Confessions of a Book Snob

I am a book snob. There, I said it. I don't even take that label as an insult; I wear it as a badge of honor. When someone called me a book snob three years ago, I took it as the highest of compliments. I have strong opinions of lots of things, but being nervous and introverted to a fault, I rarely share my thoughts. But I will tell anyone what I think about a book.

When it comes to books, I have lots of opinions and somewhat controversial stances on everything from YA to bookstore layouts. Which I cannot mention without telling you my feelings...books, aside from children's novels, have no real age range if they are a book of quality. I hate YA, too. They are all the same. You can fight me on that one. And bookstores shouldn't be laid out by genre. The only sections should be children's, fiction, nonfiction. How can you separate by genre? For example, is Agatha Christie literature/fiction or mystery? Is To Kill a Mockingbird literature/fiction or YA (ughk).

Yeah, so I have a lot of opinions that no one else really cares about, but I will defend with my life. These, honestly, pretentious opinions will bubble to the surface as soon as you bring me to Barnes & Noble. Unfortunately my friends learned this a few days ago. They knew books were my life, being an English major and all, but I don't think they knew exactly how snobbish and outspoken I could become when surrounded by hundreds of my best friends. If my friends are reading this, I am sorry, but I cannot contain myself with books and you should expect my unsolicited opinions in the future. You mean people don't want me to tell them why the books they like are commercialized schemes?

But why do I feel so strongly? I am picky with books, and I think I know why. Books have always been so close to me. Words connect to me in a way that often times people cannot. I understand that some books like most YA novels (ughk) are just fun. They are fun little pieces of fluff. They entertain, take you away for a few moments, but they aren't groundbreaking or provocative like The Great Gatsby or The Bell Jar. So why do I care if the authors of these books have a wide readership or make lots of money. Simply, because they don't deserve it. I see most of these as a grab for money (*cough cough* a certain "writer" has commercials). But the underlying, more eloquent reason is because of my deep connection with novels, our relationship. A novel that is nothing but "fun," to me is like having a friend that is just there for a moment, the kind of person you do fun things with but would never really be there in a time of need. When I am sad, a "fun" novel (or friend) would distract me for a moment, I would be happy for that moment, go on a brief adventure. A novel of real substance shows me why everything will be ok. My favorite novels continuously remind me in dark times that I will be happy again. They're the friends that help you through the times when you are really struggling. That's why I care so much. A book of nothing doesn't deserve to share a shelf with the books that are there for me when, sometimes, even people are not. Sometimes I do wish that I could enjoy reading what all of my friends are fawning over, but when I remember why I feel this way, I don't regret who I am.

So I am proudly a book snob, if to me a book snob is a defender of my own greatest allies.

If you don't want my correct opinions, just never take me to a book store....though you should listen to me. Life is too short to read bad books.

Your fellow book snob,
Christina

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