Let's say you've just read a book that you were eager to read and yet you ended up absolutely hating it, or at least disappointed with several aspects of it. Should you skip the review (as I've been guilty of doing) or do you just give your honest opinion? And how can you do it tactfully without offending the author or fans of the book?
I'm afraid tact is not my forte. In fact, I put my foot in my mouth more often than not! Fact of the matter is that I don't want to kick anybody in the teeth if I can help it. I have friends here on eharl.... and I'd like to keep them - lol!
So, what does everyone else do? Just include the title and author of the book, no actual review, like I've seen some of the other reviews on eharl?
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."
- Mark Twain
I write the review anyway.
I write the review anyway. I try to express why the story is not working for me--that I understand that many others may love the story. I try not to make it personal, although my guess is any author is going to feel it is personal.
But just as not all of us here are going to like lobster, strawberries and champagne, we are not all going to like the same books.
Nancy
Great way....
"But just as not all of us here are going to like lobster, strawberries and champagne, we are not all going to like the same books."
Nancy, that's a great way to put it. And you're also right about the authors taking it personally. Honestly, I'm sure that if it was my story someone was reviewing I'd take it personally, too, even though I'd know that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I think that's the human side of an author.
OTOH, like you said, impersonal honesty, as long as it's not outright slams, is probably best.
Guess I'm just so sensitive that it just makes my skin crawl to think I'm tweeking someone's 'baby'.
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."
- Mark Twain
Heh.... I'm a very
Heh.... I'm a very critical person I think. Even the books that I love have small things that I would have liked to see different. And I am pretty much a blabber before you think kind of person, so I just say what I think and that suits me. I can love 98% of a book, but if one scene just sticks out in my head as odd, I might say so in my review, but that doesn't mean I hated the book! I think some authors might cringe at that kind of feedback, but when I'm posting these reviews here, I'm posting my impressions of the book in a "fan" way for other readers, it's not a trash or bash fest.
As long as you give reason for why you would have changed some small thing, rather than leaving a one-liner which dismisses the entire book and serves only to insult, I don't see it as a big deal that a reader is honest and constructive about what they like/dislike.
I have only ever said "skip it or toss it" about two books, both of which had adultery, and I said it was the adultery that made me want to toss it, it's not a reflection of the author's skill.
Oh... and also... a good thing about posting the elements of a book that you didn't warm to.... if it's a sensitive issue that other readers might find upsetting, forewarned is forearmed. I know that if I'm in a certain mood, I don't want to be reading about cancer, rape, domestic abuse, infidelity, etc. The books are still good, but it can upset a reader.
You need to be honest
You need to be honest but not cruel and say why you didn't like it. There are some I have a hard time with and it's my personal dislike. My opinion is not everyone else's. I may think a book went too far with a sex scene that doesn't make it a bad book just that I don't care to read it. We each have our own likes and dis-likes that's why there are so many different genres of books out there something for everyone. As long as you are tasteful in what you say it shouldn't be taken wrong. I have made commets on blogs," sorry you didn't like it but I thought it was great". Others have said similar things and we don't take it personally. It's just a difference of opinion. I'm going to write a review now that I'm debating how to say some negative things about. Good luck and hope it gets easier for you.
The D2K Paranormal Junkies ~ 2008 Book Challenge Blog
Janet....
Yeah, I guess weaving in comments about the parts you didn't like with the parts you did like would work. Kind of like saying here's the strong points vs. the weak points. Makes sense. Reading a book could be paralleled to meeting a person - you might not like them very well, but you could probably pick out one or two things about them that are pretty good. FWIW, I have a SIL like that - LOL!
Oh, and that's a good point about including a kind of gentle warning for sensitive subject matter.
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."
- Mark Twain
Deb...
I always worry about turning someone off from a book that might really be great for them, just wrong for me. You hit the nail on the head when you were talking about how that you might personally find an over-the-top sex scene not to your individual taste, yet someone else (a friend even) might think it's sensational.
Isn't it funny how we can all read the same book, and yet get different feelings and impressions from it?
Oh, and good luck to you too, since you're about to do what we're discussing - leaving a less than enthusiastic review! I'm going to be watching for it, so I can get the gist of how you do it.
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."
- Mark Twain
Just write it
I just had to do just that. The book gave me the shivers. The thing is I usually love the author. This time I struggled through it. The thing is Romantic Times gave it four and a half stars. But it just didn't do anything for me.
Shell
Heheheh... about us all
Heheheh... about us all having different tastes... that's so true! I'm a big HP/SD/paranormal fan, so obviously I love the steam. So if I'm reviewing something, I'll say "omg there's steam!!!" where other people might say "oh crap, there was steam" *evil grin*
My reviews tend to be
My reviews tend to be longer on books that I didn't like. Even with books I don't like I can usually find something about the book I did like. My dad used to tell me that when offering criticism make sure that it is constructive and make sure that you find something you like. His pattern was to say something he thought I did well, then he would tell me what wasn't working well and why. He would give me some suggestions of how I could improve and then he would give me another compliment.
I doubt I do as good a job when I offer up a review on something I didn't like, but I do try to find something positive to say.
Nancy
I just don't do book
I just don't do book reviews any more! And I'm really disappointed when I read several positive reviews, buy a book, and then find out it's not a very good book. Did the other people just not notice the problems with the story? Are they all friends of the author? Members of the only say nice things or say nothing club?
I've been criticized for being critical before, you know, the old "put your money where your mouth is" thing. I know I'm not perfect and I haven't had a book or ebook published yet. However, how can you overlook numerous spelling/grammar errors, abrupt endings, plot holes, telling instead of showing, etc? As a consumer, I don't like being misled. As a reader, I don't want to pay money for something that reads like a first draft. (Of course, nothing from Harlequin or Silhouette falls into this category for me. Their editing staff rocks!)
What's that saying about turning criticism into a sandwich? For every critical/negative thing you mention, sandwich it between two positives....
It is hard to review a
book that you do not like. I am usually one that will just not review the book but I have done some negative comments in a review, but I do try and tell what I liked about the book as well as what I did not like about it.
I do try and let people know if there are "hot" buttons that are pushed so that if they have issues then they will not get this book.
Elaine
It's a fine line, sometimes...
When I first joined the Challenge in 2007 my first few reviews were very honest and I was criticized for it. I wasn't slamming the author, because, hey I wish I could write! I just didn't care for the books and some situations were strange (i.e. - the woman's ex-husband was a doctor and she called him to help her lover???) That one just didn't work for me.
I've toned down my criticism especially for Harlequin authors - there's actually a couple I didn't review because I didn't have anything good to say about them. And I'm soft-hearted enough that I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.
I now try to analyze why the book just doesn't work for me but also say what I did like. I think that's fair. After all I believe the authors would like feedback as to what works and what doesn't.
Good question!
~ ElleJay - Team member of Novel Obsession
There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the pleasure is having lots to do and not doing it!
Wow, guess I got behind!
Sorry, I didn't get back to this post right away.
LOL, Janet! Personally I like a little steam every now and then.
Elaine, I totally agree about letting others know the 'hot' spots. There's some books that that make me utter a 'whoa, horsey'! That's not saying that I don't like that kind of book, just that I find them either very controversial or simply a little over-the-top. It's probably only fair to warn others.
It would be harder for me to do a longer review on a book I don't like, Nancy. But that's only because I get soooo enthusiastic for books that I really do like. In fact, I can get so carried away that I practically outline the stories in some of my reviews - LOL! Your dad sounds like a wise man.
"What's that saying about turning criticism into a sandwich? For every critical/negative thing you mention, sandwich it between two positives"
I haven't heard of it put quite like that before, Micki. It's logical and goes along basically with what the others were saying. You don't do reviews? Does that mean you're not a part of the 100,000 challenge?
I think that a lot of people just skip doing reviews on the books they don't like and that's why it seems to you that everyone is dishonest about liking every book they read. For every review written there's probably another that wasn't written. 
Mlacroix, I'm that way with movies sometimes too. I hear all these terrific critic's reviews, and think the movie is going to be awesome. Then when I watch it reality sinks in, and I think to myself 'what a total waste of my money'.
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."
- Mark Twain
ElliJay....
"I just didn't care for the books and some situations were strange (i.e. - the woman's ex-husband was a doctor and she called him to help her lover???) That one just didn't work for me."
LOL over that one! Yeah, I've seen some similar to that, too. It's kind of crazy, and though some people might really do something like that, I don't think it belongs in a romance.
It doesn't seem fair that you were criticized for being honest in your reviews. As long as you were polite and as gentle as possible with the book, I can't see why others would be too irate. Was it other readers or the authors?
I'm tender-hearted, but unfortunately I'm one of these kind of people walking around with an extra foot hanging out of my mouth!
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."
- Mark Twain
I also think about it overnight...
If I don't care for the book, I write up the review but don't post it immediately. Just like touchy emails at work, it pays to think it over!
~ ElleJay - Team member of Novel Obsession
There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the pleasure is having lots to do and not doing it!
You know....
You've definitely got a point there. Look before you leap, right?
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."
- Mark Twain
You review it objectively...
Remember, it takes alot of time and effort to write and alot of courage to be published. Not everyone enjoys the same things and if a book is not to your taste, you should try to express the review of the story objectively for those who might enjoy it and express why it wasn't to your taste. (i.e. Set in the 1800's this story chronicles Kate's journey to California..... While not to my taste, the story gives colorful discriptions of the journey.... )
Key word here is RESPECT. If we all liked the same things, where would the writing/publishing industry be?
Drkeel....
You brought up a very good issue. The authors have worked their patooties off to produce a good story. And I'll take the point even a bit further even. Most the stories come from the author's heart and soul. It's not usually off the top of their head, so any kind of criticism (even when meant kindly) can injure. I say this being a writer myself.
I like your example of how to word it gently and respectfully. Thanks for your imput
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."
- Mark Twain
Tastes
I agree that we all have different tastes and can't like every book. I still do the review and try to be nice about why I didn't like it, but aren't our differences what make the world go round.
BTW... love champayne and strawberries, but only so-so on lobster! 
"It is to the credit of human nature that, except where its selfishness is brought into play, it loves more readily than it hates."
Nathaniel Hawthorne – The Scarlet Letter
Leanne....
Yep, it would be a pretty stale world if we were all alike!
I like the champagne, strawberries and lobster (with lemon butter sauce). In fact, that's a pretty romantic combination! H'm, I might mention that to DH, lol!
Your Jack Russell Valentine looks like a real cutie-pie. He's got the sweetest eyes, like he's saying 'love me, and give me a big kiss'!
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."
- Mark Twain
Valentine
She is the sweetest. My department is having a bake sale and mascot contest on Friday to benefit our local Humane Society and I've entered her. She's got some serious competition though!
"It is to the credit of human nature that, except where its selfishness is brought into play, it loves more readily than it hates."
Nathaniel Hawthorne – The Scarlet Letter
Reviews
Earlier this year I said:
Since then, well, that still holds true for books I really didn't like. But for the bulk of my reading, I try to make my reviews really bland. And avoid any issues I have.
And I try to stay fairly neutral for books I loved, too. The idea that someone else might be influenced by my review makes me nervous. Oh, and I edit my reviews like crazy until they are banal enough for my comfort. Because so much of my opinion and my review depends on my mood.
The great gift is the passion for reading. It is cheap [Hah! It most certainly is not!], it consoles, it distracts, it excites. It gives knowledge of the world and experience of a wide kind. It is moral illumination. ~ Elizabeth Hardwick
There are some characters I just don't like, just as in real
life there are people (colleagues/neighbours) who seem to really like me and given that I rarely speak to them because we have nothing in common and I nearly always have my head in a book I'm sometimes at a loss to understand why because if I had to be honest they're not people I'd naturally like (I have to force myself)
In books I can see the author working really hard to give the character a logical and well-structured character arc and I'm just there thinking, "don't bother, nothing you can do is going to save him/her, I just don't like the guy/gal" and I don't see anything wrong in saying that, because when the book is well-written I do say so, but I'm never going to like everybody I meet, and so the author shouldn't be offended because the chemistry wasn't there. Typos, grammar problems, unpolished style (over repetitive use of specific words in one paragraph!) do get on my nerves but they're very rare in H/S books, and I'm aware I do have the same faults, the difference being I've never submitted work for publication.
Similarly I know everybody won't agree with my opinion on all my reviews and I've never objected to anyone saying so. There are some authors I "get" straight away, and there are others that other bloggers rave about that I simply don't get. And when you do, there's this exchange of energy that's almost magical, and when you don't you just can't understand what everybody's raving about - and it's nobody's fault, but as everybody else has said, while you can't change it, you CAN be polite about how you phrase it. With authors you "get" you don't need everything spelled out, with authors you don't, if it's not spelled out, you think the progression skipped a few steps. So the author and the editors decide what works best for them, and understand that some people will be in raptures while others go "huh?"
By now those of us who are old hands know exactly who shares our tastes, so we know whose rave reviews to heed and whose rave reviews to ignore. As to only seeing rave reviews, well most people on here are amateur reviewers and I've never understood the poor fools in the French television mags who only ever seem to review films they don't like. I mean if you're not a fan of action movies, don't review Die Hard, similarly if you think romances are sappy it's a waste of time sitting through Love Story. Why on earth would we want a permanent diet of books we don't like? Sure there are always a few that will "slip through the cracks", ones we expected to enjoy that pushed the wrong hot buttons, but I think we all start books with a minimum enjoyment expectation - at least I know I do
and this has kept me from my next book quite long enough
Hugs
Sadhbh
Dream Team 2008 Challenge blogs
Re: reviews
Most important thing when reviewing a book that you didn't care for, is never ever attack the author or word your observations in such a way as to question the author's talent or integrity .... heck, don't even question the editor or proofreaders, those are people even if you don't know their names... you can question the "publisher" as that's a faceless non-specific entity
I like using my Review Ratings to help express my level of enjoyment .... an okay book is a three ... anything above is a good book well worth seeking out .... anything below is one that didn't work for me .... I will usually make a comment to support a lower rating, such as "the pacing seemed to slow and I had a hard time in the middle" .... or I was really "thrown for a loop with that surprise and I have personal problems with that behaviour" ....
if the book received glowing reviews from others, I may not complete my review and put a disclosure that I had trouble with the book but think it's personal and will give the book a second glance in the future
~~ KatherineT ~~ I'm a Harlequin Addict, and I'm proud of it!
~~ Quiet Canadians ~ 2008 Book Challenge Blog
Well said..
Sadhbh! I agree completely. I try to pick books I know I'll enjoy but I see nothing wrong with saying a book didn't work for me. And as you pointed out, I tend to gravitate towards reviewers I agree with or have similar tastes to so... it all works. And just to add... I don't tend to notice grammar mistakes unless I'm reading for the purpose of noticing them so that will almost never be noted in my reviews. Everyone has different tastes, which is what makes this challenge so special.
The D2K Paranormal Junkies 2008 Challenge
I try........
to be tactful but I'm just honest. There's a reason I didn't like it or part of it and I say so. I try to find something good about the storyline but it doesn't always happen. Sometimes a bad book is a bad book.
My two cents
I've had a handful of books that I had to give negative reviews to. I was probably a little too honest about my distaste but I tend to get a little passionate. Especially about a book I've been looking forward to FOREVER and it disappoints. (I've only just now made peace with a particular book that disappointed me so much that I lost sleep over it. lol)
But, as others have said, I always try to find some positives to throw in, too, and ALWAYS caution the reader of the review to read the book and judge for themselves. I don't think I've ever said "Stear clear, the suckage is enormous." lol (Thought it, but never said it.)
It's not denial. I'm just very selective about the reality I accept.
Jana's Off-site blog
An important question!
An important question! With Sadhbh, I think our blogs are not meant to be professional reviews. At the same time, I think a person can see what they like from both professional reviews and blogs and use similar techniques if it works for a person and they enjoy it. I edited this down but it's a question I ask myself a lot.
A person has to be honest. Without honesty, a review/reviewer lacks credibility. Context can change how one reviews as well. Is it a personal opinion about a reader's personal reading taste or meant to be a comment about the book to a bigger audience? I like the option for individual ratings but if I see a rating of a 3 followed by Very Good, it seems like the rating system is too far off standard ratings on other book sites. Some kind of common lingo is helpful. In a more formal review aimed at a larger audience, I think a reviewer has a responsibility to judge the book from a wider perspective than just a very particular personal taste...although personal things do enter even the most objective reviews. I do not like a lot of Amazon reviews because I find too often the opinions are so very personal and focus on trivial issues. I feel that reviewing a book only on that kind of extreme personal taste is irresponsible in the context of an isolated book review meant to be attached to the book rather than a blog.
bad reads. A person has to be honest. Honesty can get a person in trouble whether a reviewer loves or hates a book. Even the most kind well-written and well-reasoned negative (or positive too!) review on places like Amazon can set off something and not all people in the world and on the internet are reasonable. The internet feels private but it is a public space.
There is also the wider context of books themselves. Why should a noted author get praise if they are just cranking out books that are basically rushed, and $$$$ not writing is their main goal? There are so many talented debut or new authors that deserve attention more. In that context, it seems that not being honest is detrimental to the wider context of books themselves. People spend hard earned money on books so fluff reviews are not great.
I mention Amazon as a contrast to Challenge blogs. I have seen some of the worst examples of extreme reviewing there and people taking the personal to the extreme. I think blogs have a different context than book reviews. Blogs are more informal and allow for more personal touches because blogs are about a reader's journey as much as about the books. Book reviews are more isolated events and more specific to the book so I feel I have more of an obligation to look at the book from a wider perspective. As someone else said....focus on the book, not the author as a person. A good yardstick I use is..would I say this directly to the author face-to-face? As the Challenge increases in size, we seem to lose a bit more of the blog feel and our reviews become a bit more unique events separated from our specific blogs and appear more like isolated reviews.
AKA Merri
Family Challenge Team: The Spine Breakers with my dh Glenn AKA Phaedrus
Well, I say...
You would review it like you would do anyother book.
you would mention any bad parts as well as any good parts.
Terri
Got Books?
Running behind....
Wow, guys, I've had so much going on with the string of storms and the tornado that we had that I've gotten behind on some of my blogs. One of my friends had such bad roof damage that she and her ten yr. old daughter are having to stay with another friend right now and so we're trying to come up with ways of helping her.... Been busy. At any rate, here I am again.
Leanne, good luck with the mascot contest! Sounds fun!
Jo, it make me nervous to influence people, too. In some ways it seems silly to make such a big deal over a review, and yet to us bookworms it's anything BUT silly, right?
Sadhbh, that is soooo funny about the way people like you and yet you can't figure out why because you give them no encouragement, and, in fact, don't even like them in return!
Hey, you should feel flattered though. At least it's not the other way around and they hate your guts for no good reason. Of course, I'm guessing that you wouldn't give a darn if they did, am I right? LOL Seriously, I definitely agree with what you were saying about connecting with some authors and their books and yet not understanding other people's love for other books you don't like. While I read a little of nearly every genre, I have to say that occasionally, like one I've just forced myself to read, I run across a book that everyone else seems to like and I don't. Truth be told, it gave me the creeps. I need a little of your boldness I think! 
Oh, and when you mentioned the movie critics, I nodded my head. It seems so much more rare to hear a good review than a bad one. And when they do the bad ones, it's always for the movies I like! <GG>
"If the book received glowing reviews from others, I may not complete my review and put a disclosure that I had trouble with the book but think it's personal and will give the book a second glance in the future."
This is a good idea, KatherineT. I never thought about that. It would be fair to perhaps go back over the book again, when I'm in a totally different mood. Maybe it would make a difference? H'm. It's something to consider.
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."
- Mark Twain
More....
Deb, I guess I haven't been on here long enough to figure out which members seem to enjoy the same books as myself. But this would be hard for me in the first place, because my tastes are so diversified. I skip around in the lines. When I read other reviews, if the storyline sounds good, regardless of being a Harl Romance or a naughtier Harl Blaze, I try it out. If only I could review as fast as I can read... I get a little lazy about that! I'm waaaay backlogged on my reviews. That's why I originally considered skipping this iffy one.
Julz, you are right about that, Girl. A bad book, if it's really bad, is just plain old bad. But in all fairness, I could probably dissect it slower and make it more palatible. Maybe. Or maybe not. Not sure about that. Like I said above to Katherine, it's possible that I might see the same book slightly different if I was in a different mood. However, I have to say I think some books are probably just out of my taste, plain and simple.
Janabelle, LOL about losing sleep over a book. Imagine being the author. I know right now I've lost some sleep over my own! Speaking of the authors, it's not usually their fault I dislike the book as much as just the particular story itself, at least for me. For example, beyond of the romance genre, I like Mary Higgins Clark, but I have to admit that a couple of her books seemed written in too big of a hurry. Like you said, the suckage was enormous!
(They really should add a little devil smiley on here, don't you think?)
Merri, thank the lucky stars these reviews aren't intended as professional ones! I'd be logging off this very second otherwise - LOL! I'm as far from a professional reviewer or critic as Pee Wee Herman is from a dream hero in a romance. I'm way too skittish. Not to mention bubbly-headed. However, I do try my best. And I take it seriously, no matter how I come across. Anyway, I've seen a few reviews that list a rating system like you mentioned. Katherine and a couple of others mentioned it too. I think I might try that. It would provide me with a measuring system. I'm geeky, but I have a real fondness for measurements. H'm... that wasn't really intended to sound naughty, but it kind of does anyway.
"Why should a noted author get praise if they are just cranking out books that are basically rushed, and $$$$ not writing is their main goal? There are so many talented debut or new authors that deserve attention more. In that context, it seems that not being honest is detrimental to the wider context of books themselves. People spend hard earned money on books so fluff reviews are not great."
These are two awesome points, Merri. Major authors often get so much credit that after a while it's hard to gauge how truly good their books are. I mean one or two of their books are bound to not be as good as the rest. One or two might even not be any good at all. And, in the meanwhile the newbies are skipped over. I mean how the heck are we going to discover our new favorite authors if we ignore the fresh ones? Also, you're right about people spending hard earned dollars on books that might not be as good as they're cracked up to be. I certainly don't want to be guilty of leaving reviews like that. However I have to admit that when I get really excited about a book, I praise it to the sky. This might be unfair since it'll color my review too rosy-pink. Others might not like the book so well. They might feel let down by my review.
Terri, I envy your no-nonsense approach! But, whew, to me this reviewing stuff can be pretty heavy.
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."
- Mark Twain
Amanda - people have hated my guts for no apparent reason
(you notice I didn't say "good" because i'm sure they felt they had a good reason
) and done really stupid things (like giving me a card to sign for a colleague's birthday and then tippexing out my signature and birthday message 
- still trying to work out the logic on that one, and that happened in June '84 - yes among other things I have a REALLY good memory 
)
and you're right, I don't lose sleep over it, because unless they come after me with a gun or a knife or other weapon, it's no skin off my nose - I got my own back on the girl in question by going to her wedding and scaring the wits out of her by starting a romance with her brother-in-law
LOL - that would have made for fun family dinners don't you think?
my credo has always been "since you'll never keep all of the people happy all of the time, to thine own self be true" and I don't suffer from insomnia or suffer too badly from depression so I must be doing okay with that.
Hugs
Sadhbh
Dream Team 2008 Challenge blogs
Sadhbh....
"I got my own back on the girl in question by going to her wedding and scaring the wits out of her by starting a romance with her brother-in-law
LOL - that would have made for fun family dinners don't you think?"
Ooh, this would make a great plot for a chic-lit book! You've got a great sense of humor.
I'm not as thick-skinned as I wish I was. My feelings get hurt too darned easily. I've tried to wean myself of this weakness. After all, like you said, what's important is 'to thy own self by true'. Still, it's hard for me. I'm such a different kind of person from most folks I know around my small town. I tend to be misunderstood a lot. But, I have to agree with you about not losing sleep over it. Definitely depression is out of the question. Life is too short to waste in the mully-grubs! Give me my family, my books, and my computer and I'm generally a happy camper!
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."
- Mark Twain
fun
Reviewing should be fun. That is the most important aspect...even for professionals. I read some professional rviews and think "Don't they like to read anything?" My favorite teacher was a brilliant scholar but what made him such a GREAT teacher is that he always had fun doing it and it showed. If solmeone like him can unbashedly have fun talknig about books, so can we all! I'll have to tell you a funny story about him sometime.
AKA Merri
Family Challenge Team: The Spine Breakers with my dh Glenn AKA Phaedrus
I agree with the it's okay
I agree with the it's okay to say you dislike a book as long as you're tactful about it statements. But aside from someone writing a less than flattering review about your story there's another aspect to reviewing that I personally find almost as annoying.
The 'oh, gee, that's great' comments but then nothing more is said. I acutally blogged about this a week or so ago. To me those comments suggest either the person either never bothered to ever read my story and felt obligated to make some comment, which I believe is probably the most common reason for such a generic review, or else they totally hated it, and again felt obligated to say something.
I think I'd almost rather someone say, I liked this because . . . but I didn't like this because . . . At least then I'd know they made the effort to at least attempt to appreciate my work.
And getting back to the orginal subject, sort of, I did have an editor, not H/S, make less than flattering comments about my writing, not like totally bashing it, but it was clear they just didn't 'get' my story. And I wasn't offended at all. Okay, I might have a bit peeved as I didn't 'get', what they didn't 'get' about it, but hey, I love the story so to each their own.
Yes, reviews should be fun, Merri...
Although, I'm getting ready to post my first tough review within the next few days. First, I'm going to sit back and read it a couple of times before I actually post it. Just be certain that it's right. While I don't like the book, I certainly don't want to hammer the author or intentionally turn away other would-be readers. I'm going to do as advised, sandwich the parts I don't like in between the parts I do like. Politely. And as professionally as possible. Like you do! Also, I'm thinking of doing a scale system for all my books.
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."
- Mark Twain
Sandy....
...I'm hearing you! What annoys me most is to see the title of a book reviewed and when I click on it there's nothing written. Zilch, zero. Has the reviewer actually read this book? Do they not have anything to say about it at all? Just seems unnatural to me...
Especially since my reviews sometimes go on and on... LOL
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."
- Mark Twain
I've noticed those blank
I've noticed those blank reviews as well and it makes me wonder if the person is just doing it to pad their review count or if they actually read it. Not that I'm trying to be the review police but I question whether or not those blank reviews should be allowed. But eharl doesn't seem to have a problem with them.
Sandy....
I've wondered the same thing. But I guess Harlequin is taking people at their word. I mean what reason would people have for saying they read all those books if they didn't? They're not eligible to win a prize or anything. Unless they just want to sound good. I don't know. It still irritates me. If I did that I'd feel as if I was cheating. If just adding the titles counted, I could go down the list of every book I've ever read and have hundreds hundreds of books listed, but in order for them to be 'real' reviews in my eyes, I'd have to detail them. Talk about a lot of work!
Personally, I try to make my reviews the way I'd like to read them if they were someone elses. One that actually tells me a little about the book and clues me in. Reading the detailed reviews on eharl is how I've found a lot of the books on my current TBR pile. It doesn't have to be a long review, even just a couple of sentences about the book helps, don't you think?
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."
- Mark Twain
About the blank reviews ........
Not everyone has the time to do a full review ... the Book Challenge this year is also a drive to promote literacy with a huge payoff for the more books we read going to the Literacy Fdn
Jayne and crew, just did a huge media blitz promoting the Challenge and there are a quite a few members who just joined the Community .... as the Challenge is to include ALL the books a person has read since January 1st of this year, many of these new members are logging their backlog .... now if you are an avid reader, you can imagine the huge endeavour it would be to create book reviews if you've read 100 books already this year ....
most of us that have been participating in the Challenge since it began or been participating in the Community for some time, like to see "reviews" .... but hey, not everyone can do one ......
my time has been so stretched lately that I'm rethinking how I do my own reviews, to make them less ... and take the saved time to read more
~~ KatherineT ~~ I'm a Harlequin Addict, and I'm proud of it!
~~ Quiet Canadians ~ 2008 Book Challenge Blog
Imagine how many books I could read if I didn't have to post
reviews
but then y'all want to know what I think of them, so I suppose it's the lesser of the evils
Well you can probably count on another 585 or so from me and another 700 or more from Janet and Mary Kay each, so we're not doing too badly
Hugs
Sadhbh
Dream Team 2008 Challenge blogs
Katherine and Sadhbh
Katherine, you're right about the time factor. If a person wants to review every book they read, they would probably go nuts trying to keep up. But one or two sentences about a review shouldn't be too hard. Even a rating system of 1 to 5 would be better than leaving nothing. It shows effort.
BTW, I went into your reviews and I think you do an excellent job with them! My earlier reference had been about completely blank ones, where the title is listed and nothing else - not even a 'I liked this book' or a 'I didn't like this book'. Anyway, I hope I didn't upset or offend you! Because I wasn't trying to upset anyone, but was just chatting with SandySue. You know we all have pet-peeves. Doubtless what peeves you might not me, and vice versa. At least we all have one thing in common - WE LOVE BOOKS! Yay!
Sadhbh, the same goes for your reviews. I think they're great. In fact, I highly commend you for doing such detailed reviews when I know you read so very many, many books!
I'm still a baby in this. And goodness knows I'm far from perfect. In fact I'm smiling wryly as I type that.
I suppose if I shortened my reviews I could probably post a lot more of them. I may have to end up doing that. As it is everyone probably thinks I don't read much, when actually I eat, drink, and breathe books. I always have since I was a wee lassie. Whatever I end up doing in the future though, I'll still have to say something about each book.
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."
- Mark Twain
When I do a review just the
When I do a review just the title shows up on the challenge blog page. If someone wants to read it they have to click into it. I'm not sure why that is happening and I've tried a variety of things so that at least some of the review would appear on the main page, but it doesn't. Since not that many people comment on my reviews I've quit worrying about how and where they show up.
Nancy
Amanda .. no offence taken ...
it would be nice if there were more than just blank space ... remember though, most of those are from totally new members who are trying to get their books logged for the official count ....
PLEASE do post all the books you read .... that's one of the main goals for this years Challenge .... that 100,000 means 100,000 books to literacy ..... we need your count! .... so if you can even give your rating that would be nice
the reason my reviews are lengthy is because I use the reviews like a reading journal ... it's like therapy for me ... I have short term memory problems and I find writing about the books means I can remember them longer .. plus it gives me a journal to go back to, to refresh my memory .... that's really why I joined the Challenge when it started in 2006 ... to give me the push to journal
Nancy ... to get some of your review to show in the "trimmed version" that appears on the Book Challenge pages you need to insert a command in your reviews ... to do that .. type up your review .... then click on the blue "disable rich-text" ... scroll to the spot you'd like your review to split for some to appear on the Challenge page and the rest for the expanded version .... and type exactly this <!--break--> .. then click on the blue "enable rich-text" and click on "preview" .... now when you preview you will see what the results are of the split
I recommend splitting with no more than about 15-20 lines to appear on the Challenge page ... I've noticed lately that more and more people are making their review very long and it's taking longer to scroll through those pages because of it
give it a try in a blog entry first ... remember you can always delete it after you've submitted by clicking on "edit" and scrolling down to below the comment box where the "delete" button is
hope that helps!
Edited to add -- Nancy, I just checked your reviews and they are all short enough that you can but the break command at the very end of your review .... so "disable rich-text" .. scroll to the end of your review and type <!--break--> ..... then click on "enable rich text" ..... the break command won't work any other way
~~ KatherineT ~~ I'm a Harlequin Addict, and I'm proud of it!
~~ Quiet Canadians ~ 2008 Book Challenge Blog
Thank you Katherine. I tried
Thank you Katherine. I tried the doing the disable rich text and that took care of it for a few reviews. So, when that stopped working I just tossed up my hands and figured that I know it's there. LOL
Nancy
I see Sadhbh taking my name
I see Sadhbh taking my name in vain. *grin* I shall try to keep up 100 a month, but it's going to get harder as my real life gets busier. Aiming for the 1000 mark still though.
Who's Mary Kay? I don't know if we read/comment on the same books because I don't think I've spotted her yet.
And I'm happy that lately I've been avoiding any BAD books. None have mortally offended me since the "Adultery Incident" (I read two books with it that made me feel SO BAD). The worst I've come across since then were books that slightly bored me, which couldn't entirely hold my interest.
OKAY, I DID IT!
Well, I finally posted a review on the book in question. It wasn't the easiest review for me, but I finished it. Whew. Glad to have it done. I guess I'm broke in now! Maybe the next time I can figure out a way of shortening it. LOL
Thanks so much for everybody's replies to this blog!
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."
- Mark Twain
Now you've got me curious......
I'm going to go check out that review!