When I started learning how to skate, I started paying closer attention to the programs I was watching. Every edge, every jump, every spin. I started to understand, more and more, how the scoring system worked, how some people got high scores on programs I didn't even think were that good, and vice versa.
Eventually, I realized I read books the same way.
This blog is a sub-blog, and it exists because... well, because this is different. Some books I don't dissect, and have so many thoughts and feelings that they need to be written out like their own novel. But most books, I don't read like that. I kept wanting to talk about books in a way that made sense to me, dissecting them the way I do. I realized I could do that with skating — focus on structure, pacing, interpretation, and why execution isn’t the same thing as vibes — and that didn’t always translate cleanly into the narrative form of reviewing.
Thus, Rinkside was born.
I read so much that I’m always aware of how a story is built, how scenes connect (or don’t), how tropes are fleshed out, and whether the ending actually fulfills me or falls short.
Like figure skating, reviews are subjective. What could be the best book ever to me might be someone's most hated book. And that's okay. In this space, I'll share technical feedback and just pure vibes, because to me, those are just as important. Sometimes it’s just vibes. Sometimes it’s me trying to explain why something worked even though it maybe shouldn’t have.
So, that's the focus of Rinkside. For more information on my rating system, you can look here or here.
(And don't worry, I'll be sharing all my opinions about actual skating here too.)
If you have any questions (or suggestions!) feel free to let me know!
waiting in the kiss & cry,
gab <3
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