Shelf Life is a different kind of book blog, created by a passionate reader for other passionate readers. It’s a fun, informative blend of literary criticism, humor, library science, and movie reviews with an extra dash of reader’s interest stuff thrown in for good measure.
Most of the literary blogs I’ve seen are too divorced from the act of reading, the pathos of it, to really be of much use to me. Or the opposite error occurs: it’s so full of book-club discussion questions and how-did-this-symbol-make-you-feel that I have no sense of whether the book was worth my time or not.
That’s why here at Shelf Life, I write my reviews based on four criteria: plot, structure, execution and style, and theme. At the end of each review, though, I’ll give you my overall opinion on it in theRead This If section. And even if I hate it, I’ll suggest other, similar books that I think you’d like if you enjoyed this one. It’s sort of like that thing on Amazon.com, only not driven by capitalism. Each review is tagged by title, author, and rating.
The books that I rate 5 of 5 are given the Top Shelf, and you can find them in a special page all their own. I may even try to write up some book-group type discussions about these since I love them so much.
But this blog is also about my personal reading life. If you’re ever curious as to what’s on my To-Read List, check out the What’s On My Shelf post. It’s an ongoing, constantly updated list of various books I’d like to read (I cross them out when I’ve read them). Whenever I wander Barnes and Noble, or whenever I’m given a suggestion for what to read next, this is where it lands. If you have some for me, I’d love to hear it! Also, the Yearly Shelf is where I keep track of what books I read each year in the order I read them. If they have a review attached, I’ll link it!
I have a great passion for books that started as a child and just never seemed to fade. Now it’s time to share this passion with the rest of the world.
Also, while your here, some people have asked me about how I compiled my What’s on My Shelf list, so here’s the method to my madness. First of all, any time I remember a great book that I’ve always wanted to read or when people I respect give me a recommendation to follow, I add it to the list in the proper category. When I’m at a bookstore browsing and see a title that interests me, I text the name and author to myself to be added to the list later.
But the impetus for the list began with being bored at the library. I knew there were tons of unread treasures out there, but I felt entirely unequipped to find them. So what I began to do is think of titles that I had really enjoyed in the past, and what sort of themes they touched on. Using those titles, library keyword searches, and Amazon.com, I was able to start generating suggestions for books I’d probably enjoy based on a similar keyword. With some work and a little diligence, I now have a ready-made library list that pretty much guarantees I will be able to find something that will passionately engage me every time I visit the library. I highly suggest that if you’re passionate about reading that you do the same, because it has been–no exaggeration–a life-changing decision for me which has brought nothing but joy.