Reading Profile

            First of all, I want to discuss my stance on books. I will explain my feelings to a great degree, since it’s significant for librarians “to be open to all possible appeals and audiences” (Saricks, 2009a, p. 25). I exhibit mixed feelings on books. I really dislike a lot of books outside of the nonfiction genre. I often don’t appreciate reading fictional novels, unless they are biographical in some manner. I generally dislike historical fiction because it betrays reality. Although, historical fiction can reveal what a specific period of time may have appeared as through the depicted technologies and lifestyle of ordinary individuals.

            Personally, I believe that librarians, writers, and the general public love novels far too much. If books are not strictly being utilized for informational purposes, they are fairly useless, aside from being utilized for typical entertainment or persuasion purposes. I really loathe the idea of the nerdy or obsessed individual who reads novels, since that kind of individual rarely provides useful or critical analysis. While I can comprehend that “there is a book for every mood and need” (Saricks, 2009b, p. 11), attaching myself to fictional or fantasy books is usually not my first answer for a solution to a crisis in life. Admittedly, I believe that I am not much different in some ways to these nerdy fans. I analyze books, but I contemplate the meaning of books and how they relate to my own life and to reality. The nerdy or obsessed individuals may have a more difficult time comparing their reading experiences to reality.

            This obsessive mentality bothers me tremendously, and I often wonder if I am one of the few individuals who exhibits a realistic mindset towards the idea of reading. Saricks (2009b) states that while “knowledge of a genre’s conventions is vital in understanding its appeal to readers, the ability to see beyond the boundaries makes us an even more valuable resource and guide for readers” (p. 3). I believe that I am one of these individuals who sees beyond the typical boundaries of aspects of genres and views written texts as exhibiting unique and complex identities. I can determine that these texts can be placed within a variety of genres or subgenres. I also recognize that boundaries of genres are flexible and dynamic, and these boundaries are not static.    

            I generally like reading, and I understand that it is necessary to read in order to broaden one’s horizons in life. However, I am baffled by the obsession that some individuals have with reading fictional or fantasy novels. I’m often annoyed when I read books from the fiction or fantasy genre, since there is always some carefully constructed aspect in the book that does not line up with reality. Personally, I feel that many fictional books can be a bad metaphor for life and that they are filled with lies. The constant atmosphere of fear and conflict in fictional novels greatly contrasts with how I tenderly grow my herbs and garden plants in my patio. While growing these plants is not a perfect process, I don’t feel concerned or afraid that the plants will die or catch on fire on a continual basis. I’ve also despised listening to fiction or fantasy audiobooks in the past, although I am willing to listen to more audiobooks as a future librarian.

            In addition, the villains in fiction or fantasy are rarely memorable to me, since most authors never consider the fact that most villains are supposed to be human beings. As vile as these villains can be, the authors very rarely create a compelling backstory or establish reasons for the villains’ actions. In fact, the villains’ behavior ends up becoming an annoyance, instead of something to genuinely fear or appreciate. Villains are the backbone of fiction and fantasy stories, and they should be given as much complexity as the primary protagonist of a novel. In addition, I find most fictional protagonists to be slightly more boring than fictional villains, and they are probably less memorable to me than the actual villains that oppose the protagonists.

            I am not just stating these ideas out of pure spite for many fictional books. I was formerly an individual who typically satisfied the demands of the Accelerated Reading program for a trip to the Young Men’s Christian Association or Dairy Queen at the middle or the end of the year during grade school and who earned the top score in the program in eighth grade. I also earned a Bachelor’s degree in English with a concentration in writing. So, I am quite knowledgeable about the fiction and fantasy genres. I read a wide assortment of books from these genres in the past, but my reading experience could vary drastically due to how each novel was written.

            I typically exhibit an open mind towards new books and ideas, despite any initial dislike I may harbor towards these novels and concepts. Sometimes, I read books for the experience of immersion, and I remember enjoying these types of books. That being said, novels from the Young Adult genre still appeal to me to some degree. I suspect that I like the books of the Young Adult genre due to being exposed to a high level of them during my childhood.

            For instance, I’ve enjoyed The Magic Tree House books by Mary Pope Osborne in grade school. Also, the novels of the Harry Potter series were often good, although the characters’ behaviors could be annoying from time to time. However, I find that J. K. Rowling is a relatively intelligent writer, which assists greatly in my appreciation of her novels. I also appreciate the Deltora Quest series by Jennifer Rowe. I find the books from the Deltora Quest series to be among the least inane books from the Young Adults genre. Also, I appreciate the books from A Series of Unfortunate Events by Daniel Handler for their sense of irony and unexpectedness. In addition, I’ve appreciated reading through the novels of Four and Allegiant by Veronica Roth.

            I love books that explain how films were made or discuss an individual’s life. I appreciate thick and informative books such as, The Making of Return of the Jedi by J. W. Rinzler. So, I generally enjoy biographies and autobiographies. I am excited by these kinds of books because they often show how ordinary individuals become involved with great events or later rise with significance. I also enjoy nonfiction cook books, such as You Can Trust a Skinny Cook by Allison Fishman. Nevertheless, I decided to not select the genre of nonfiction for creating annotations in this class. Typically, I am fine with books from the nonfiction genre, although I may be skeptical of the content. I may judge if the content holds up or is beneficial in relation to reality. Also, I’ve read and analyzed plenty of books from this genre in the past, so it does not feel necessary to include this genre in my selection. 

            In terms of fantasy novels, I actually enjoy the Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis and The Lord of the Rings series by J. R. R. Tolkien. I also liked the fantasy novels of Eragon, Eldest, and Brisingr by Christopher Paolini. In addition, I appreciated Inkheart by Cornelia Funke for its sense of imagination, although I have problems with how the book’s characters react in certain situations. I find that the protagonists in the Chronicles of Narnia are probably the most relatable and realistic in the fantasy genre, despite the breaks in realistic behavior and the emphasis on the storyline. There is also a degree of realism for a number of characters in The Lord of the Rings novels, although some of the mannerisms of the characters are unrealistic at key moments.

            In terms of prominent science fiction novels, I’ve read several of the Dragonriders of Pern books by Anne McCaffrey during the latter part of grade school. These novels still remain some of the most exhausting books to read due to the sheer volume and the incredibly small size of the novels’ printed words. The plots of the novels could also range from being very good to awkward. In addition, I’ve skimmed through Dune by Frank Herbert.

            Also, I’ve considered that the most beneficial genres to read and annotate for this class are: the adventure genre, the gentle reads genre, the science fiction genre, the women’s lives and relationships genre, and the fantasy genre. These five genres are different enough from each other to remain unique for creating annotations. I generally appreciate the adventure genre, although I’ve very rarely read any books from this specific genre. While I despise sentimental books from the women’s lives and relationships genre, I believe that it will be a suitable challenge to read a novel from a genre that I personally avoid. In a similar fashion, I am not used to books from the gentle reads genre, so the genre will be a good challenge for reading and annotating. I appreciate the science fiction genre, but I’ve rarely given the genre a chance to personally influence my life. I’ve skimmed or read books from the science fiction genre, such as Dune or the Dragonriders of Pern series, but I haven’t analyzed these types of books with great detail. Out of all the selected genres, the fantasy genre is actually my favorite, despite some issues with aspects of the genre. So, I will have a pleasant time reading and annotating a book from the fantasy genre.

References:

Saricks, J. (2009a). At Leisure: The Rule of Three. Booklist, 106(3), 25. Retrieved from

http://web.a.ebscohost.com.proxy.ulib.uits.iu.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&sid=52f15585-bd1f-4409-b038-4121338f40b7%40sessionmgr4009

Saricks, J. G. (2009b). The readers’ advisory guide to genre fiction (2^nd ed.). Chicago, IL:

            American Library Association.