What’s it all about?

Reading matters

This new blog is mostly a place for me to keep track of what I’m reading. Yes, it’s more for me than it is for you. But I hope that those of you who drop by will find something of interest, whether that be discovering a new book, rediscovering your love of reading, or even learning something interesting about the history of books.

No stars here…

You’ll find no four-out-of-five-star reviews here. I’m not convinced they’re useful; they’re certainly not reliable, skewed by trolls and marketing departments and whether a book was adapted for the screen, for example. I suspect that ratings might even be inimical to discovering good books.

And you won’t find comprehensive reviews here either. I have neither the time nor desire to review a dozen books each month. There are already plenty of excellent book reviewers out there (some of whom do it for a living). Lit Hub is a pretty good place to start, and the London Review of Books is exceptional.

Finally, — and I want to stress this — when I say that I dislike a book or that it bores me, or that I just don’t get it, it’s not an objective judgment on that book’s literary merits. They are simply my opinions, formed by my own subjective tastes.

If you’re curious about what I’m reading each month, check out my monthly reads.

What’s the first rule of book club? Answers in the comments, please.