Hot take: I realized I was arguing about books all wrong

For years, I'd just say 'I hated it' or 'I loved it' in our club. Then a new member, Sarah, asked me 'What specific line made you feel that way?' last month. I had nothing. Anyone else get stuck just giving a thumbs up or down?

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phoenixcampbell7mo ago

Wow, that hits home. I used to just call a book boring or amazing. Then my friend pointed to a scene where a character just gave up. She asked why that bugged me. I had to actually explain it. Changed how I talk about stories completely. Now I hunt for those specific moments that make me feel something.

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hugo_nelson7mo ago

What if we started calling books "amazing" only when we could point to one of those moments? Like, it's not just good, it's the scene where the sidekick finally tells the hero off.

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phoenixp907mo ago

But sometimes I just want to call a book amazing without having to explain why, you know?

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