Being the Better Person

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I want to love the books I read. When I was younger, in high school and such, I raided the library and picked books out because I wanted to read them. The shelves weren't organized into five star or one star books, and didn't have a huge list pasted on the wall with everyone's opinions on the books I scoured through. The books grabbed my attention on their own merit. The stories pulled me in with their plots, characters, scenes, and morals. I loved a book because I wanted to love it.
When I had to read for a class, I blocked out what my peers said about it, because most of the time they complained. I learned to do this in 8th grade we were asked to read a book. I ultimately loved it, but everyone around me complained constantly. I found when I said, "but I liked it because of this" suddenly, everyone else agreed and saw the good in it.
Since becoming a published author, I've found my reading experience altered. I notice show vs tell, stiff dialogue, bulky writing, passive voice and a myriad of other simple mistakes which before I embarked on this journey I never would have even cared about, but more especially, noticed. But I still want to love the books I read.
This is where Being the Better Person arises. As a writer, I know how crushing a negative review feels. Because of this, combined with what I learned in high school, I won't leave a negative review out there for anyone to see. I don't want to alter someone's reading experience for them, and before I start reading, I won't read other reviews. Why? With my reading already altered from being a writer, I don't need other people's negativity highlighting faults before I even step into it. Like in high school, one person can change what other people see in a book.
Reading should bring us joy. Reading should be something we do to make us happy, to uplift and enrich us. I hope I never forget that, especially as I write.