Do you really read other blogger’s book reviews?
Julie:
Well, it depends. I do, actually, read other blogger’s book reviews when the book is one I’m considering reading. I do judge a book by other people’s opinions of it. Or maybe if it is a book I’ve recently read and want to see their thoughts and share my opinion in the comments. But, if it is a book I’m about to read and review, I will avoid reading other blogger’s reviews. I also can’t possibly read all the reviews by all the blogs I follow, so I have to pick and choose the ones that interest me. I think the reviews I enjoy the most have some sort of funny aspect to them or something unique. I do like gif use, but not too many. Overly gushy reviews are hard to get into though because I need to connect to why the blogger is so into the book, and sometimes the reasons get lost in the gush.
Rose:
It is actually kind of funny. I often read reviews of books that I have already read/reviewed simply to see what other bloggers thought of the book. In these reviews I like the blogger to really discuss the book, spoilers and all! However, whenever I am reading a book review of something that just merely caught my eye or someone told me to go check out, I do NOT like spoilers. It would be nice if there was a distinction between the two types of reviews. I know we have spoiler warnings and all that. That is not what I am talking about. I mean I wish that we had two distinct type of reviews… One could be a “Hey you should read this book!” sales pitch (publisher/author blurbs tend to not do the book justice) and one could be a “Let me tell you what I thought about THIS book”. Or better yet, whenever you review a book, perhaps the review could be structured like okay, here is the book info/stats/your star rating and then a little evangelical paragraph to encourage others to read the book and then a review at the bottom for those who already read the book or don’t care about spoilers. What do ya’ll think?
I do pretty much what Rose does. I read the reviews of other bloggers after I’ve read the book 🙂
your comment is awesome… hahah the way it appeared on my screen it only showed the first sentence. I got a kick out of that when i read, “I do pretty much what Rose does.” lol… anyways, yeah, reading reviews is fun, but I really try to wait until I have read the book, especially if I have reviewed the book, too. I am avoiding reviews like the plague right now because the latest Outlander novel has been released and I have not finished it yet and DO NOT WANT IT SPOILED!!! AHHH!
Rose- I love your review idea – you should totally do it!
I personally read reviews for books I haven’t heard of and want to see if I’d like to read it. If it’s later in the series, I tend to skim to avoid spoilers. I also love reading reviews of books I have read to see if they thought what I did. The only reviews I really don’t read are for books that don’t interest me – if they are written by bloggers I like to follow, I try to at least skim them to see what they thought so I can respond, but I also say that it doesn’t sound like a book for me.
Great post ladies!
Berls @ Fantasy is More Fun recently posted…Life of a Blogger | Siblings
I do not typically read reviews of books that do not interest me either with one except, – if the books has a really pretty or otherwise captivating cover, I will take a quick glance at the review and possibly read it. Who knows, I might like this book after all!
I read every review that gets linked to my Booknificent Thursday linky party each week (btw, thanks for linking up this discussion). Other than that, I tend to read reviews for children’s picture books and reviews that go with giveaways to see if I want to bother entering. That’s about all the time for reading reviews I’ve got. 🙂
Tina
I know what you mean as far as having the time. It seems there is never enough of it!!!
Mostly, I read reviews for books I’ve already read. I’m most interested in learning how another reader’s opinions differs from mine. I’m also interested in reading about books I’m not familiar with– books that haven’t already made their rounds on the blogs. That can be challenging to find though.
Jackie recently posted…The Weekly Squee! (3)
Jackie, I am interested in attempting to read a little outside of my normal genre this summer and so I find that I have been reading more reviews about books I wouldn’t typically read about to try and find a book outside of my usual genre to read next.
I’ll only read reviews of books I’ve read (to see if the blogger agreed with me or not) or books I plan on reading. Although if it’s one I haven’t yet read, I have to make sure it’s spoiler free 😉
Rinn recently posted…Feature: Bell & Sword – A Sabriel Read-along (Chapters 11 – 21)
How do you go about making sure it is spoiler free??? I always accidentally stumble upon spoilers it seems
[…] Julie and Rose wonder if people really read book blogger reviews. […]
Considering I write book reviews on my blog a lot. I do tend to read them on other blogger’s sites. I like these answers that were given.
Crystal Green recently posted…The Way of Grace Book Review
Thanks Crystal. I wonder how many non-book bloggers read book blog reviews? It seems that most of us reviewers read them. What about the non blogger peeps out there. Do you think they read them, too?
I’m like Rose where I tend to read reviews after I have written mine! If there is a book I’m interested in and I know I won’t have to write a review in exchange for a complimentary copy I’ll read some! I usually do that a lot with Kindle freebies! Thanks for sharing this at Booknificent Thursday!
Seems a lot of people read reviews after reading the book. Which is sort of interesting to me because I would have thought that people read reviews BEFORE deciding to read a book or not.
I most definitely do read reviews, especially on the blogs I regularly troll about 😀 Have no shame over it, either. Those that I do troll about very often offer the kind of reviews I really like, totally spoiler free on the actual content, talking about the concept of this and that, the technical aspects of the read if you will, not giving away the whole heart of it. I hate spoilers, I really do. Even in books I’ve already read, I mean, let’s talk about it in a way that won’t ruin it for others, you know?
If we do an in-depth discussion on some book, like a book club thing, then sure, spoil away, but make it clear to me it’s a book club kind of discussion so I’ll read it my own risk of having the reading experience spoiled, lol. I’m highly unlikely to read a book if I’ve been given spoilers (or seen the movie based on it before getting to the book, lol). The whole point is the puzzle, the unknown, the exploration and thrill of not knowing stuff. Once that’s done, my interest goes from thin to none, lol.
So I’m totally with Julie on this one 😀
Livia @ Butterfly-o-Meter Books recently posted…The Mark of the Tala by Jeffe Kennedy
Livia, so I guess you are not into rereading, huh? I understand where you are coming from. I think, too that if person tends to read mysteries or paranormal or something more plot driven, then yeah, spoilers kill it. But if you tend to read more like contemporary romance, then spoilers suck, but still I will read on for the experience that book can still provide. I guess that is because with contemporary NA and YA romance, we typically already know how the book is going to end, we are just reading for the thrill of it. On a side note, I never read Twilight series until after I saw the movie(s). The movie made me want to read the book.
I personally don’t read too many reviews. If I am going to read a review, it’s usually for a book that I’ve already read/reviewed, and I do it just because I find it fascinating to see how our opinions of the book differ. If I haven’t read the book yet, I might skim a review but rarely do I fully read it just because I like going into books knowing as little as possible.
I do agree Rose though! Sometimes I wish we sort of had different reviews for different people – those who have read and those who haven’t. An old blog I used to follow (I Read and Tell) used to do something that I always thought was neat. She’d review a book and then at the end have a spoiler bit where she sort of did a Q&A, with questions about the book with her own opinions, that readers who had read the book could share their thoughts on in the comments. It meant if you hadn’t read the book you didn’t have to see it because it was spoilered tagged, but that you had to be wary when in the comment section since others would be answering the Qs.
Asti recently posted…Exploring Tarot with The Raven Boys â Part II
That’s a great idea, but yeah, the comments would kinda kill for some people!
Rose, I totally agree with you about having either a type of review or a section of a review that allows you discuss the spoilery topics. I’m actually starting a new feature this week where I talk about the ending of the books I’ve read. But I also think your idea of incorporating a section in a review for this type of discussion is brilliant!
Jordin @ A Bottomless Book Bag recently posted…Review: Shadow Kiss
Thanks Jordin! I want to check out your new feature. Can you link back later? (or perhaps I can try book marking this) I think the idea of a feature like that is great because then if you showed up in my email/blog feed I would know right away from the title of the feature that if I didn’t want to know the ending, to steer clear of your post. Great idea!
My first post for my new feature went up today! It’s linked through commentluv
Jordin @ A Bottomless Book Bag recently posted…Let’s Talk about the Ending: Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead
thanks for leaving us the link. I stopped over and loved how you discussed the book.
I always avoid reviews that give a spoiler alert warning if I haven’t read the book. If it’s a book I really want to read, I’ll actually save the post in my email and go back to it after I’ve read the book. But I do agree that I can’t read everything on every blog I like, so sometimes I will skim them or not read if it’s a genre I really don’t care for.
Jennine G. recently posted…The Death of Bees
I never thought if saving the email… or even bookmarking that page to read the review after. Perhaps I will try that. Thanks for the idea, Jennine!
I use Pocket for saving things to look at later.
I waver on reading reviews. If it is a book I’m unsure about I will, but with an edge to do I not need to read this because of a spoiler. I don’t want a book ruined for me with spoilers. I wil read reviews for books I’ve read to compare notes, get a new/different perspective.
On my blog reviews page I aim to stays spoiler free. My home page will contain spoilers as specific book post are generally updates for a read-a-long and will include thoughts and discussions.
I do think the suggestion of a review broken into two sections could work.
Plethora recently posted…Rachael’s Library Books Read-A-Thon
I usually do read actually read other bloggers reviews. The exceptions are when the review is of not-the-first book in a series I haven’t read yet, OR if it’s of a book that has been reviewed EVERYWHERE–sorry, but if it wasn’t one of the first 3 or so reviews I saw, I probably just skimmed. *shrugs* Recently, I have started avoiding reviews of some of the books I am planning on reading soon, but that mostly only happens if the book in question has been REALLY hyped up. I try to have as few expectations as possible, and even without spoilers, sometimes it’s hard to do that, if you read a bunch of reviews beforehand.
Jessica @ Rabid Reads recently posted…Review: A Kiss of Shadows by Laurell K. Hamilton
Jessica, I do the same thing. I avoid reading reviews of books I am just about to start reading because I want to go into the book free from other people’s thoughts. However, sometimes that is hard to do because you have already seen so many people posting about a book. Its almost worth it to only review older books, so that this does not become a problem.
I read reviews – all of them – unless it’s of a book I’m just about to start, and then I wait until I’m done before I read it. And I love reading reviews of books I’ve read and comparing my thoughts to another blogger’s. I don’t like spoilers in reviews of books I haven’t read, and I enjoy unique reviews.
Geez, you’ve both given me something to think about for my own reviews. 🙂
Bookworm Brandee recently posted…**Review ~ Beg ~ C.D. Reiss**
You too! How do you manage to read ALL the reviews of the bloggers you follow???? I also do not read reviews of a book I am just about to start.
Yup I do read em even if I will not read the book or have yet to read it or thinking of reading. I love to compare notesor just be privy to their thoughts LOL.. on a more personal note, sadly humor isn’t my forte, I wish I could be funnier eep!
Braine Talk Supe recently posted…Steampunk Sundays: Lady Jessica: Monster Hunter [Heart Of The Empire] by Keith Dumble
haha<---- I laughed anyways??? How do you manage to read every review???? Are you Super Human Blogger Girl????
I only really read reviews of books which I have already read because I want to know other people’s opinions on them. it’s why I blog you know?
My reviews (which I seldom write) are usually structured as Rose said because while I want other people to read the book, I usually just want to get my opinion out there and to see those of others. They are always stamped with a spoiler warning (usually in the form of a River song GIF) so that I don’t ruin it for anyone else!
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who does this!!
Scarlett’s Book Blog recently posted…Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige
When you read a review written about a book that you have also reviewed, do you ever comment and leave a link to your review? Particularly if you agreed or liked their review? If someone did that on your review, would you read it?
I read blogger reviews when I want to step out of my usual reading patterns. For example, one of my goals for this year is to read more scifi/fantasy so I look to the blogs that specialize in those genres to see what the current trends are. Same with YA & graphic novels.
I read a lot of fiction in translation and that’s sometimes hard to find in libraries so it’s mostly where I spend my book budget. So I go to a few favorite blogs to help me decide what to buy.
Martha recently posted…Round the World of Reading
Martha, thanks for sharing. I am getting a little bogged down in my typical reading genre… I am considering branching out for this summer’s reading list and reading things that do not fall under Contemporary YA and NA Romance. I like your idea of reading reviews when the genre is outside of your usual genre. Perhaps I will try this.
I read reviews for similar reasons as have been discussed above. Sometimes, if it’s a book I’m considering I’ll skim through some reviews – usually after I’ve seen that it seems to be generating some buzz among bloggers that I trust. I’ll almost always read the reviews after I’ve read a book – just to see how my opinion holds up and to see what I’ve missed in my own reading.
…and sometimes, if I’m waited a long time (a month or more, usually) between reading and reviewing a book I’ll skim other reviews to jolt my memory of things that I loved and hated – because I’m a bad blogger and rarely take notes. 🙂
April @ The Steadfast Reader recently posted…Spread the Love 2.0: Week Fifteen
is there really such thing as a bad blogger??? hahah noooooooooooooo
Stopping by from Steadfast Reader–
I do read book reviews from bloggers–mainly if I’ve learned that we have similar tastes. I mostly want to know WHY a blogger did or didn’t like a particular book–if a review is simply retelling the plot or “gushing” as referred to above, it’s not so useful to me. But if the review is telling me that the dialogue is especially true to life, or if the characters are particularly relatable, etc, then that will definitely prompt me to pick up the book. And I will also read reviews of books I’ve already read, just to see how my opinion compares!
bookmammal recently posted…Saturday 9–Vacation/The Go-Go’s
Thanks for stopping by! So okay, I dislike summarizing the book in the reviews, too. I think that is what the book blurb is for. The review, in my opinion, is all about the writing, the characters, the EXPERIENCE of reading the book.
I stay away from reviews of books I’m going to review or that I think I will. I do like to see what others have thought of books I’ve read and to read reviews of books I’m considering. Like Julie, I can’t possibly read every review in every blog I follow so in addition to the ones I mentioned above, I’ll read any that catch my eye.
I cannot read all the reviews that appear in my feed as well, but I do what you do, read the reviews that catch my eye… that being said, I wonder what exactly it is that catches our eye? That could be a whole other post right there! And I understand about not reading a review of a book you are planning to review yourself. I skim the reviews of books to see if it is something I might want to read, but as I get closer to actually reading the book, I do not look at reviews so as too keep my own ideas somewhat separate from others.
Rose and Julie, this is great food for thought. I read reviews if it is a book that I have read or want to read. I guess the only exception to that would be if it is a book in a series. For example, I’ve avoided all reviews of Cress so far. 🙂
Rose, I have a couple of reviews I need to write. I might challenge myself to structure my reviews as you suggest just to see how it would look/feel!
Have a great week, ladies.
Terri M. LeBlanc recently posted…The Sunday Post #24: Week of May 11, 2014
Terri, if you do, link back! I’d like to check them out!
I tend to read reviews about books I’m interested in or have already read. If I’m just interested in them and want to know what the blogger things (or it’s a book that caught my attention) then I’ll read the book blurb and then go straight down to that last paragraph or two and find the rating. That way I wont read any spoilers – meant to be there or not – and I find out if the book is actually worth a read.
If I have already read the book I read the entire review to see how my opinion and the blogger’s opinion compare. I love both types of reviews, and yes I agree with Rose in that there should be a set up where it does the basic review – the one I read before I read a book – and the full on spoilers – at the end would be nice.
I’m glad to see that I’m not the only one who reads reviews like this. Thanks ladies.
Thanks, Heather. I enjoy comparing my opinion of a book with another blogger’s opinion. If I find that me and another blogger have similar reviews, then I will be more likely to read a book that particular blogger recommends. Its also a great way to make new blogger friends!