Vision Statement Thing

[bibliogramma]

I've had the most horrible case of writer's block with respect to this journal for a couple of months now. It's not that I have not been reading books. In fact, I have about 70 books that I've read this year that I still haven't written anything about in this journal. And there's a lot that I wanted to say about many of them, and at least something I could say about each and every one of them.

It took me a while to identify what the problem was, but I've finally figured it out.

I'm worried that there is a discontinuity between what I think is the purpose of this journal, and what I have begun to fear other people who read it might think is the purpose.

This is not a book review blog. I don't want to write reviews. That's too much work, frankly, because if I were writing a review, I would have to be careful to consider all aspects of the book, and write not only about my own personal sense of the book, but also about what other people might find interesting or valuable or entertaining about the book. I would have to be fair and comprehensive. I would have to consider whether I would recommend the book or not. And while I might do that sometimes, I don't want to feel that I have to do that.

Because in my mind, this journal was intended to be a place where I could write down my very idiosyncratic thoughts about the books I read - and if all I feel like writing about is one theme. or one character, or one scene, because that's what caught my attention, or if I want to blather on about what the book made me think of, rather than talking about the book itself, then I'd like to feel free to do just that. But somehow, I'd fallen into the feeling that people might be expecting actual, well-considered reviews from me, and that had pretty much paralysed me.

So, those of you who read this journal from time to time, I apologise if you are expecting reviews and from now on find, instead, something more personal and less informative. I hope that at least you may find something entertaining.

Comments

[wolfinthewood.livejournal.com]

I can find reviews all over the place. I like hearing your personal responses to the books you read.

[idella]

I agree.

[morgan-dhu.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I'll be posting some more book musings soon, maybe even today if I get the time.

[morgan-dhu.livejournal.com]

Thanks. That's reassuring.

Actually, I feel much better just having written that. I started some notes on what I want to say about several books last night, so I expect to start posting some rambles soon.

By the way, I've been immensely enjoying reading the poems in Love Shook My Senses. It's a marvellous collection. I read a couple of poems most evenings and luxuriate in them. Alas, I'll soon be finished, though.

[wolfinthewood.livejournal.com]

I am really glad you are enjoying it.

Love Shook My Senses (http://www.loveshookmysenses.com/) has a website now, with a small 'taster' selection of the poems.

[sausconys-books.livejournal.com]

I love reading your thoughts on the books you read and I have a similar philosophy when it comes to my book journal. I'm glad there's at least one other person out there doing a book journal rather than another review blog.

[bibliogramma.livejournal.com]

As you can probably tell if you've looked at my journal in the last couple of days, I'm on a roll again. Thanks for your support - I feel much better doing what I want to do as opposed to what I think other people might be expecting me to do. Silly me, you'd think I'd know better by now. ;-)