Guest Post: Rebecca the Mistress of Trivial Pursuit

I am currently buried under family members, food, festival, and fun, so some kind bloggers have graciously agreed to guest post here on eclectic / eccentric.

Today, the lovely Rebecca of Lost in Books discusses the positives and negatives of being an eclectic reader!

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When Trisha asked for guest posts about being an eclectic reader all I could think was- awesome. Because I am definitely an eclectic reader. I read nearly every type of book there is- fiction and nonfiction. I find it way more interesting and plus it keeps my A.D.D. brain stimulated.

I love lists so I thought I would put together a list of what I personally feel are the advantages and disadvantages of being an eclectic reader.

REASON TO LOVE IT:

1. So one reason I love being an eclectic reader is that it never gets boring. You can always switch it up. Not in the mood for a mystery? Grab some chick lit. Not in the mood for chick lit? Grab some literary fiction. Not in the mood for literary fiction? Grab a fantasy book. It’s always something different. It really suits my needs for constant mental stimulation, originality, and learning. Since I have A.D.D., I would never have found a love for reading if I had to stick with only two or three genres. I get bored way too easily, as anyone who knows how many books I read at a time can testify.

FLIP SIDE:

I can read 5 books at a time, especially if they are in different genres. I always get comments about how can I do this. I can’t focus or keep my attention on anything for very long, no matter how interesting it is. Also, I can keep my stories pretty straight because it would be hard to mix up Melissa de la Cruz’s Blue Bloods with David Sedaris’ Naked and Sandra Dallas’ Prayers for Sale. But the problem with reading 5 books at a time is it takes for-ever to finish one. I can’t sit down and finish a book in a day or sometimes even a week or two weeks. In that way, it does seem like it drags on, but I get bored reading the same story for too long just as I do when watching movies that are over 120 minutes.

REASON TO LOVE IT:

2. You never run out of books to read. My TBR list is thousands of books long. There is never a shortage of books I want to pick up or only a handful left like there might be if I was only into crime fiction, for example. Also it is easy to find books for others to borrow. So my best friend, my mother, my sisters, my girlfriends, my guy friends, my boyfriends, and the ladies who clean my mother’s house all can find something they want to borrow and read. (As long as they bring it back, of course.)

FLIP SIDE:

My TBR list is out of control. There are so many books I want to read and there will never be time enough to read them all. How to choose? I have to try to pick the best of the bunch and rely on the reviews and opinions of readers I trust, like Trisha, who often have similar views to mine on books. But there is not as much guilt about putting down a book I am not into because there are just too many fish in the sea to be stuck with the equivalent of sardines. Plus I can always find a new home for it.

REASON TO LOVE IT:

3. I am a well-rounded reader. Like a liberal arts education, I learn a little bit of everything through reading, even through fiction. I have learned about forensics, history, various cultures, religions, police procedures, the arts, politics, you name it. I am not specialized and boxed in, if you will. I can talk about the value of reading classic novels, the best reads on Indian culture, and I can discuss who writes better chick lit- Sarah Dessen, Emily Giffin, or Lauren Weisberger.

FLIP SIDE:

It’s kind of like being a jack of all trades, master of none. I’m sort of like the general, family physician to the neurologists, pediatricians, and dermatologists. They know a lot about one thing, while I know a little about a lot. While historical fiction fans are comparing all of the Austen sequels/remakes, I can only comment on a few and while the paranormal fans are debating the pros and cons of different vampire series, I have only read a couple of books in a couple of series. So while I am not going to be an expert in any genre or have a niche, I could totally kick butt in Trivial Pursuit. :P

REASON TO LOVE IT:

4. Being an eclectic book reviewer means I seek out a variety of book blogs to read, as I want to hear about a variety of books. In doing so I have met a lot of very cool bloggers, some of whom I consider my friends and not just acquaintances, though I haven’t “met” anyone I haven’t liked. I have found so many blogs I like to visit and read, and the cool people that go with them are an added bonus.

FLIP SIDE:

I have found so many blogs I like to visit and read. LOL. My Google Reader is in constant danger of swallowing me alive! I want to read the eclectic blogs, the historical fiction blogs, the urban fantasy/paranormal blogs, the cultural-centric blogs, the nonfiction blogs. And because I have met so many great bloggers and blogs I don’t want to leave anyone out or miss out on anything and that is, quite frankly, overwhelming. Not to mention impossible. It’s not that I don’t want to read everyone’s blog, just that I am only one person and I just can’t get to every blog every day- or even every week. I wish I could cause I would SO be there. And sometimes I am reading, I just don’t always comment, especially if something incredibly profound or witty doesn’t strike me because otherwise I wouldn’t even get to as many posts and blogs as I do now.

So, there are the pluses and minuses of being an eclectic reader, in my opinion. But if you ask me, the pluses totally outweigh the minuses. I really love being an eclectic reader.

Now I want to know what you think:

Are you an eclectic reader? What are the advantages or disadvantages to you? Do you agree or disagree with my personal list? Do you wish you were more or less eclectic, or that you are right where you want to be?