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A Column by Roseanna M. White Confessions of a Bookworm Anyone who has read any of my reviews will notice something suspicious–they’re all positive. Oh, they might mention something I wished was different or something that bothered me, but the overall tone is usually one of endorsement. I very rarely don’t recommend a book. Now, there are some reviewers out there who think there needs to be negative in every review, some whose thumbs-up is so rare that it’s like winning a prize to receive it. So why, they might ask, do I mainly dish out praise, and do it so generously? Here’s my confession: I love books. Pretty much all of them. I like classics. I like poetry. I like philosophy, science, even those dreaded math texts. I like books that make me think, and I like books that provide a relief from thinking. I like learning from non-fiction. I adore losing myself in a novel. The result is that when I pick up a book, it’s with the expectation that I’m going to have a few great hours with this new friend. I’m going to get to know the characters, step into their lives, and probably come away with a new understanding of something that will enrich my life. It’s very rare that I read a book I dislike so much that I can’t write a positive review about it. Even those times I don’t really care for the book, it’s usually because it’s just not in my preferred style or genre, but I can still recognize what it was doing and to whom it was aimed; and oddly, those occasions are usually with works of well-established authors who I know have a following that will love their latest. Now, there are obviously degrees to my positivity, and I imagine most of you can pick up on it. When I really, really love a book, that review is going to be so glowing that you’ll be looking around to see if you left a light on. On the other hand, when a book isn’t my cup of tea, you’ll probably find lots of phrases about who will like it without any indicator that I did. And I try to make a point of saying what audience a work will especially appeal to, so that if you’re reading my review, you’ll get a good clue of whether the book is for you no matter what my opinion was–though hopefully when I can’t stop raving about one, you’ll realize it’s because it’s truly fantastic. And there’s another part to my confession: I’m a writer. So maybe I also write reviews like I would want to receive, ones that focus on the good. Maybe it’s because many of the authors whose books I’m reading are colleagues whom I respect, have met and worked with, and whom I want to help grow. Maybe it’s because I think reading is by far the best pastime at our disposal, and I want the whole industry to boom. Or perhaps it has something to do with my faith, my beliefs. I think we need to take to heart Paul’s command to edify each other. That doesn’t mean I need to lie or overlook what I didn’t like, but it does mean that I should also not neglect the good in a book. I consider this a part of my ministry–reaching not only the readers who seek guidance toward the best of today’s writing, but also the authors who have poured so much of their souls into the work. I hope that through my reviews, my love of books can ignite a yearning in you to pick one up. If I do that, then I count myself blessed.
Wanna give me your take? Questions, comments, silly statements? Email me at BtL@ChristianReviewofBooks.com View Other Columns: Celebrating the Tradition
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