So it’s been a while.
I spent a couple years writing for another site, added a couple of kids to the family, did a lot of reading, less writing, and a whole lot more thinking. Now, as I circle back here, I think I have a clearer idea of what I’d like this place to be.
Previously I focused pretty much entirely on reviews of either fantasy or science fiction books. My reviews tended toward – peppy, shall we say. I don’t know if it's age or just the last few years, but I think one of the big things that will change here is the tone. I certainly don’t want this to become a criticism blog full of me hate reading things for the drama. But I’d like to try for a more balanced approach, both for my readers and for myself. Sometimes, a book needs to analyzed, and sometimes it’s okay to love it just because.
Things I hope will take shape are an ongoing conversation on thinking reads vs. feeling reads. A general rating on a scale of “I’m okay with having spent time on this book” to “I’m enraptured with this and now all the other people must read and love it too.” Basically, I'm not going to review a book I don't like, but I do want to give a nod to books that just aren't for me. Also, expect a lot of round ups for books I feel are worth tossing out for someone’s library list but don’t really need a lot of analysis.
And with four kids in the house, I want to start making space for more kids’ books here on Myrdan. I rather doubt there will be a lot of deep discussion around them, but I have run across some exceptional stories I’d like to give a shout out to. I suspect these in particular will lend themselves more to round up posts than actual reviews. I may also expand into kid related media beyond books, but we'll see.
Finally, I think many longer or ongoing series will be getting overall commentary on why I value them instead of individual reviews of each new installment. I ran into this while reviewing before. There’s a point where gushing over each new book in a series for pretty much the same good qualities starts to sound insincere. Hopefully a big picture look at the entire work will do a better job of explaining my passion without the repetition.
So here’s to a new start for Myrdan Creation!
The to-read pile will be with you. Always.