I was cross-posting some reviews to Goodreads the other day when I realized that the last few books I have read have been 3.5 stars or higher. So I started thinking: Am I just getting better at picking books I might want to read, or am I just way too easy to please?
The answer, I think is a (not at all) resounding kind-of-both? Because sure, I am getting better at picking books- mostly because I am more informed about which books are out there, and I have the insanely helpful benefit of all my fellow bookish friends reviewing books and letting me know which ones I absolutely need to get, or pass on.
That aside, I think in general, I am kind of easy to please. I can overlook junk that sometimes other people may not be as forgiving about. A friend sent me a message about a book that I enjoyed, and she expressed her concern with the flaws in it. And she was right. Those flaws were 100% accurate, and they probably should have bugged me more than they did. But I kind of got caught up in the emotional aspects of the story, and I was a goner.
(The reverse is also true though: If I don’t like a book, I can pick out flaws like crazy!)
But.. is it a bad thing? I see some reviewers on Goodreads (since it gives you that handy little “average rating” number!) with oddly low ratings (like come on, all the books cannot epically suck!) or ridiculously high ones, because I guess everything is just unicorns and rainbows? I don’t think I fall to the extremes at all, but I do think I lean toward the positive end of the spectrum.
**BREAKING NEWS**
As I was getting ready to publish this post, I had some new developments. I kind of DNFed not one but
two books in the past few days. Um. I never DNF.
Ever. One
(Frozen) I may or may not get back to, because I don’t think that I gave it enough of a chance. But I have way too many other books to read to be worried about it right now. The other is a book for review. I don’t know
what to do. I know I am not going to like it, if I did force myself to power through. But what do I say to the author? I am bad at this stuff.
Let’s Discuss! How do you see yourself as a reader? Easier on books, harder, or somewhere right in the middle?
(And, for the love of Pete, what the heck do you do when you need to DNF a review book?)
Ooh, this is such a wonderful topic for discussion, Shannon! I completely agree with what you’ve said – I seem to be able to not be annoyed by the flaws in books as compared to other readers, but then again, I can be really picky. Honestly, I think it all relates back to being a mood reader.
I’ve never DNF-ed a review book yet, although I was close last month and asked the exact same question. I got told that if you want to DNF it, DNF it, just be sure to point out what you personally didn’t like in the review as well as pointing out why other people may enjoy it.
Thanks! I agree with you- it totally depends on my mood! Sometimes I let things slide easily, and then sometimes… well sometimes I get ridiculous.
I haven’t DNFed a review book before either. Well, not completely. I probably should, because I tried to read them ages ago, and they just weren’t for me, so I “put them aside”, but in reality, I am never going to read them. This one, I can probably force myself to continue, but I know it isn’t going to be for me. I guess honesty is the best policy? I don’t want to bother, only to rate it low. That doesn’t help anyone!
Hmm. This is a very interesting question. I tend to do things in a confusing way. I rate a book on my feelings alone; did I love the characters and story, did it make me feel? Did I throughly enjoy and love it despite it’s flaws? And then when reviewing I look at all it’s flaws, pointing them out without a second thought. It can make it seem like my 4 star review deserves a 2 star rating. But I don’t let the flaws I point out change my feelings towards the book. Same goes when I hate a book and give it a low rating, and then point out a lot of good things it has that I think would appeal to other people. Basically, it’s very confusing and I have no idea how I do it. =)
I don’t know what I would do if I DNFed a book for review! The one time I rated and reviewed a review book that I was sent from the author and it was 3 stars I felt so awkward sending her the link…
Great discussion topic! =)
Hm, this is a good point! I do try to do the same- even if I loved the book, if I see a potential problem for others I will address it, and the same for a book I didn’t like.
As for the DNFing. UGH. I hate awkwardness, and I hate hurting anyone’s feelings. It is such a bad situation. It’s one thing if you have to send a bad review to a publisher, because they have a ton of other books, this isn’t their “baby”, you know? I am tortured 😉
THIS IS A GOOD TOPIC. Sometimes I get flustered and start to over think my ratings…because I can be a really really tough rater. But then, like recently? I’ve read 5 books in a row that have been either 4 or 5 stars. I MEAN: UM. WOW!!?! So I think it gets down to I really like some things and not others. I prefer to enjoy books as much as possible (though I do zone in on flaws…but, gah, I don’t know?! I tend to overlook them if I love the characters or story a lot of a lot). It’s just that life is short and I know how much work goes into making a novel. I’d rather enjoy it. If I only read 2 and 3 star books I’d start to wonder why I bothered reading.
Yes, very good point! And, this is why I worry so much about DNFing, and the author, because I KNOW how hard it is for him or her to put pretty much their souls out there to be read. I am stressing too much I think.
My Goodreads rating average is ridiculously high, something like 3.9. But I DNF a lot of books (I dislike something, put off reading it and then the book has to be returned to the library) and don’t like rating books I didn’t enjoy, which probably skews my ratings a bit. Still, I’m really easy to please when it comes to books.
I think that is mine too! I know there are a few factors too, like I used to rate everything way too high when I first started rating stuff, OR I would only rate books I liked, so that has skewed it too. I am so, so bad at DNFing though, which is ridiculous. I need to just move on!
This ones fun, I just went to check mine, in the last 18 books, I believe only two was a 5 for me, which was the awesome Heir of Fire, and The Cure for Dreaming one 4.5, and four fours (ha!) The rest is 3 or lower, and just checked my average rating 3.86% (just checked yours) and we’re 0.10% off from each other, and see, I think I’m hard on books, I don’t always see the best in them, but when I LOVE a book, I love it despite the flaws with the plot or world building etc, and that’s because of the characters. Mine are always lower if I can’t connect to the characters. I do think I’m fair, though sometimes I can be a bitch with some, like recently with A Thousand Pieces of You, overall the plot and story wasn’t that bad but I hated the main character too much to get past it.
DNF’s…I’m trying to get better, I think I am getting better with them (I mean, I’ve DNF’d a lot less than I would’ve) if there’s something else to distract me then I won’t, if it’s a short one I’ll push my way through it, but sometimes you really just have to, it just makes me drag through it otherwise, And yeah, I had a proof copy from Orchard for Frozen and DNF’D it, and just wrote a mini review on why I DNF’D it with no rating.
Oh mine are always SO much lower when I can’t connect to the characters! Ugh, I just lose interest, and don’t care. I mean, why bother with the story if you don’t care how it ends?
I really wish I would DNF when I know it isn’t working AT ALL. I mean, I kind of DNFed this review book, but not “officially”, since I know I am going to have to tell the author something. So tricky, this reviewing stuff!
I am good at noticing little problems, but you’re so right, if I loved the book they just don’t matter. Yeah, I’ve heard Frozen had a good beginning, but the ending stunk, so I passed. I know, I hate promising a review and then not really liking the book. I never know what to do, usually I just read it anyway and try not to be too harsh. I feel too guilty not reading it. I haven’t had a truly awful review book yet, because I’m really careful about what I request, but I’d probably skim to the end, skipping what I could, so I could still review it.
Ugh, yes, I have gotten MUCH pickier about what I will review, but I accepted this one a long time ago (the ARCs weren’t even ready yet) and now that it is here… ugh. There are things that are not just boring or whatever, but they are actually making me MAD. Like, I am getting furious and I know I can’t read it. This is just a lesson to be even more picky perhaps 😉
My average on goodreads lies around the 4 stars I think, so most books I read are books I enjoy, but I am also extremely critic in the sense that I can point out what I didn’t like even in a book I rate 4 or 5 stars. I don’t think I am easy to please, but after being a reader for so long I kinda got a sense of which books to avoid and what to pay attention to in reviews. Even though I have some issue with a book I can still enjoy it, it just depends on the book I guess. I learned to DNF a bit more often and I think that’s also the reason for my high average, combined with the fact that I never give out 1 star ratings and only seldomly 2 star ratings. There just aren’t enough low star ratings to get my average down. Great topic!
Yes, I think you are SO right! I think we just get a better gist of what we like and what we won’t like as we go along. I really think that is what is happening with me- I avoid books that have red flags, especially for personal preference reasons.
Mainly, I read for fun, so I don’t typically pick crappy books. (Though, that’s not so say I haven’t read a few lately) but I usually just don’t bother to rate them if they were bad. There are enough harsh critics out there, and enough low-star ratings on the books I don’t like, that I don’t really NEED to add my 2-cents.
As for what to say on a review book you DNF? I’m personally partial to the “It wasn’t really my genre”, or “I found it difficult to relate fully” HAHAH! You can be honest and not mean at the same time, the beauty of words. Some reviewers just come off as cranky and bitter, rather than offering constructive criticism that is useful. As an author I understand that everyone has different tastes, and for the number of people who love my books, there are as many who will hate it, and that’s ok, but then just pass and go read something you DO enjoy.
Hahah I love that! I don’t intentionally pick crappy books either, but apparently I am just better at it 😉
I think I like your “I can’t relate” idea, because I can’t relate. (I mean, I don’t know if anyone can, but I don’t need to say that!) And then I can just move on but not feel awful about it. I don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings, but I don’t really see any other way to do it- I can’t just ignore the author, and if I read it and give it a crappy review, that isn’t helping either. GAH.
You’re talking about me right? HAHAHA! I’ll be OK, I promise. 😉 but really… I think if an author figures everyone will love their book, they’re delusional. It’s OK not to like something, but there are ways of doing it tactfully. I won’t deny that bad reviews suck as an author… but realistically they can’t all be raves.
NO! Of course it isn’t YOU, silly! (I really do need to read your book, but just because I want to and it sounds really good and like my kind of book.) I want to tell you what the book is, and why I don’t like it, but I feel too bad putting it in public!
I am easy to please and 100% okay with it. I would much rather be easy to please than the opposite. Reading is my favorite thing, it is my escape. Why would I want to be hard to please? Every time I start a new book, the thought that I am holding an authors dream come true in my hand enters my mind. Thinking of it that way almost forces me subconsciously to find the good in every book. I have also definitely gotten better at picking out stories that I am sure of, and being a part of Goodreads and the blogging world helps, too! I have read several posts about people not trusting reviewers who are always positive, but I am just… positive I suppose. After reading those posts, I actually started trying to think of at least one bad thing to say about every book but then I realized that is just not who I am. If there is something that I need to say that is negative about a book I will, but I am absolutely not going to start looking for flaws in a story that I am thoroughly enjoy so that my reviews seem more trustworthy. And I mean every single word that I write about a book, all positive or no, so I think that is just fine!
Aw, I really love your approach! I agree with you, I think about that too, how the author has poured their whole self into it, but it often scares me- I like your way better!
As for not trusting positive reviewers, that has been my worry too. But, now that you mention it, I have been thinking about how I just know some reviewers are more positive by nature, and some are more negative, and take that into consideration while reading their reviews, and I still find their reviews to be helpful!
I honestly think you can tell the difference between someone really liking/loving a book, and someone who just writes positive reviews for a tour or something. Like with stories, you can see the heart in it when it is real!
I found the same thing about myself! Most of the books I read – seriously, the very vast majority- are rated higher than 3.5 stars. Blogging has definitely helped me see what kind of books I’d like, based on other bloggers and my own knowledge of myself the more I read. I also think I’m pretty easy to please. If the book held my attention, it wasn’t too slow, and the characters were good – why not enjoy it? I don’t get caught up in a lot of details like other people do. I’ve only DNFed one book before (The Lovely Bones) and that was seven years ago. For some reason I have to finish no matter what!
I am usually the same way- HAVE to finish. I will often give books another chance, only to realize I love them! I had only DNFed a few books ever, and like you they were long ago, but then I had to DNF the review one. There was some things I didn’t like, and then some things I just couldn’t overlook and had to stop for some issues that REALLY bugged me.
I completely agree! But I think it’s just because I’m very good at picking out books, and also that I haven’t had many ARCS to read yet. I feel like most bloggers that are reading new releases tend to have lower scores, because they are picking books that they don’t know about. So yeah. I have a high average rating too!
That is SUCH a good point! I find that some of the ARCs have been my lower ratings because I went in blind, based on blurb alone. I hadn’t even thought of that- someone has to be the first one to like OR not like a book! GREAT point!
I wrote a post about this a few months ago, except mine was the exact opposite of yours: I expressed being worried about being too critical in my reviews. I can completely relate to what you’re feeling – even if it’s different – but definitely keep reviewing and rating the way you do. If you start to worry about being too critical or too lax, that’s when you start to manipulate your opinions without even realizing it. I love your reviews the way they are Sharon; they’re always so informative and helpful! <3
That is a really, really good point. I always want to feel like my opinions are true to me, even if it might not work for someone else. And I think I will usually be able to say “yeah, there might have been some flaws, but I liked the book so much I didn’t care”, and then let the reader decide!
I am easy on most books. I usually read so many reveiws and do research before I read a book series and I think that helps me weed out a lot of duds.I aim toward the high rating. My rating average on goodreads is 4.17.
I used to think I was “too easy to please” because I had so many 5 star and 4 star reads last year. But the problem is, a lot of them were inflated. You see, I used to rate (and sometimes review) a book right after I read it, so I was still in a sort of book high. I didn’t think too critically about them, and then I found myself thinking weeks later: is it too late to change my mind? So this year, I’ve become really critical in reviewing, a snob so to speak. I pick apart things that probably wouldn’t have bugged me much if I was still only reading books for fun. But now that I’m a reviewer, I can’t go back to that. I’m trying really hard not to be so critical, but I feel like as I keep reviewing more and more, I’m noticing ALL OF THE THINGS. Like world-building, pacing, character development, etc. So I’m paying attention to more than just my feelings. And I do want those 5 stars to remain special and give them to those books that truly impact me. But I’ve definitely struggled with this as a reviewer, and I’m trying to find that balance so my critiquing doesn’t take a lot of that enjoyment I get from reading. I love this discussion topic! 🙂
Also. The DNF. So, I would just do it and not force myself through the book. Why waste anymore time on books I don’t like? It’s why I changed my review policy this summer. As for what to tell the author, I would just write a little note and say why I didn’t like the book (it’s easier on NetGalley when I can just do that and send it the publisher). I don’t know if that would be the right course of action, as I’ve never DNFed a book I received directly from the author. Sorry I can’t be of more help!