Tuesday, June 25, 2019

READING THROUGH THE UNITED STATES...IDAHO

Idaho...

I think book reviews can be both a wonderful thing and a curse for readers. They are essentially opinions, and yes we are entitled to one, but are we really entitled to share these opinions? For most every book, you can find both positive and negative reviews, because just as every book is unique so are its readers. What right do we have to encourage or even discourage someone from reading a certain book? Should we let these opinions out in the world? All these thoughts are running through my head now, because after quick search on Goodreads the first few reviews I ran across for my Idaho choice were negative. I almost didn’t read it. I almost returned it to the library unread. I almost missed out on a wonderful imaginative read. Almost. 

Sunday, June 23, 2019

READING THROUGH THE UNITED STATES...HAWAII

Hawaii...

Being over 4,000 miles, and a slightly expensive trip, away from my home, Hawaii is not likely a place I will ever be able to visit. Sure I could scrimp and save for several years and maybe take the trip of a lifetime, but if I’m being completely honest with myself I’m not sure that it would be the place I would choose. From all that I’ve seen it might be one of the most beautiful places in the world, just not where I would choose as my once in a lifetime trip. So to say that I’m perfectly content seeing a place through the eyes of a character, in this instance, is no exaggeration. The book I chose not only took me there, but also made me a native, part of a whole new family, and a part of the island history.