Discussion: Stereotypes and Being White

I can be a horribly unfocused person, and I allow a ridiculous amount of time to pass between finishing a book and reviewing it. So while typing reviews it is not uncommon for me to head over to Goodreads and scroll through others' comments to get myself back into the story so I can write about it. Just recently I was doing this and noticed a blogger whose opinion I highly value differed from mine in the extreme. Now I realize we all don't all agree on everything nor should we want to. However, when someone whom I look to for recommendations is so upset by what she found in a novel I thoroughly enjoyed, I can't help but needing to know why.

The blogger I'm talking about is Steph Su, and the book in question is Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo.

I was a little surprised when I saw Steph wasn't even able to finish this novel, so I had to read her entire review to know why she felt so strongly. I could definitely understand her issues with Alina - the self-doubt certainly grated on my nerves at times. I could also understand her view of "telling" statements - it would have been nice to show the reader what the palace and the queen were like. And I could understand the questionable research - my lack of Russian history and culture is abominable so I won't pretend to know better, but there were a few eyebrows raised while reading.

All of these things were fairly obvious to me, too. Steph, being a more critical reviewer than I am (and I say this with the utmost respect - there is no other blogger who makes me think about writing and plots and character development as she does), was bothered by things I saw but looked past. We're different, and that's okay. However, Steph actually got angry with the stereotypes she found in this book - stereotypes I didn't even recognize. This really made me think.

I am white. I come from a middle class family. Other than being a woman, I have never really experienced prejudices. Obviously this is a good thing for me; my life has been relatively easy. However, this fact, of which I truly have no control, makes me feel guilty at times. How often do I look past stereotypes because they don't affect me? Am I perpetuating the cycle by standing silently aside? These are the sorts of thoughts going through my head since reading Steph's review.

Now Steph's review did not change my opinion of this novel. Despite its flaws, it swept me up and into another world and gave me a want for more high fantasy. I loved this story way more than I anticipated, and I will eagerly await its sequel. What Steph's review did was make me think about stereotypes in a new light. I hope it brings even more discussion and we might all learn how hurtful even unintentional stereotyping can be.


*I contacted Steph regarding this post and received her full support in referencing her thoughts and opinions.

Jealousy

There is a person I know who has something I want. Desperately. More than I've wanted anything in a long, long time. It is a book. So go out and get it. It hasn't been published yet. So request the ARC. It's actually a bound manuscript - of a book highly anticipated. It is written by this guy, you may have heard of him, named John Green.

Yep.

I have a friend who was recently blessed with a bound manuscript of The Fault in Our Stars. She called to tell me because she was obviously excited (understatement of the year), but she is unable to share it with me because she was required to sign an affidavit specifically saying she would be the only person to read it.

So I got mad.

How could she really call and tell me this only to say I couldn't read it? Why didn't she just keep it to herself? I mean, she hasn't even read a fricken John Green book before. How can she call herself a fan? I'm the one always telling her to read his books. How dare they send her a copy? How dare she rub it in my face? Did they really require a signature?! How are they gonna know? That is ridiculous...

This of course was the conversation I had with myself in my head. Only crazy people talk like that... you know, out loud... This person is a dear friend. And although I am extremely jealous of her (!!!), I am also glad she is finally taking my advice and reading a John Green book. Even if I'm kinda mad...

So anyway, this whole situation got me thinking: are we as book bloggers spoiled?

Being a book blogger is amazing. People send us books, often without a guaranteed review, for free. We get to read things months before the general public. We get bookmarks and posters and stickers and temporary tattoos. Authors talk to us, appreciate us, sometimes befriend us. These things make us a part of an exclusive group, and all because we're basically a bunch of nerds who read way more than the average person and enjoy spitting out thoughtful, well-written reviews for free.

It's easy to get spoiled. It's easy to get jealous. But it's kind of like your mom always told you: there will always be someone who has something you want and can't have. But when it comes to books, you CAN have it. Maybe not today or next week, but eventually that book will be released for everyone to read. And with awesome posts like this one by Beth Revis or that one by Michelle Hodkin, you can see that waiting for the finished copy isn't a bad thing. ARCs are advanced uncorrected proofs, printed long before the finished copies. Long enough for changes to be made - and not just typos! Changes to the actual content can and do occur. Scenes change; endings are altered. The wait for January might seem like a long one, but I want my copy of The Fault in Our Stars to be the one John Green meant for me to read.

Jealousy can be described as feelings of insecurity, fear, and/or anxiety over the potential loss of something valuable. But when it comes to books, what do any of us really have to lose? There are so many books out there already published - more books than any of us could ever read in a lifetime - and there are more books being released everyday. With such a vast amount of literature available to us, it seems silly to be jealous over just one book. Even if it is the new John Green.

Do Bloggers Sell Books?

There's been a lot of talk lately about the good vs. bad of book blogging, and I have to say that it's made me sit back and think about why I started blogging, what I mean to accomplish, and what kind of effect (if any) my blog has on readers. It appears there are industry professionals who believe bloggers don't sell books. They are certainly entitled to that opinion because they're probably right. I'm sure many bloggers don't sell a single book, but I bet a lot of them do.

I know because I'm one of them.

One of my greatest strokes of luck since I began blogging - and I truly believe it was sheer luck - was being approached by my local indie bookseller. They found my blog, liked what they saw, realized I was local, and said, "Hey, we should team up!"

Since partnering with Cavalier House Books I've had the opportunity to participate in their school book fairs. I spent two days back in November talking to high school kids about books. It was amazing. I'm sure the majority of kids who bought books those two days would have made their purchases regardless of my being there, but there were several who actually took my recommendations.

There was one kid whose friend was obviously a bookworm, and she picked up several books while he just stood there watching her. I asked him if he read, and he said he didn't like to but thought it was because he never found the right book. I pointed him over to John Green telling him it may be a good place to start. The friend then told me - and I'm sure this will embarrass him to no end if he reads this - that he and his girlfriend had just broken up so she was trying to help him find something that might make him feel better. I told him to go with An Abundance of Katherines (because it seemed fitting), and I said I was so sure he would like it I'd buy it back from him if he didn't. True to my word, I'm happy to refund his purchase. Except I haven't heard back ;)

There were several highlights from that day, but that one kid was my favorite. I hand-sold several books including every copy we had of Before I Fall and nine If I Stays, but I'm most proud of that one John Green. I really hope Colin speaks to that guy the way he spoke to me.

Another dream-come-true has been my display. CHB has graciously given me a space inside their bookstore to showcase some of my favorite books. And I don't know how many people pay attention to the title of the display or what John and Michelle tell them about me, or if they ever even visit this blog. But it gets their attention, and the books sell. And the books are constantly changing. The display features new titles, old titles, whatever I want people to notice. One of the last times I checked on it Michelle told me a girl stopped in front of the display, picked up Boy Meets Boy, and left the store with it clutched to her chest. Picturing that literally brings tears to my eyes. I love knowing that someone else is getting to experience the wonder of David Levithan's writing because of me. Sure she may already be a fan. Maybe she's even read it and just wanted her own copy. Or maybe the cover caught her eye, and had it not been right in front of her she may have glanced over it and missed out on the beauty of Paul's story.

As a book blogger, I know I don't have much push or pull when it comes to book sales. In the immense world that is the internet, I play an infinitesimally small role. However, regardless of the influence I have, I will always, first and foremost support literacy, and one of the ways I do that is by supporting the books and authors I love. I will always read, I will always buy, and I will always recommend. So it may not mean a whole lot to John Green himself, but selling that one copy of An Abundance of Katherines means the world to me.