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2. Your Waiting On Wednesday has too many books. This just pisses me off. Wednesdays come around every week and both blogger and Wordpress let you schedule posts in advance.
3. Snarky for snarky's sake. Being extremely negative in an attempt at being funny without actually saying anything is offensive to the truly hilarious, like myself. Be funny. If you want, be snarky. But for ****s sake, have a point.
4. You don't have an opinion. I don't read blogs for objective, literary analysis. Seriously, I'm smart enough to do that myself. Yes, discuss character, plot, themes, structure, but also tell me how it made you feel. I want to learn about the book, but I also want to get to know you through your reviews.
5. It's a review for a book that I'm in the middle of, planning to start soon, or need to write a review for. I read reviews to get excited about books to read, but when I get to a book in my TBR pile, I want to make sure I'm forming my own opinions. For example, I haven't recently commented on any Raven Boys or Burn for Burn reviews.
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Well said! Sometimes coming up with a decent comment is hard, especially when no opinions are included in a review. I try to explain why I felt a book was or wasn't worth reading, but it's still a work in progress for me.
ReplyDelete*sigh* Guess I'm never going to get a comment from you as I've never read The Great Gatsby.
Good points, Steph! I especially have a hard time leaving comments on book reviews that simply summarize the book, I just want to know why and if you liked it. I also want to leave meaningful replies, but I often fail at that. Although if I leave a Great review! reply, I mean it, otherwise u wouldn't have left my Google Reader.
ReplyDeleteMost of the points I make in a review are of things that I enjoyed or like. Any negative points are clearly stated as such.
ReplyDeleteWhat I don't like is when someone summarises the book. This happened, what I liked, then this happened, it was great. I can find out what happened myself. I read synopsis'.
Becky @ A Reader’s Devotion
I don't enjoy reading reviews where every detail about the book is talked about. Especially if I want to read it in the future. It is the same as the movie trailer these days. They show all the good stuff and then the movie is a let down.
ReplyDeleteI do enjoy reading reviews of books I've alrady read to see how our opinions compare.
LOL! So if I read and don't like The Great Gatsby, will you stop reading my blog? Never mind, don't answer that. ;)
ReplyDeleteI agree that reviews should be about how the book made you feel and what you liked or dislike, I hate when people get too analytical. I need to look at all my reviews a little better and make sure I do this.
Great points, Steph. I've been really neglecting my blog lately since I got into Twitter. Sighs. I'm planning a Thursday Obsession post cause I miss those things and to participate in the next Top Ten Tuesday :) But sometimes it's hard to come up with a good comment or something that someone above hasn't already said before. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I might have to do a list like this myself! And I'm glad you still read and comment on my blog, even though I didn't LOVE The Great Gatsby. I did enjoy it, and I really liked the ending! Anyway... I'm TOTALLY with you on #5. I'm so spoiler-phobic that I don't want to read reviews of books I'm about to read or ones that I'm reading, and I definitely don't want to read reviews of books that I have read but haven't yet reviewed, because I'd be so worried that I'd accidentally plagiarize someone when I go to write my own review. Plus, like you said, I want my reviews to be my own opinions, and if I read a review of a book right before I write my own review, I feel like that person's opinions will shape my own opinions. And I also don't like to read reviews of book 2s or book 3s of a series if I haven't yet read the first book, because I know it's hard not to at least have a few spoilers about the first book in a review for a sequel. Hence the fact that I didn't read or comment on your Girl of Nightmares review. I think I'm going to try to read Anna Dressed in Blood in October, maybe as part of your Bloggers Dressed in Blood event, so I'm wary of reading any reviews for that series right now. Great list, Steph!
ReplyDeleteAgreed on most points. I don't like overtly snarky posts...some snark is fun, but it's a thin line to walk that few can pull off.
ReplyDeleteI love it when a review shows the person behind the blog, the feeling that you mention. And we're the same for #5, I don't want to be influenced by anyone, but after I've read and reviewed it, let the discussion begin :)
Ivana @ Willing to See Less
I didn't like The Great Gatsby, WHAT NOW???
ReplyDelete(okay, that's a lie. I haven't read it.)
Love the picture! And agree especially with the no opinion part!
ReplyDeleteYou are too funny Steph! I try to always comment on the blogs I read, even if I don't have much to say, but just because I want you guys to know that I read it. But guess what, I don't read that many blogs! I follow a ton, but I only read the ones of the people I know or if I happen to glance a book I'm interested in.
ReplyDeleteHad I gotten around to commenting on blogs on Labor Day, your blog would have been the first. Yours is one of the blogs I read regularly from my iPhone :)
ReplyDeleteThis post is so funny and right on! I love the evil mustache look, you should consider it full time :P
I try to avoid reviews of books that I know I'm planning to read as well. And I agree about pointless snark as well as absent opinions. This was a really funny and enjoyable post!
PS- I will be parked in the Teen tent at the National Book Fest ALL DAY. I just hang out there. I will def be there for John Green starting at 10am. Hope to see you there!
I actually really hate reading reviews where all the person does is recap the book. Ok, thanks for the summary, but what did you think about it?? Seriously annoying at times.
ReplyDeleteI'm also against reading reviews for a book I'm currently reading or about to read. I don't want to think about what someone else said while reading.
Now I know why you haven't been coming around :( ..lol
Number five is my major reason. I don't want my review to be impacted.
ReplyDeleteI also don't comment if I can't for the life of me think of anything to say but 'good review.'
Another major one is if they're squeeing over a book I thought was utter refuse. Or if they think it's putrid and I loved it. Unless I know the blogger really well, that's a minefield.
Much as I love snark, I agree that I can't stand those posts where they don't seem to really have a point except attracting attention.
I really hope my Cover Snark posts don't fall in that category. There is a point! It's to showcase new books, while also making fun of them (mostly good naturedly).
DeleteI agree about the snarkiness and the opinion thing. Don't just recap the book or analyze. Tell me if you liked it and why.
ReplyDeleteAnd, this is why I haven't read your review of Blake's 2nd book. And, I can't WAIT till you read The Raven Boys. I'm in the middle of it now.
And yes, you are The Truly Hilarious, I don't know why anyone else bothers.
I totaly agree about reviews that don't give opinions. I never comment on those because what is there to say? I can read the summary on Goodreads if that's the kind of info I want.
ReplyDeleteAnd a hell yes! to #5. If I'm reading it or going to read it I stay away from the review, or I will just make a genearl comment that says that I didn't read the review because I am reading the book.
As for #1 I do question when people say they do not like The Great Gatsby but as a someone who did not like P&P at all, I'm really not in a place to judge based on that.