind. I remember what I felt when I read them for the first time. I remember being that girl, and I remember all the years and miles between then and now. Some things in that book look different to me.
Just something I find interesting. My favorite book can be one you hate, and neither of us are wrong.
Hope to see you link up on Tuesday, October 13 for Show Us Your Books with me and Jana of Jana Says. To thank you for reading, loving books, and linking up if you have, we're giving away some prizes in honor of the one year anniversary of this link up. You will not need to link up to be a winner.
I feel the same way. I could try to pick up a good book at the wrong time, and I'm not going to enjoy it. That's why I hesitate to do book challenges, because I never have any idea what kind of book I'm going to be into next. Sometimes, I want to read nothing but fantasy, and other times, I'll read nothing but non-fiction.
ReplyDeleteYep. This. I often feel like I am drawn to stories with flawed, fucked up characters...I guess because I feel like I've been pretty flawed and fucked up at times. We all have different flaws and different degress of fucked-up-edness too, so that plays a part in the impact of a book as well.
ReplyDeleteMarking it on my calendar! I always miss out on linking up! I agree, reading is such a personal thing--and it's probably the only time that you really just can't fake it. I can't make it through a book I don't enjoy.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. We also vary in our interpretation. It's like art; no one is wrong. Our views are skewed by the lens through which we view life. I enjoy reading others' perspectives on books I have read. It's fun to see what we share and how our views differ.
ReplyDeleteYou're so right - we all have different tastes and that's why there are so many different genres out there!! xo, Biana -BlovedBoston
ReplyDeleteTotally true--sometimes Ive gotten book recommendations and after reading it I'm like "that wasn't my type of book, at all!" And I also feel nervous when I recommend a book to someone else, because it's kind of scary--what if they don't like it?
ReplyDeleteThis is so true. I relate to books differently based on things I have experienced and it can change how I see and connect with the characters. Cheers to all the books.
ReplyDeletehow exciting for your 1 year link up anniversary!
ReplyDeletei love this post - it's so true. i do feel like a stab in the heart when people hate a favourite of mine, but it never lasts long because i have 100% hated books that other people would lay down their life for, haha. i have gotten better at picking books based on my mood, because if i pick up a book i'm not in the mood for, i might hate it, whereas if i was in the mood for it, i might love it. you know? i'm in such a rut right now but i don't want to force myself to read because i'll end up hating whatever book i choose.
anywho. have a good weekend!
totally agree! i have tried to read A Fine Balance for the past 10 years and each time, i would read a few chapters, get super bored and turf it. i wasn't in the right frame of mind, mood and probably age to finish it.... well, i recently finished it and OMFG IT WAS SO GOOD WHAT HAVE I BEEN WAITING FOR ALL THIS TIME. total life changer. to this day, i STILL think about the story and characters.
ReplyDeleteas for book selections; i guess i'm the odd one out because almost every book that people loved, i didn't like at all! gone girl, station eleven, where'd you go bernadette, girl on the train - hated all of them. i think the only one that everyone on this planet loved is The Martian.
Happy one year anniversary to the linkup! It's a great linkup. One that's useful and fun and yes, to see how everyone reacts to books you loved/hated is so very interesting. Have fun at the reunion as well.
ReplyDeleteThat's so true. I never really thought about it, but I do remember how excited I was when I found an English bookstore when I was studying abroad. I bought some old classics and loved rereading them through new eyes.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right! I know there were definitely books I wasn't ready for as a teenager and then I reread them now and get so much more out of it. And then there's books that I found extremely entertaining or moving and now I read them and think, "That's it?" I have my post scheduled for the linkup already!
ReplyDeleteSo true! Plus timing is everything, there are times I just can't get into a particular book, but then later on I can't put it down when I give it another chance.
ReplyDeleteHappy Friday gurlie <3
So true! Depending on my mood, I sometimes put a book down because I don't feel like reading it at the time. Congrats on your year linkup!!
ReplyDeleteI definitely love this about books. I have some books that I absolutely love that some friends of mine didn't like at all and vice versa! I'm always open to suggestion though :)
ReplyDeletei love this sentiment. it's so so true. we don't read the same ways. LOVE this.
ReplyDeleteIt's so funny because I end up finding people that I really trust their book recommends & some that I'm like, ARE THEY CRAZY? :) Everyone really is different - that's what makes the world go round
ReplyDeleteI can't believe it has been a year of linking up our books already?? I already have my post drafted and hope to finish up my audio and ebook before Tuesday! Goals!!! I completely agree that it depends on your mood and life stage to how a book will connect for you. I am going to go back and try some books I tossed to the side before. Maybe they will click now?
ReplyDeleteThis post is absolutely true and one of the reasons why I love to re-read some of my favourite books. I think it's great the people get different things out of books too, because sometimes when I read a review, I realize something that hadn't necessarily hit me while I was reading the book myself. Reading is such a funny thing - it's so intensely personal and individual but at the same time, almost anyone can access it. Looking forward to the link up! 1 year, yay!
ReplyDeleteYes. Everyone's perspective is unique. It would be a way boring world if we all were alike. I just read a book that was horrible to me which was one person's spiritual journey. I have read so many that resonated with me and this one just did not! Happy Columbus Day weekend to all.
ReplyDeleteLove, Your Momma
I love this post. And I totally agree that I read books differently in different stages of my life. There are certain books I make it a point to re-read yearly, or every few years. Some traditions go as far back as the start of high school. It's always so interesting to me to see what I take a way from a book each time I re-read it. It usually tells me more about myself than I intended to learn! Can't wait to link up Tuesday—I actually have something written already on this very topic to share :)
ReplyDeleteAlthough I'm not a big bog reader these days, I definitely agree that each persons reads or interprets the book differently which is an interesting concept. Hope you get some downtime this weekend to do some reading.
ReplyDeleteI love this. I have a handful of books that I re-read every few years and I'm always amazing at how differently I feel about the characters and storylines as I change.
ReplyDeleteExactly!!
ReplyDeleteSadly, I haven't read much lately. I need to, I'm feeling not right without my multiple-library-trips-in-a-week visits. We need to find our local library soon! For the time being I'm slowly rereading On Writing. I know Mr. King is not for everyone, but for me he is everything. :)
XO
never thought about it but this is so true. i definitely have such a different experience when i reread books.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely agree! Even reading books a YEAR later I sometimes feel differently about them, or certain things stick out more because of where I'm at during that moment in life. Weird and cool. :)
ReplyDeleteSo so true. I first read 'The Fixer' when I was in my early twenties, living in Florida in a mold apartment while we waited for our first house to be built. Apartments were plentiful, but not ones that accepted large dogs. I tried to get them to walk on their knees, but no go. Anyway, out furniture was all in storage, so we lived on the floor for 4 months. I was feeling less than well-to-do. I read the book, back leaning against the wall, butt sound asleep on the floor, and was overcome with gratitude; my life was PERFECT compared to the hero in the book. It's a perspective that has stayed with me for 40 years, but rereading it later was not so profound because I was in such different circumstances.
ReplyDeleteAnd books that I've loved are books that many people could not stand. Thank God there is such a plethora of choices for us all!
auto spell... moldy, our...
DeleteIt is so true that different points in your life can make you change your perspective on a book. Things I read that seemed so ridiculous to me as a teenager now hit home so hard. I love the linkup for the very reason that I am exposed to more books, more opinions, more versions of books from people from all walks of life!
ReplyDeleteI realized I've also read the one you love! Man I got it free on Amazon and then forgot about the sequel. I'll have to go and grab it one day. It was a quick but good read!
ReplyDeleteAnnnd I think I did something wrong half my comment disappeared, hah! I read Station Eleven for book club and liked it, it was very quirky.
DeleteThis is one of my favorite things about reading and discussing books. It's so interesting to see what really affected someone else (and what didn't) when comparing thoughts and reviews on the same book.
ReplyDeleteI do like to reread old favorites sometimes, though I often worry I won't love them in the same way after reading with a fresh perspective.
And, speaking of perspective, that was the major thing holding me back from giving Last Train to Babylon 4 stars on Goodreads. It was a very good book, and I enjoyed it ... But I know that if it had been published when I was in the 21/22 age range, I would have loved it.