Hi there!
Glad to see you dropping by. Hope you're enjoying my book selection and my reviews.
Who am I?
I am a classically educated gal, born in Poland but living in rainy Ireland since long ago. I am as bookish as it gets. I've always lived around books and (hopefully) managed to form some decent literary taste in all this time. I am highly allergic to bullshit - hence my dislike of romantic novels and self-help bestsellers.
But Bookworm's Cave is not about me, it's about the books.
Book Selection
How do I choose the books for this blog? Usually I simply write about whatever I read. Mostly, the library is my source. I think most books are to be read once so there's no point in actually owning them. There are some exceptions to this rule - e.g. anything by Terry Pratchett - but usually the rule is 'read and let go'.
These days I prefer non fiction books - hence you'll find little fiction in the Bookworm's Cave. As idealistic as it sounds, I expect my books to show me something real, something true. Not much truth in fiction these days - most of the fluff is just trying to fill the reader's mind with dreams and illusions. Dreams sell best...
I love a good story and life itself is the best storyteller of all. I often choose history books, from all over the world. I am fascinated by how flexible history is, how it changes depending on which side of a border you're standing on. It appears that there is no such thing as THE history, or that there are as many histories as there are people. Kind of overwhelming but hey, life is chaos, right?
I have a soft spot for essay collections. I like the essay format - short, slightly philosophical, flexible. You'll find a lot of them in the Bookworm's Cave. It appears I am magnetically drawn to anything that says 'essays' on the cover.
Social issues here and now are another of my favourites. Then there are classics thrown in here and there. Some totally accidental finds, too. Spontaneous is good.
What does not find its way into the Bookworm's Cave? Romance. Crime stories, thrillers are highly unlikely. Fluff, remember? I have particular grudge against self-help books. There are enough people around wishing to tell me how to live my life already - anyway, most self-help books are written because the authors heard they sell well, not out of any real expertise or desire to help.
Have a book to recommend?
Well, send it over. Get in touch with me first and we'll discuss details.
I am honest in my reviews, if I don't like a book, I say so, but as long as it is well written and isn't full of bullshit, I'll probably find something tasty in it.
Note: Please have a look through my blog first and consider if your book fits in. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but I'm extremely unlikely to rave over teenage fiction or romance (to give some examples).
You can contact me through bookwormscave@gmail.com .
