I read A LOT of books, and I review each and every book I read or listen to, yet you will not find them all on the blog. So, I was wondering: Am I the only one who does this, and if not, why do other bloggers not feature books on their blogs?
This Week’s Topic: Why I Didn't Feature You
I have a short list of reasons why every reviewed book does not appear on WLABB. Among the reasons:
- DNFed - It's my personal choice to not review DNFs. I never feel comfortable assessing only part of a book, and so I don't list it on GR, I don't rate it, nor do I every speak of it again. I only provide feedback to the publisher, discreetly.
- Not Rated High Enough - I really want to spread the love, and therefore, I like to feature books, which earned higher ratings. This is a new thing, which was inspired by Nicole, and I am leaning towards 4-stars and higher only on the blog.
- Audiobooks - I am still not that comfortable with reviewing audiobooks, because I am never able to take notes the way I can with my ebooks, and I feel like I can be missing details.
- Non-review Book - I won't lie, I slip a few non-review books into my TBR here and there in order to give myself a little break. WhenI am writing full review after full review, I almost feel as though I am running out of words. By reading non-review books, I can just jot down a few thoughts without have to stress over the review, and thus, a little break for Sam.
- Too Much Backlash - There are books I have read, which I enjoyed, but there is just too much negative talk out there about the book. Just this past weekend, I finished a book, where the character made a poor choice in pretending to be gay, and I did not agree with this choice, but it also didn't ruin the whole book for me. With that said, I also can understand why some people had an issue with this part of the story. I reviewed the book, but just left it out on GR. Maybe it's cowardly, but I would rather discuss more positive books on my blog.
Now it's your turn!
Do you feature every book you review on your blog?
Let us know in the comments!
I don't review (or rate) DNF's either. I might say a few words about it, like why I chose to DNF, but it doesn't seems fair (or reasonable) to rate or review one. I understand the backlash issue. I actually have one book that I've never posted a review for just for that very reason. I loved the book but many others took big issue with it and frankly I don't want to have to justify my feelings. If someone disagrees about a (major) plot element, I can respect that. But I don't want to have to defend my opinions in the comment section. Just not worth it.
ReplyDeleteI felt like I was defending liking a book recently, and it was tiring. So, if it's a book, that is getting a lot of poor reviews for a very specific reason and I just wasn't that passionate about, I will just post my review on GR. Like you said, it's just not worth it.
DeleteIf I finish a book, I pretty much review it on my blog. That's why I blog. But, if I DNF a book, then I don't review it or rate it. Although I've seen someone lately who did a DNF post where they talked about recent books they didn't finish and explained why. I kind of like that idea, because a lot of times I feel like when I don't finish a book, it is just because it is not a book for me, but other people might like it. When I read other people's reviews, that's kind of how I feel. They may say they didn't like something, but that may be something I do like. So either type of review helps me. However, there are a few books that have big controversies that I want to read, but may not review. We'll see. Usually if a book would get less than 3 stars from me, it is one I won't finish, so that saves me from doing bad reviews on my blog. Although, I might have reviewed one big selling book, Diary of an Oxygen Thief, even though it was terrible. IMHO. Great discussion post!
ReplyDeleteI get through, on average, about 8 books a week, and to feature every book seems like overkill. I would rather give the space to a book I can rave about, than a book I didn't finish, if that makes sense. I do post something for every book I finish on GR though. And, same for me. I can only think of 2 books I finished, which earned less than 3 stars (I only pushed through because other people loved these books).
DeleteI mention all of the books I read in my Sunday Posts, but I don’t review all of them because I don’t have time. Also, reviews take forever to write and barely get any pageviews, so I’m not hugely motivated to write them. That being said, I’m going to spend all of today writing or formatting reviews for the blog. I review the majority of the books I read.
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I put up all my books in my Sunday Post too, and provide links to any reviews not on the blog. Non review books have MUCH shorter reviews, unless I adored the book so much and can't keep my fingers from typing. My reviews get a decent number of views, and the views have increased since I started doing groups of 2 and 3 reviews. I guess more choices, people have a better chance of seeing something they are interested in.
DeleteEvery book I start is reviewed on Goodreads and my blog, even if I DNF it. Sometimes I do several mini reviews in one post if I have less to say. I'm generally reviewing books that fewer people read, mainly Indie, so I don't get into controversial territory. I review every book because low star reviews can be so helpful to other readers in helping them decide if they want to read it or not. I find negative star reviews more informative than gushing positive star reviews!
ReplyDeleteI feel like I don't get into low star ratings, because I have never finished a book that earned less than 3 stars. I guess my experience with negative reviews has been that many are ranty without really pinpointing what they didn't like. They are so vague, so it's hard for me to tell if it's something I would or wouldn't like. Some people are better at articulating their feelings and actually make valid points, but those seem to be the minority when it comes to books I read.
DeleteI totally understand where you are coming from. I usually don't post if I dislike a book (I think I have a few up but not many). I just don't want the confrontation and drama that comes along with it. We all can love or dislike a book. That just comes with reading. You can have two best friends read a book and have two totally different feelings towards it. That's okay in my opinion. Just respect each other and move forward I say lol!!!
ReplyDeleteI feel like most people, who visit my blog are respectful, but I have definitely been made to feel bad about liking something by some visitors, even if it was not intentional. I will speak my mind about the book on GR, but I like to keep the blog more upbeat.
DeleteI definitely don't review every book I read on my blog. I think it would just be too many, plus I don't have a lot to say about some books. I don't often read books about "controversial" issues, but when I do, I'm reluctant to review them because I'm afraid too many of my personal feelings will come out.
ReplyDeleteI feel like if I posted a review for every book I read, it would be overkill. That would be like 40 reviews a month. Some of the books, which ended up being controversial weren't about controversial issues. You never know what could be in a story that hits someone's hot button. When I review books with touchy subjects, I sometimes tiptoe around the issue, if I am not comfortable discussing it. Usually, I am hesitant, because it's an issue that does not "belong" to me. I have no problem with mental health books, because I am well entrenched in that world, but I usually don't weigh in on most other issues.
DeleteAt first I thought you meant "you" like the book/TV show!
ReplyDeleteThat's a pretty interesting idea about only reviewing 4-star and up reads. I feel like I don't have enough 4-star reads to commit to that.
You have had a rough run of books lately, but I read so many each month, and I don't finish books, which would earn under 3 stars. It makes it easy for me to have plenty of books to feature.
DeleteI review the books I read ever since I started blogging over 7 years ago. I like to recommend books on my blog so the low rated ones don't get shared there. Great discussion.
ReplyDeleteThat's how I feel too. I want to push books I loved, not bad mouth books I didn't. I find it easier to formulate my thoughts as to why I liked a book rather than why I didn't too. But my thoughts are recorded on GR for every book I have finished in recent years.
DeleteI usually don't review DNF'd books, but I may write a few sentences on GRs on why the book didn't work for me and my reasons for moving on. I don't usually review books that are lower than 3 stars on the blog because a lot of times if the book is less than 3 stars I don't want to waste my time writing some long negative review. Same as a DNF book I just write a few sentences on why it didn't work. I only have so much free time so if I'm going to write a review I'd rather do it for the books I think should have the attention and because I want to share my love of the story.
ReplyDeleteI think I know which book you're talking about, the one where the character decided to pretend to be gay for a time. I thought it was a stupid choice, but that wasn't why I didn't really like the story. My issue was I didn't like the fact that the character was mooning over some past love that didn't deserve her attentions and that was given a lot of page time. I'd rather have more focus on the love interest the character will end up with.
Great discussion post, Sam!
I would really, REALLY have to hate a book to spend any amount of time writing something about it. I just would rather use my time to gush over a book I enjoyed.
DeleteI agree. Her pining for her ex was annoying, but I sort of get how he was her only real relationship and she idealized him. It took having a new experience for her to really see him for what he was and to demand more for herself, than he was willing to give. At least that's how I saw it, though most of the scathing reviews were mad about THE LIE.
I mentioned everything in my Sunday wrap up post but I don't always post a review. Sometimes it's because I'm lazy - hangs head in shame - sometimes it's because I loved the book so much I don't have the words to express myself.
ReplyDeleteI always try to put a sentence or two on Goodreads but that just doesn't work for a review on the blog, they need more and sometimes I just don't have anything else to say.
I feel sad though that people are attacking a blogger for honestly stating their opinions even if an opinion is unpopular. I honestly don't find myself bothered by a lot of things other people seem to get bent out of shape about so that worries me. :(
We all come from different backgrounds and bring different experiences to the table, and I understand that we like and dislike different things. When I disagree with a blogger, I usually say something like "sorry it didn't work for you" or "this didn't work for me", but I never turn it around to question their judgement. I really felt like my taste was called into question on a review I posted recently. They weren't mean, but it was clearly telling me I was wrong about the book.
DeleteWell, you obviously already know that I'm reviewing less books on my blog nowadays. I never realized how much freedom I would feel at the notion that I don't HAVE to put every book I read on my blog. I think all the reasons you list are valid, and I think it's great that you're not pushing yourself to post reviews if you don't want to!
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I do think I owe the publisher a review, and I will post on GR and Amazon, but I don't feel I have to post here, though I do drop links to my reviews every Sunday for those, who want to know more about the book. I never want blogging to feel like a job, and if I forced myself to post full out reviews for books I didn't even really like, that would make it feel like a job.
DeleteThis is sort of a non-issue for me. I don't seek ARCs, mostly because I'm not interested in writing reviews (or in "having to" read a certain book in a certain time frame). I only write reviews if a book really triggers some specific train of thought for me. I don't read a lot of reviews either, and I almost never read reviews for books I haven't read yet. I still find this post and the comments very interesting though!
ReplyDeleteI am hesitant to read reviews before I read a book, unless it's a blogger I trust to write a spoiler free review. There are quite a few bloggers out there, who primarily review only their own books, because they like the freedom. I get that. I like to mix it up, because I am poor and could never afford my reading habit.
DeleteI don’t post DNF reviews either. I feel the same way that you do. I don’t feature all the books on my blog because I read so many and I get burned out on writing reviews so lots of time the non review books don’t get reviewed. I used to write reviews for everything, but now days I don’t because I was getting so burned out. Do what works for you and don’t worry about the rest!
ReplyDeleteThe burnout is real. I need those "breather" books in order to keep my reviews from being horrible.
DeleteI don't always review books that I DNF. Also not all of the TBR books that I just picked up because I wanted to. Also, series books. I have a hard time reviewing those, because spoilers and such
ReplyDeleteBooks in a series are hard to review without being too specific. I remember feeling that way for the last Kendare Blake book. My review was almost cryptic.
DeleteI don't review every book I read. I also don't feel comfortable reviewing only part of a book, so I also don't mention DNFs, I just quietly add them to my "not for me" shelf on GR so that I can keep track and not end up trying to read them again or something. I also will sometimes read a non-review copy and just not feel the need to review it, maybe I don't really have anything to say, so I don't force myself. We definitely don't have to review or feature every book we read just cuz we're book bloggers.
ReplyDeleteYes! My DNFs are swept under the rug as a lesson learned. Only remembered as a bright yellow highlight on my spreadsheet. I have read some non-review books, where because it was older, I felt like everything had been said, and it didn't need a full-out review from me. I guess I like to give more page time to lesser known books.
DeleteI made a decision a few months ago to not review any books that got less than 3 stars from me and I'm terrible at writing reviews so some just slip through the cracks
ReplyDeleteI make an effort to write something. Some are really short and just a few thoughts, but I like to have some notes on it, should I ever refer back to the book.
DeleteI don't review DNFs either. I usually just mention them briefly on my weekly recap, especially if I know a fellow blogger was awaiting my review for the book. I've also cut way back on reviewing backlist books like you say, because it gives me a little break. I'm leaning towards maybe just doing a summary post every month or two with one or two sentence reactions to older books I've read.
ReplyDeleteUsually by the time I get to a backlist book, there are so many reviews, I would more or less be repeating what everyone else has already said. Honestly, I like to record a few thoughts over on GR more for myself, than for anyone else, but if I SO LOVED the book, I will go the extra mile and write a full on review.
DeleteWell Sam I review them all except DNF. Or I will say that I DNF and explain why. I don't shy away from controversial topics as I love a good discussion and we all have different taste. So what if I like a book you don't like? that's not the end of the world. But I also understand all your points here above. As I've said reading and blogging are personal and we should be entitled to do it as we pleaase! Sophie @bewareofthereader
ReplyDeleteI admire people, who deal well with controversy. I am just super drama adverse. It's the introvert in me, I guess. I am of the school of thought, that we are free to like what we like when it comes to our reading tastes. I don't poo-poo anyone's choices. Just because something isn't for me doesn't mean someone else cannot enjoy it, and and vice versa.
DeleteI can't keep up with posting to be able to post every review I write. I always write my reviews because I review books for personal reasons over sharing. So I love reviewing but the ones that end up on my blog are books I want to share about, or have very passionate thoughts on it, and also have ones I have to review because that's why I was gifted them. :) I like your reasons, especially wanting to spread the love!
ReplyDeleteI would never have been able to blog when I was an undergrad. I admire all the stuff you do. I feel the same way, there are books I want to SCREAM about (in a good way). Those I make sure to share on the blog. The rest, will be notes in GR.
DeleteI don't rate DNF's but I do like to leave my thoughts of what I read on GR. It's more for me than anyone else. Over a year ago I think there was a topic on TTT on DNFed books and while looking at my DNF shelf on GR I couldn't even remember why I DNFed the books in the first place so that's why started with that. Though there has been maybe a handful of books that ended up as DNF that ticked me off enough to get a full review and rating. Not one of my proudest moments but it was probably in the first year of having a blog :/
ReplyDeleteI totally treat GR as my "thought keeper" for books. I have started utilizing my shelves more for blog features too. I am most compelled to go all out on a review for a book I had strong feelings about. I understand if a book really rubbed you the wrong way, you would want to talk about it.
DeleteGreat discussion topic.
ReplyDeleteI review most of the books I read for blog reviews and all of them for Goodreads. I have cut back on how many ARCs I take so I feel less pressure about when I read it or having the review out at a particular date.
I do post a 'review' for DNF and low rated books with an explanation of why more so than an actual review because, as you pointed out, its only a partial read. I like to read them when others write them (as long as they are specific why a book didn't work for them) and I like to keep track for my own purposes. Though, that said, if it is a review book and there is a tour, I do not post a low rating or DNF with the tour post.
I'm totally cool with others picking a rating level that determines if a review will post or not and the motive to only promote books you love.
I do get not posting sometimes when it comes down to not having the energy or caring enough one way or the other when its a controversial book and I didn't land on the majority opinion side or know enough about the issue to take a stand if it was an issue apart from the actual story.
It's tough being on the minority side when it comes to a book. The community can get very passionate about things. And, holding back a negative review for a tour is a must. Most organizers specify keeping it positive, yet, I have seen negative reviews for tours and was really surprised. A lot of blogger feature their DNFs. If you have something to say, you have something to say. I get that, but like you said, I appreciate reading real reasons, verses some of the kind of DNF reviews I have seen.
DeleteI review most of what I read. If I dnf, they I just put a quick reason why I didn't finish the book on goodreads and try not to every think of it again. If is isn't a review book and I didn't really care for it, I might skip a review but that is mostly because I just don't want to think about the book any more. When I need a little review break, I tend to throw a re-read into my reading schedule so I can just enjoy without feeling like I need to write a review.
ReplyDeleteI like to sweep my DNFs under the carpet, and would rather dwell on my great reading experiences. Review breaks are so necessary. If I don't have one every once in a while, my reviews suffer.
DeleteI don't have any specific reasons - more that I just have to have something to say even if it's a mini or a negative review.
ReplyDeleteI read a lot more for fun now so I don't worry about reviewing everything anymore.
Karen @ For What It's Worth
I think if I had enough passion about a DNF, I would spend the time, but I just am not driven to spend any more time than necessary on a book I didn't enjoy.
DeleteI just tend to dnf books I'm not liking so most of my reviews/ratings are pretty high. I only write a full-length review for advanced copies, but I do try to write mini reviews of the other books I read or feature them in some other way on the blog if I loved it.
ReplyDeleteI know my average rating is high too for the same exact reason. I mostly only do full reviews for review books, but there have been some really great non-review books, that I wanted to gush about. I am often too petered out on reviews to do that too often, but sometimes, I just can't help myself.
DeleteI tend not to feature books I don't finish but if I've read it and I didn't like it, I will say why.
ReplyDeleteThat's reasonable to me. Any book I finish is fair game for assessment. I just don't tend to finish books I am not enjoying.
DeleteI only review books that I "have to", tbh. Now, whether it be a DNF or a new favorite, I review all books that I obtain for review, so I am a little different in that way. But books I read for me? Nope not bothering. Sometimes I will do a really short "thoughts" on it, but that's it, and that is only if I want to. I do kind of "feature" them all in that I post that I have read them at the end of the month? But I don't usually talk about how I felt about them at that point.
ReplyDeleteI submit feedback for all ARCs I read, including DNFs. I just don't feature them on my blog. Every book I finished has something written about it on GR too. I like writing something on GR, because I can refer back to it, when I am trying to remember a book or are looking for past reads to feature on some sort of list. Those reviews are more for me than for other people.
DeleteSometimes I wonder...do people not realize they are reading fiction? It can be whatever the author wants it to be.
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
I have also done a whole post about that. I don't think there is a single thing all people will ever agree upon, but I guess it's just not my nature to be really noisy about things I consider minor.
DeleteI try to review all my books but lets face it my GR is full of books I was supposed to review and didn't. I read them just never got around to reviewing them. I haven't had a DNF before so I am ok there. I do what I can do. That's all I can do.
ReplyDeleteMary
Wait! You've never had a DNF? I DNFed two audiobooks this morning.
DeleteI can only afford a few new books every year, so yes, I review all of them (I even post a short review on GR as soon as I finish the book, and a longer one later, after I manage to reread it). Like Chuck above, I find low-rating reviews more helpful than the 4 or 5 star ones - at least when they're articulated LOL - so I do post mine as well. Once I DNF'ed a book that I had agreed to receive via a (polite and tailor-made) review request. Since she had been so nice and respectful, I reached out to the author and explained that me and her book hadn't clicked, so I could offer her three alternatives: I could write a honest (DNF) review, or simply mark her book as DNF on GR, or me and her could part ways amicably and it would have been as if I never got the book in the first place. Of course, she took the easy way out. And here I'm still feeling guilty of not letting people know that I couldn't finish that book and why, because I could have saved someone else the trouble of dealing with something they wouldn't like...
ReplyDeleteI understand that some (uncalled for) comments can ruin your day, and it's probably a healthy choice not to review books you didn't like on your blog. I could never do that though...I feel like it's my mission to let people make an informed choice LOL. As if the whole world were reading my blog 😂. Then again, some comments have no place whatsoever on a blog/site/social platform. One can always agree to disagree of course, and that's healthy too. But attacking a reviewer for their reading tastes? It would inflame me so much, I would probably post twice the non-stellar reviews LOL. And to think I'm always trying to avoid conflict in real life...but if you tell me what I should do, I turn into a fury 😡 😂.
I do see the point of a DNF review for some people, but a review is never enough for me. It's the stars plus the review that help me decide if a book is for me or not. I have seen people NOT respectfully disagree with reviewers on their blogs, and I just think it's wrong to attack someone in their own space. I have no problem with someone disagreeing, though, when I disagree, I usually just pass on commenting. I will say, that if someone, point blank, asked me how a felt about a particular book, that I had DNFed, I would tell them the truth. The way you handled that DNF with the author was really human of you, even if you felt guilty about not sharing your thoughts.
DeleteI only review books that I think other people would like to hear about. I tend to read a lot of obscure books so I like bringing those to people's attention. I don't tend to review of lot of 3 star books. Those are books I finished but weren't really stand outs.
ReplyDeleteThe only reason I might talk about books that I didn't like is if there is a good discussion to be had about the issues in the book. For example, I read an older book that had casual racism that would not be acceptable now so I had a discussion about that.
Those 3-star books are so complicated. I liked them, but like you said, they didn't stand out. So, they are only reviewed on GR. I am a fan of giving love to those little known books as well. My YA reading tends to be contemporary, and I feel YA blogs are dominated by SFF books. I get a lot of satisfaction from putting my thoughts out there for lesser known books.
DeleteI also don't review books on my blog that I didn't give a good rating. I can't write one/two stars reviews (however, I do leave some words on goodreads just stating the reason why the book wasn't for me). I want to spread happiness and if I were to review books that I didn't enjoy, I feel my blog would become a sad place for me.
ReplyDeleteHappy readings! ;)
Tânia @MyLovelySecret
*high five* I'm with you. I want my blog to be a happy place too, because it's something I enjoy doing, and it would pain me to put too much negativity out there, especially when we are talking about something I love as much as books.
Delete