My Thoughts

Its been awhile since I read a book I couldnt put down. Sometimes, when I dislike a book after Ive finished it, I wonder if I would have liked it had I been in a different mood. Should books be given a second chance or be forever marked in the mind as not good enough to suit me? This is why I hesitate to write reviews on certain books. Many have potential well, in my mind every story has potential. Take one plot and give it to two different authors and they will come up with something completely different. One may be a bestseller, written with heart and feeling, and the other uncomparable.

That said, have you ever noticed how books that you have truly disliked because they werent written well or the characters werent real enough always seem to have at least one five-star review from someone who loved it? I wonder about that person, why did they like it? If I had been in a different mood, maybe looking for a quick read, would I have enjoyed it more?

So my question is, are my standards for a great book too high?

I guess for me they cant be. But still, some books that I raved over when I was sixteen dont have the same effect on me now. Why is that?

Im reading a Christian novel now called Along Came Jones by Linda Windsor. For some reason, it has really touched my funny bone and fascinated me. The writing is not dry and boring, the characters are real to me. The main female character, Deanna Manetti, is someone I would want to be friends with shes funny, appreciates sarcasm, and seems to really care about people. Her conflicts are true-to-life and stay true to her character. Really though, its the way its written that has me unable to put the book down. This author has wit and so many original descriptive phrases and that fit the story line so well that I had to re-read and marvel at them.

Anyway, you can see my full review for Along Came Jones at www.kindredreviews.blogspot.com.