We all know exactly how epic authors are, right?
Without authors, I'm not quite sure where I'd be or what I'd be doing. (Let us assume it would be excessive intake of food and couch quarantine....What can I say, when I watch TV I HAVE to eat. There's no other way to do it!) So my question is how far can an author go before it's to far?
During the past weekend, I was faced with a discussion about morals and ethics. What are people's standards? (I have learned that when sitting in a room of people at least half are self serving and will allow me to be hit on the head with a falling flower pot and they would feel no guilt even if they could have stopped it. I have so much faith in humanity right now!)
I was thinking about that whole idea of ethics when I read this post. Guess what it was on!
Yup....
Badly behaving auditors! WHO WOULD HAVE GUESSED?!
Now we come to the dilemma, can you forgive a badly behaving author? My answer is no. I hold grudges and it is next to impossible for me to let them go.
I don't mean something little like maybe a weirdly worded tweet or something. I mean all people have bad days and I don't blame them for that, I'm talking full blown problems like. **cough** plagiarism ** cough**
Clearly I'm alluding to a certain person, right?
And I know I'm going to get bashed for this, but one of the authors I can't stand is, wait for it... Cassandra Clare author of the well know and recently turned into a movie, series, The Mortal Instruments, as well as another series and I think some miniseries and then a series which she plans to come out with soon. Yeah, that Cassandra Clare.
Maybe, you're all thinking I'm over reacting. Everyone loves these series, I probably only mildly dislike them.... um... NOPE!
Let me tell you a story.
When The City of Bones became a series in later August of the wonderful year of 2013. Do you remember all those tweets, all those posts? GO WATCH CITY OF BONES TO SUPPORT YA BOOK TO MOVIES! Yeah, remember all that? Well, personally, I can support other people going. I think it's awesome that so many people were able to bond over and support this movie. I supported people who wanted others to go. I retweeted things I talked about it. But here's the thing, I NEVER EVER planned to go see it. Why? Well my reason in the grand scheme of things is stupid and inconsequential, but to me it's important. I just didn't want to give any of my money to that author.
See, I know you all think I'm incredibly stupid. I actually read the books and they weren't THAT BAD! (I didn't think they were that good either) But I have so little respect for her. So little anything for her. Reading about her makes me feel a little bit sick. It makes me feel like crap. And I absolutely refuse to support her in the least in my own way. At school I have a couple of friends who LOVE her, LOVE the series. I support them. I've talked a bit about the books with them. I never bring my feeling about her into the conversations. My friends don't even know how much I dislike her.
AND IT'S NOT EVEN SOMETHING PERSONAL!
This is where we come back to my discussion on ethics. Because of what she did years ago, something that is so inconsequential, something that is rarely talked about, and I just can't do it! I just can't look passed it.
I guess this goes to show that I am not an easy person. When I form an opinion I STICK WITH IT UNTIL THE END. Nothing anyone says or does can sway me.
But this isn't a post talking about my extreme dislike for the magnificent Ms. Clare. This is a post where I want to talk about how we each respond to authors.
That post I mentioned above, well it included a mention about one of my favorite authors. And no I'm not going to bother mentioning who inn this post.
The blogger had, had a problem with the author who had really just said some nasty comments to her. But it wasn't even that that got me, it was the fact that I'd seem similar things happen with this author previously. Just nasty, snarky comments, towards people who weren't enjoying her books. Now my problem is how should I respond. Clearly I'm not going to approach the author or anything rash, but on a personal level it bothers me. I guess maybe I should explain a bit more.
Her book was one of my most anticipated for 2013 (it already came out... but I still haven't gotten it because well.. I'm weird okay....) I've read several of her others books and I really enjoy her writing.
But the question is, can I let those comments go? It's not like it would effect how much I enjoy the book, or how much I'd rate it. Most likely I just wouldn't review it because these conflicted feelings. So my question is should I read the book and read it?
Right now, I'd hazard a guess that you think I'm crazy. She did nothing to me personally, so why am I taking offence? It's really the same thing with Clare. I'm a bug on the bottom of her shoe, she doesn't even know I exist and yet I'm never going to support her because what she did was wrong and I can never look past it. Clare's not the only one. There are other authors who have said things that have rubbed me in the wrong way. Famous ones even. Household names. And I don't even want to read their next book.
So this is really a first. I feel so conflicted about it. Maybe it's a little bit because these things were said to book bloggers and since I'm a book blogger I feel even more offended. Or maybe it's just because I'm having a hard time realizing exactly how much this annoys me and I need time to take it all in. Maybe I'll wake up tomorrow and say, yeah, so not bothering with that book.
But until that magical moment of self realization, I need your help!
WHAT should I do? Is this something that would effect you too? Or is this something that you just have to look past?
THE PREMISEBeing permanently based in a local New York City high school as an undercover operative has its moments, good and bad, for 16-year-old safecracker Maggie Silver. Pros: More quality time with her former mark-turned-boyfriend Jesse Oliver and insanely cool best friend, Roux. Getting to spend quality time with her semi-retired and international spy honorary uncle, Angelo. Cons: High school and the accompanying cliques, bad lunches, and frustratingly simple locker combinations. But when Maggie's parents are falsely accused of stealing priceless gold coins, Maggie uses her safecracking skills to try and clear their names. Too bad it only serves to put her and everyone she loves in danger. Maggie and her "new team" flee to Paris where they must come up with a plan to defeat their former allies.
