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Reading Is Not A Competitive Sport

Dang it, just as I was writing about how crappy it is to shame readers about what genre and format they read, somebody at The Guardian was doing her best to insult both genre readers and the formats they read in, with startling efficiency. I am not a “furtive” ebook reader! I do not read ebooks to hide my addiction to genre fiction! And I think it’s revolting to inform readers that they SHOULD be furtive about their reading tastes- that they should buy the classics in hardcover for display purposes (instead of buying whatever they like to read in hardcover for the purpose of actually reading). Contrary to the assertion the author makes, READING IS NOT A COMPETITIVE SPORT.

If it were I would lose. I tried, but I can’t even keep track on Goodreads of how many books I’ve read this year already. The shelves you see on entering my house are not where I preserve “classics”. I am not doing my reading to impress anyone or to win anything. And I am angry that someone who thinks that displaying award winners to show how literary you are is more important that you, or me, or anyone, reading what we love. There is no shame in that. It’s something to revel in. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Kirsten, Reply

Don’t Shame the Reader

All the arguments about what format is best get really old after awhile, In fact, the readers at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books are tired enough of hearing them that they’ve come together to come up with words to describe people who are a little too adamant about any format (here’s a link to SB Sarah’s original post… to see the reader comments, which are fabulous, scroll down past the bit on ebook deals).

And really, the format debate takes attention away from what matters most to those who want to promote literacy and reading for everyone. Our own philosophy here is that your taste in reading is personal. Our original intent, when we wrote that for the world to see was because we believe that NOBODY should be shamed for reading what they love. You shouldn’t feel that you have to justify or defend your choice of reading material.

So I just had to share this, mostly because it’s awesome (once again, you’ll have to scroll down).

Really now. Let’s get back to basics. Reading, whatever and however you do it, is the thing that matters.

Posted on February 5, 2012 by Kirsten, Reply

MonsterLibrarian.com’s Top Picks for 2011- Adult Books

Well, we’re not churning out 5,000 reviews a year like Kirkus Reviews, but our volunteer reviewers worked hard in 2011, reading and reviewing close to 300 books- some good, some bad, and some that were really extraordinary pieces of writing and storytelling.

With a new year beginning, it’s time for the Monster Librarian, in consultation with contributing reviewers, to reflect back on the past year’s reading and reviewing. We didn’t get out a list of the top picks for 2010, but now we’re back now, with our Top Picks for 2011. Each book on the list below was reviewed in the past year, although not all the books were published in 2011. If the book made a Top Picks list in the past, it won’t be on this year’s list (Wintergirls, by Laurie Halse Anderson, was first reviewed in 2009 and made the list that year, so it’s not on this year’s list).

Books that made this list were chosen by our reviewers as exceptional examples of compelling writing, creativity, and original illustration or presentation. Many of them provided considerable food for thought as well as entertainment value. The choices were made only from books reviewed for the site, so there are many fine titles that do not appear here. The Monster Librarian’s Top Picks for 2011, listed below, have not been ranked in any order. You’ll find a list for each age group: Adult, Young Adult, and Kids. Below you’ll find our list of Top Picks for Adult Fiction in 2011. I’ll post the lists for young adult and children’s books shortly.

Note for librarians and readers: As with all recommended reading lists, not all of The Monster Librarian’s Top Picks for 2011 will be appropriate for or appreciated by every reader. Please take the time to check out reviews of these titles at MonsterLibrarian.com before making a decision about reading them or recommending them to others.

The Monster Librarian’s Top Picks for 2011

Titles for Adults

A special mention goes to Lisa Morton’s The Samhanach, which three of our reviewers independently chose to review. All three reviewers highly recommended this book. And now, the list.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Zombie Jim, by Mark Twain and W. Bill Czolgosz

Allison Hewitt Is Trapped: A Zombie Novel, by Madeleine Roux

Bedbugs, by Ben H. Winter

Bigfoot War 2: Dead in the Woods, by Eric S. Brown

Bone Marrow Stew, by Tim Curran (limited edition available only from Tasmaniac Publications)

Crucified Dreams, edited by Joe R. Lansdale

Cuckoo, by Richard Wright

Dust, by Joan Frances Turner

Draculas: A Novel of Terror, by Blake Crouch, Jack Kilborn, Jeff Strand, and F. Paul Wilson

Enclave, by Ann Aguirre

Eternal Unrest: A Novel of Mummy Terror, by Lorne Dixon

Ghost Story: A Novel of the Dresden Files, by Jim Butcher