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December 6 question: Book reviews are for the readers. When you leave a book review do you review for the Reader or the Author? Is it about what you liked and enjoyed about your reading experience, or do you critique the author?
That is a good question. I rarely critique an author. In my opinion, it's not my place to critique an authors already published work. If unpublished, and an author asked me to critique their work, that's a different story....
And I never give a bad review. Because as an author I know very well those long hours of hard work, and what goes into writing and publishing a novel.
I once couldn't get through a book. I waited months and picked it up again. Guess what? I was able to read it and enjoy it. Sometimes it's just not the right read for that moment in time.
Or, if I totally dislike a novel, which is rare, I wouldn't post a bad review. I've read some pretty nasty reviews and those are heartbreaking for an author. And I've actually liked those books with the nasty reviews. So only you, as a reader can judge what you like and don't like.
There's millions of books out there for a diverse population. Not all books are a person's 'cup of tea.'
So true. We all have our own likes and dislikes, experiences we bring to the books we read when we read them. Let's enjoy what we like with enthusiasm and worry less about critique.
ReplyDeleteSo True!!!
DeleteYou hit all of my reasons--it could be that moment in time, and it could just be me.
ReplyDeleteI don't post bad reviews either. I think a 3 is the lowest I've rated one. (And it was a big-name author so I don't feel bad.)
ReplyDeleteI agree. My mother always told us, "If you have nothing nice to say, keep your thoughts to yourself." My dad would say, "If you've got nothing nice to say, go to your room." haha
ReplyDeleteThat's impressive that you read and enjoyed a book you had previously cast aside. I don't know if that has ever happened for me. But I agree that sometimes the reader's mood, life circumstances, or genre preference can unfairly contribute to a negative review, so I try to keep that in mind both as a reviewer and author.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on not posting a negative review. And I don't think we should critique the author in a review. That should be done before the book is published.
ReplyDeleteI don't post bad reviews either.
ReplyDeleteAnd sorry, this just today showed up in my Feedly reader! I have got to find a better way of following blog posts.
If I post a review that is less than glowing, I always make a point to note that the book just wasn't my cup of tea and it may be different for others.
ReplyDeleteYeah, if I don't like a story, I won't leave a bad review either. I don't want to drag anyone down because it might just be a matter of preference.
ReplyDelete