I’m pretty sure if I read Fallen by Lauren Kate today, I will probably dislike it. There are so many books that I have read, and when I checked my ratings, I was totally stunned. My reactions are between “I rated this 5 stars?” and “I actually read this book?!” or something along those lines. I think it was because I was really new to the whole reading thing and everything was refreshing and different that I was easily impressed. I even write that in my about page, telling people I’m easy to impress.

Not anymore; I’m not. It looks like I’m not easy to impress anymore. After reading so many books, I picked up a habit or two. I guess I unconsciously pocketed those tidbits, and if I ever encountered that thing again, now in another book, it would easily strip off the originality aspect for me. As I said before, I have read many books, and I ended up being the outcast, particularly with those massively popular books. I mean, I get it and I understand why it was popular… well, sometimes, but for some reason it failed to sway me.

I think reviewing books also contributed to this attitude. It’s not that I’m highly critical, but now it takes a whole lot more to make me praise the book. And when I say ‘a whole lot more,” that doesn’t necessarily equate to the technical aspect of the book; sometimes the pure reason of just enjoying the book weighs more than me analyzing and enumerating the points and faults of the story. I still highly consider the ideas injected in the books. It’s still critical to me, and I think it will always be, but now it will never be enough. I will offer compliments if necessary, but a lack of enjoyment will bother me, especially if it is a trope that has been done over and over again.

Honestly, I really don’t miss being that person who was easier to impress. I actually like that I became this type of reader who regards something more. Looking for that book that I will like despite reading something similar before, or much better, reading very diverse stories (not those dime a dozen). And while I said reading is an escape it is also a journey—an experience, and I want it to be different every time I open a book.

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How about you? Have you second-guessed your rating? Were you easier to impress before you became a blogger? Care to share it with me?