Good morning all,
Confession time. There are several authors out there who I adore as people – they’re smart, they’re funny, they’re quirky, and I like the way they think and talk about the world and everything in it – but I don’t actually like their books.
Ahem.
I’m not going to name any names, but it just occurred to me whilst reading the blog of a famous author that as much as I really like her as a person – I’m sure we could sit down together in a cafe and have a good conversation – I actually don’t like any of her books. That’s not to say they’re bad, they’re just not my cup of tea.
I found myself purchasing a couple of her e-books anyway because I wanted to support her because I like her so much, even though I’ll probably never actually read them. They’ll sit in my “to-read” pile forever, unless I get really bored one weekend.
This isn’t the first time this has happened to me. I could actually write a list of authors who I’ve encountered who seem awesome but whose writing just doesn’t do it for me.
Does anyone else out there suffer from occasional “I love your blog, but I don’t like your books” syndrome?
In complete contrast to this, I have finally been working on the first of my “books which changed my life” posts, which I hope to post later this week, as well as a new short story on the Showcase page. Some of the authors who will get a mention include David Eddings, Anne McCaffrey, Isaac Asimov, and Jeff Long. I may expand this later to include books I love, but which don’t quite fit the “life-changing” category.
In the meantime, here are some photos, at long last, of the Barbadoes Street Book Fridge which I have been frequenting:
There are some seriously good books in there. They’ve even provided plastic bags so you can carry them home without them getting wet.
…and there’s even a wee bench that you can sit on in the sun and read. 
I think, if and when I ever get my own house, I am going to have to get one of these.
Cheers!
JT
YES! There are quite a few of those authors in my mind as well. I think it’s a good reminder that the writer and the writing are separate, and shows that no one writer can please everyone – and that doesn’t have to be a bad thing!
So it’s not just me then. Yay!
I think this is a relatively recent thing, because we never used to know who authors were unless we’d read their books or they were mega-famous like, say, Stephen King. These days with the rise of social networking & whatnot, we can interact with people and feel like we know them, whether we know their work or not.
I find myself supporting several people because I am a fan of them, even if I am not necessarily a fan of their actual work.
And you’re right, no one can please everyone, and I think that’s well worth remembering both as a reader and a writer – there’s room for everyone, and each to their own. People have diferent tastes. Read – and write! – what you want to, and let everyone else do the same.
I haven’t encountered that syndrome before, but by golly, do I love that fridge! my mind is officially blown.