Question June 24, 2010: Do you read book reviews? Do you let them change your mind about reading/not reading a particular book?
My answer: I don't go out of my way to read book reviews-unless they appear in NOW or on blogs that happen to include them (although I have been reading more reading blogs which are predominantly book reviews-so now I look like a liar...anyway...).
If a book that I know I want to read is being reviewed I may purposely not read the review so I am not disappointed. If it's a bad review I will probably still read the book if it's one I am very interested in-with the exception of Elizabeth Gilbert's Committed. I really enjoyed Eat, Pray, Love, but when I read a review of her new book, along with an interview of her and an excerpt of the book (Committed)-I realized that I simply could not read anymore of it!! I could not stand her!!
If I happen to read a glowing book review of I book I was not previously interested in-then I often put that book on my to be read list!
What about you? Do you read book reviews- and if so-do they sway your opinion of whether or not to read a book?
I'll certainly take the opinions of friends in mind when adding/removing from my "must read" list, but I rarely take into account reviews in newspapers & magazines. I figure that since I don't know the journalists, why would I trust their recommendations?
ReplyDeleteI generally avoid book reviews and frequently do not even read the blurb on the back--the less I know about a book I'm about to read, the happier I am!
ReplyDeleteI don't know where to put a post that isn't related to anything but have you read the Mistress of Nothing by Kate Pullinger... Mom had it in her room so I just read it. I really liked it and would be interested in your thoughts. It's based in Egypt in the 1800s
ReplyDeleteI know a few people who won't even read blurbs-how do you decide what book to pick then???
ReplyDeleteI have not read the Mistress of Nothing-but I will put it on my list!!