Closer, yet still far away

So, I've been at my sister's in MA for exactly a week, and what have I accomplished? Watching about 5 movies and reading 3 romance novels on my kindle. I feel ashamed!


What better way to spend my time then catch up on the other 5-10 books I have hidden in my suitcase? Oh right, I sleep in all day and stay up all night reading author blogs. I really need to work on reversing my time schedule so people stop thinking I'm a vampire with a blog addiction.


During my blog perusals, I've come across book reviewer blogs that have short and long reviews. (I'm a sucker for those longer reviews.)


There are so many different types of reviews available, and the worst part of them? I feel like they don't really get to say what they want to say. I'm still sort of new to the blogging world, but I've read a hefty amount of reviews and most of them are really peachy and enthusiastic. (I can't really disagree, because most books I've read also happen to be fabulous and all I want to do is gush about them.)


I had the pleasure of reading a fantastically brutal review the other day, where the reviewer really set the story apart from others because of their dislike of the main character. Sometimes it's the way the characters act in the heat of the moment or their choices, or the fact that it's just really difficult to see how two strangers can fall in love and promise themselves to each other in less than a week. I mean, I know novels only have so much space before they become epic novels and then a series, but you've got to give your characters a little more depth and friction then just an instant, "omg, we're made for each other." Because honestly, no one wants to hear about how perfect two people are for each other, we want to hear about their struggles and only then can we appreciate what they have after everything they've gone through. Avoid instant connections at all costs.


Unless of course, we're talking about friendships. Although, I'll have to admit, I'm also a sucker for friendships that come from a long back and fourth discourse between two people. Especially when you put those two people together in a dangerous environment, you know who you can trust after you've been through a life or death situation, which is usually the case in most novels. If there isn't a monumental scene in a novel where the chances of a character dying or being severely injured aren't present, I don't really want to read it.