attempting obscurity
I mess around with writing, but deep down I'm pretty sure I'll never actually get published because I treat it like a hobby and not a passion -- I write when I have time, instead of making time to write.
When I read, I prefer YA sci-fi/ fantasy as my go-to fiction reads. I tend toward this genre because I read fiction as an escape from the daily drudge of life. YA sci/fi-fantasy usually has more upbeat/ hopeful endings, while adult fiction of any genre (except romance) tends to have more depressingly realistic endings. Sometimes I read romance novels, but I really prefer the type with plot/ character development between sex scenes, and I don't like having to hunt for them.
In non-fiction, I prefer history, biographies, psychology, gender studies, social/applied sciences, and law/ public policy.
Currently reading
Uglies (The Uglies)
I thought this was an extremely thought-provoking look at a distant dystopian future. It's not a dystopia in the style of "1984," but it's definitely not a happy, pleasant place to be, though it seems so on the surface.There were several questions raised for me by the book -- what is the image of beauty that is idealized by this culture if it's not our image of beauty? Isn't trying to equalize everyone by making everyone equally beautiful a form of inequality in and of itself, as their is a necessary waiting period until the people come of age for the operation?These are questions (among others) the author obviously wanted to raise. Along with many others -- questions of free will, indoctrination, betrayal, friendship and young love -- this book is a well-written and never heavy-handed look at many issues. It's fun, engaging and very interesting. The only quibble I had with it and the only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 was because it ended on a cliffhanger. I don't know why authors have started doing this. I've read 2 other recently released YA books that have done this. I do not trust books that end on cliffhangers, because no matter how freaking well they're written, you can't trust life. Maybe the book doesn't sell out well. Maybe the author has a heart attack. Maybe the author gets hit by a truck. Maybe the author's brother/mother/sister/wife/child gets hit by a truck and they can't write anymore. Maybe the publishing house goes under. WHAT IF THE REST OF THE SERIES DOESN'T GET PUBLISHED AND THERE IS NEVER ANY RESOLUTION?!?!?!?*sigh*Okay. Sorry. Bad experience with a good series as a kid. It was frustrating. It haunts me still. Anyway, I don't like it when a book that is obviously part of a series doesn't also work well as a standalone, especially when it's the first book of the series. It makes me queasy and upset.I know that's obviously not the case with this series, as the rest of the series is out. But it's the principle of the thing. If one author does it, more will do it. And it will become a trend. And the trend will become unstoppable. It's just not cool. (Slippery slope fallacy.)
