So, I returned my first ebook today. It was somewhat liberating. I've deleted books that I didn't care for, but this was the first of around 400 books I've returned.
It wasn't because it was bad, though... it did suck somewhat, but I wouldn't return a book for that. It wasn't what it advertised. It was supposed to be a book of romance short stories--that was the title and the blurb. Only it wasn't. Usually I'll be the first to admit that the line in modern romances vs. erotica is becoming blurred--which sometimes bothers me as I don't really want to read erotica, but there was absolutely no romance in the few short stories I read. There was sex--a lot of sex, but sex doesn't always equal romance. In fact, I found it disturbing that one story in particular was in the group. If that was a romance... well... it wasn't... okay, it just wasn't. *shudders* *goes to get brain bleach*
I mean, where are we as a society when the word "romance" = sex? It shouldn't. I think that's part of what bothered me. This was edited and compiled by a female--does she not understand the definition of romance? In the short story that snapped it for me--the woman has absolutely no feelings or relationship with either of the two random people she has sex with. I skipped whole pages looking for dialogue because the descriptions were boring. The sex was boring without emotional context! Plus, it was skeevy and gross without that too. *shudders again* Blech. I should have stopped reading long before I did.
I'm tempted to write a review on this... and I never write negative reviews.
It's funny because it takes a lot to offend me as a reader. I like to judge books by their covers, and I think you should be able to. I think a book should live up to its blurb and its cover. I think books should also meet our expectations for content. I hate being disappointed in books. I hate deleting and, now, returning them. On the other hand, life is too short to waste on bad books... and with the money I get back from this book, I'll buy a book that is what it advertises.
Geez, I WANT to love books. Every time I open a book, I want to fall in love with it. I want it to be the best book I've ever read. I want it to make me feel like an inferior writer. I want that. I want to escape my life for a few hours and never want to return. I want to turn off my inner editor and just be a reader again.
I really needed the escape too. The car that my husband fixed on Saturday so he could leave me with a running car--it had a flat tire when I went out to go run errands today. He leaves tomorrow. I needed the escape. I've started rereading my favorite books just to avoid being disappointed. That's awfully pathetic.
LOL. This is sort of a boring blog post, but I've been annoyed all day about this book. However, I've already received two emails from Amazon informing me that my return is being processed. *thumbs up*
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Isn't that just the worst? I think you should be able to judge a book by its cover, and if not, at the very least you ought to be able to judge it by its marketing blurb! Sheesh!
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