A Blast Of Random

A few weeks earlier (towards the end of 2013) I was planning to write this blog post about ‘The Year Gone By’ but due to my exams which are going on since forever and probably won’t get over until mid-March (ugghhh!!!), I never got around to doing it and then it wouldn’t have been much fun writing it after the year ended.

Basically I was going to mention about all the great things that happened, a few things that could’ve been better perhaps and obviously my achievements. Meaning the number of books I read (76 only!)  and new things I did like starting this blog and becoming a Nerdfighter(rather, realizing I’m a Nerdfighter- because I always one).

While thinking about that article I realized something though. This year, instead of doing a lot of quantitative things, I did some qualitative things.

For example, I started a blog, made around 20 Potterhead friends (total strangers in the beginning- some of them I still haven’t gotten a chance to meet), organized The Hugest Surprise Birthday Bash Ever™ (Harry Potter themed of course!)

Also I did things I never usually do, like watching a lot of movies and videos (I prefer books- but John and Hank quite successfully changed that!) and more than anything, I learnt to take initiative, to participate.

I learnt to never say never- Oh yes! The biggest cliché! But I realised how I was doing just that- I never watch videos on YouTube, I never watch a lot of movies at any given point (at times last year, I watched two back-to-back!) were things I was often found to be saying until even six months into 2013.
But then it changed. And how!

Of course, I realize how I haven’t gone way out my comfort zone and done things to broaden my horizons (or whatever those clichés are) but hey, it’s a start!
And this year I have decided to change a few others. Earlier I had just one in my mind- I never watch any T.V. Shows.

This one I decided to change around November or December last year (it is already called the ‘previous’ year- feels a bit weird) but I haven’t started watching anything yet because of the aforementioned exams.

But I most definitely am going to do that.
I think I’m gonna start with Sherlock. Anybody has any suggestions? (I’m pretty much illiterate when it comes to T.V. shows as of now)
Other than Doctor Who? (No I am not saying never but I am planning to watch it a bit later)

Another thing I’m going to stop saying never to is writing reviews.

Part of the reason (which I have written about before) is that I am a bit (understatement) biased if the author is my favourite.
I mean, I’ve seen Potterheads criticizing JKR in reviews for “The Casual Vacancy”!
And I couldn’t do that!
That’s one reason I have never had the courage to write reviews. Because not saying that a book is disappointing is as good as lying, and saying it feels like betrayal to the author.

Another is because I believe only a reader can decide for himself/herself whether or not he/she wants to read a book, influencing (or I’d go so far as to say manipulating) his/her views doesn’t seem like the done thing to me.
In fact, I never read reviews of any book before reading it. I only read them after I’ve read it.

Having said that, it might just be because I’m just too lazy to actually sit down and write a review. 😛

But recently due to various reasons I realized that I should, in fact, write reviews.

I have decided that since it is the beginning of the year and stuff, there couldn’t be a more opportune time and so I’ll occasionally post a review of some book I read.

I might not do it the way it is to be done and it might just be something random. I will try to make them interesting for you lovely peeps too.

I mean I will try but the success of that, I cannot very much predict.
It is an experiment.
Let’s see how it goes…

May the odds be ever in my favor!