So, um, apparently, female and non-white writers are underrated?
You mean, you've actually noticed that sort of thing?
Great Light, am I so much an asshole that I never did? My authors tend to be mostly white, I guess, male and female, but I think that has more to do with my reading tastes. Fantasy is stereotypically for white nerds (not the law, just the stereotype) and you don't hear about black women writing English Regency romance (or I never have, anyway).
My favorite book quote:
“Fools have a habit of believing that everything written by a famous author is admirable. For my part I read only to please myself and like only what suits my taste.”
― Voltaire, Candide
In more modern terms: I'll read what I want to read, and if you don't like it, you can go hang yourself.
I hate the Internet sometimes. I see some of the most ridiculous stuff on it sometimes. And the most fascinating. And a lot of it leaves me thinking, "DO YOU PEOPLE REALLY HAVE SOMETHING TO PROVE?"
There's some kind of pledge to only read women writers for 2014.
I hate to break this to you, but men and women write differently...and my favorite author is male. I would not dare think to skip Stephen R. Lawhead's annual release just to say, "All the books I read in 2014 were by women." This will be the last book in the series. Let's say, "Buying and starting this book the day it comes out."
Like the baby vulture resisting to be pushed out the nest in that old cartoon, to a lot of the Internet, I'm saying, "No, no, no, nah, nope, no..."
Not to mention the other male authors I like. Lloyd Alexander (whom I've already read this year anyway), Jim Butcher, Brent Weeks, Patrick Rothfuss (if he ever puts out book 3 of Kingkiller!), Kelly McCullough, and some classics that I've never read written by, I'm sorry, men. King Stephen. Louis L'Amour. I picked up a copy of The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis the other day from Goodwill. I have Shakespeare plays I want to read. Stardust by Neil Gaiman was $1.99 for Nook the other day. Got it. I found a pretty copy of The Ocean at the End of the Lane the other day at the Book Bag. Hardcover, dust jacket intact, like new, $5. I hope to get to it this year.
Yeah, I've got some Melanie Rawn and some LUNA books on my to-read list for 2014, but they're what I want to read. My brand names. The books I'm curious about.
Of course, there's my list of romance authors too. Victoria Alexander, Suzanne Enoch, Stephanie Laurens, Julia Quinn. I care about romance. It's bashed all the time. Historical romance is my "you should read this" crusade. Not erotic romance, not scumbag heroes. Just guy meets girl, cute, sweet, funny romance. Every time someone writes a "romance is stupid" article, the romance readers get in an uproar.
My favorite genres, romance and fantasy, are quite possibly the two most bashed and/or dismissed genres. Frankly, I think people who dismiss or bash are just stupid. Like Bonaparte said, “Never ascribe to malice that which can adequately be explained by incompetence.”
I've come to the amazing conclusion when dealing with the Internet, the media, and people in general:
To each his own. And I refuse to politically correct that. I don't have to agree with you. I have my opinions and you have yours. For myself, I read what I want to read, and if you don't like it, you can go sulk in the corner. Personally, I don't think I care what you read either, so long as you're reading.
Because, as I've said in the beginning, I'm an asshole. It's difficult to care about something I don't care about.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, "Things I Don't Care About" by Tim Hawkins
I swear, this song is the story of my life...
Lyrics HERE
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