Why I Blog?

I read Becky Laney’s blog entry To Blog or Not To Blog and it was interesting that in the blogosphere, there was a debate on who has the right to write book reviews: amateur bloggers or professional book reviewers?

This led me to reflect on the reasons why I entered the blogosphere and why I chose to do book reviews.

I love to read books. Any book. I’m not focused on any genre. I believe books can enrich us and depending on our present circumstances, our background, or how we grew up, we can have different takes of what the book tells us. And because of these, any individual’s feedback offers a different angle. I’d really encourage people to have an open mind and consider the opinion of others without necessarily accepting them. It’s amazing how it opens up your world and your network of friends.

I used to not like reading. Fine print (12 points and below) gave me headaches so I would rather hear someone narrate it instead. Until, one of my good friends in 6^th grade introduced me to Nancy Drew Mystery Series. She has a collection and she lent me one during recess. I started reading it and got lost to Nancy Drew’s world of mystery and adventure. It amused me that I can “go” into another world, feel the drama, the mystery, the excitement, the suspense, the weather, the emotions, etc. As someone who led a mundane grade school life, I was truly amazed. I used to strictly go to school then home then school the next day then home…you get the drill, and the book was offering me a new experience, a new place. The school library had a collection of Nancy Drew books that I became a constant visitor. I fell in love with Nancy and her adventures. I couldn’t seem to get enough of them!

When I exhausted all of them, I became very sad. I was back to my reality of home-school-home! Like an addict, I got hooked to escaping my reality. So, I searched the library for a replacement. I found Sweet Dreams series. It was about high school girls in the US and their stories of puppy love. As a Filipino, I found the characters’ liberties intriguing and interesting. The American culture has so much independence compared to my strict culture. So, I went through them feeling like I was a confidante. The series used first person narration so reading it made me feel the author was confiding in me…her fears, her thoughts, her nervousness, and all the things happening to her.

As I was finishing my highschool years, I graduated to adult romance novels. Mills & Boons, Harlequin Romance, and such. I found the adult world sophisticated, has more finesse, discrete, with a lot of reading between the lines. These transported me to different countries like Greece, New Zealand, England, Scotland, Australia, etc. Then I started reading Jude Deveraux novels and I got fascinated by history! The fashion, the language, the culture, and the different classes of people and how each class would treat a more inferior class.

When I reached college, I started yearning for mystery and adventure again. A friend recommended her Sidney Sheldon collection. I found Sheldon’s heroines strong and aggressive. They transform from whimpering kittens to roaring lions.

And so, reading to me became an escape from reality. Whenever I felt depressed, lonely or sad, I pick up novel books to read. It never occurred to me that I would get so much wisdom and understanding from them…and there is so much to learn about people! After finishing a story, I often wondered that if things happened differently, how would the plot play out? Then it dawned on me that most conflicts arise from miscommunication and lack of respect. Reading offered a lot of learning tidbits. My fiancé and I always keep our communication lines open to avoid hurting each other. I have to say books are one of the influences in my life.

Reading helps me grow as a person. I’ve learned to become more understanding, not be so judgmental, avoid other people’s mistakes, and be more objective. I like reading non-fiction books, biographies, specialty books, management books, and practically any book I could get my hands on. Learning became my new passion.

I’m a professional marketer and I want my existence to be more than that. One way is to share the learnings I got from reading and hope it will benefit someone out there. Let’s face it, the internet made the world a much smaller place. Information can travel in seconds and is literally at your fingertips. All my reviews are purely my thoughts and opinions; what I learned and the benefits I got from reading the book. If you disagree, I’d like to know why. It would surely offer me a different perspective and I most welcome it!

So guys…this is why I blog.  

Susan Leonardo

Book Reviewer For-Real