Do you review?

ImogenRose · 04-23-2010, 01:10 AM

I have just started reviewing books I read. Do you review what you read?

Worldwalker · 04-23-2010, 02:29 AM

Sometimes. If I really love a book, or I really hate it, I might review. If it's just meh ... probably not.

Sweetpea · 04-23-2010, 02:43 AM

Never. I don't read reviews either.

ImogenRose · 04-23-2010, 02:50 AM

I never used to either, but recently I just started. It was after a friend asked me to look at his book and review it. I enjoyed the whole process and am now jotting down short impressions of my views.

dreams · 04-23-2010, 02:50 AM

I'm really lax about going back and leaving a review. I think it's mainly that I don't really rely on outside reviews when choosing a book to read. I've bought books based on 4 or 5 star reviews that didn't live up to those little stars. So, I went back to what I did when reading pbooks. If someone with like tastes enjoyed it, I figured I would also.

Since I am on this forum, I will mention the book I've read and comment on it. I will also look into buying or reading other books that members have read and mentioned (especially if I they have read and liked other books that I liked also).

When I buy or download a free book, it goes on my TBR list. I load my reader once a month with new books, so it may take 3 months until I read a book that was put on my TBR list.

So, basically, no, I don't usually do reviews. I never did written reviews for pbooks. Word of mouth was the way I chose what to read before and it's almost the same now (except I read the "What are you reading now?" thread).

GraceKrispy · 04-23-2010, 03:00 AM

I have only reviewed one or two books. I plan to review the smashwords books I have, but I havenʻt reviewed a lot of them yet because I havenʻt made a dent in many of them yet.

ChrisC333 · 04-23-2010, 03:39 AM

I haven't done it much in the past. But it might be an interesting way to collect your thoughts about specific authors, styles, genres, which in turn might provide helpful pointers to help make future buying choices.

It would also presumably be a very useful way of ensuring that you pay a bit more attention to what authors do and how they do it. Handy to know if you ever plan to do any writing of your own.

Enjoy your reviewing.

Cheers,

Chris

TallMomof2 · 04-23-2010, 10:21 AM

Not very often but when I do it's usually because I really loved the book.

Hamlet53 · 04-23-2010, 02:05 PM

Generally never write reviews myself. It does give me a chance to express something I've been thinking.

I have been going through all the books that have been uploaded here, in an A to Z (still on F) fashion, and have reached two conclusions about the value added by this site [as a book source] versus just going to Project Gutenberg; the source for almost all the books here;

Sometimes value has been added through significant modification of the source material, e.g. illustrations, or significant improvement to formatting.

Even when little more has been done than stripping out the P.G. legal stuff, maybe slapping on a cover image, and file format conversion, often the person doing the upload provides valuable comments (a review of sorts) about why the book might be of interest to me.

In other cases when all that is said is what was copied from, say Wikipedia or Amazon, then not so much value added.

Ea · 04-23-2010, 02:20 PM

I write one once in a while - usually because I either liked or disliked the book and so had something to say about it. I also partly do it as a writing excercise.

kindlekitten · 04-23-2010, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

Sometimes. If I really love a book, or I really hate it, I might review. If it's just meh ... probably not.

ditto. especially if REALLY bad information is in the book that I might have first hand knowledge about. also when it is a typo wreck

davidhburton · 04-23-2010, 03:18 PM

I value reviews. I know it's all subjective, but sometimes if there are enough good reviews it might be the difference between a maybe and a yes in buying. At places like goodreads, reviews mean even more because I watch reviews of people who's opinions would likely match my own.

Edit: Also, reviews on blogs are a help as well. Strangely, not so much for the book review itself, but more for the visibility. I become aware of more books this way.

MartinParish · 04-24-2010, 08:46 PM

If I really really really love a book I'll review it. Otherwise, typically not... I have to say I've never found reviews particularly helpful in deciding whether to buy/read something or not either.

rcuadro · 04-25-2010, 03:20 PM

There has to be something that really got me going about the book for me to review it though most of the time that is when a book is horrible... I used to read the reviews but I find that most of them feel the need to tell you about the book, the story line... well I want to read the book and not get cliff-notes on it so I stopped reading them.

Shayne Parkinson · 04-25-2010, 04:41 PM

Yes, I do, although not of every book I read. I've got into the habit since I joined Goodreads, where my reviews become part of the record of my own reading as well as something I share with friends there. I've also done some reviews on Amazon, generally of books that are a little less well-known, and don't already have hundreds of reviews.

04-23-2010, 01:10 AM	#1
ImogenRose PORTAL Posts: 7,204 Karma: 2884640 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: Kindle 1, Kindle 3 (3G), iPhone	Do you review? I have just started reviewing books I read. Do you review what you read?

04-23-2010, 03:18 PM	#12
davidhburton Addict Posts: 211 Karma: 100001 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Toronto Device: none	I value reviews. I know it's all subjective, but sometimes if there are enough good reviews it might be the difference between a maybe and a yes in buying. At places like goodreads, reviews mean even more because I watch reviews of people who's opinions would likely match my own. Edit: Also, reviews on blogs are a help as well. Strangely, not so much for the book review itself, but more for the visibility. I become aware of more books this way. Last edited by davidhburton; 04-23-2010 at 03:22 PM.

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04-23-2010, 02:29 AM	#2
Worldwalker Curmudgeon Posts: 3,085 Karma: 722357 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: PRS-505	Sometimes. If I really love a book, or I really hate it, I might review. If it's just meh ... probably not.

04-23-2010, 02:43 AM	#3
Sweetpea Grand Sorcerer Posts: 9,707 Karma: 32763414 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Krewerd Device: Pocketbook Inkpad 4 Color; Samsung Galaxy Tab S6	Never. I don't read reviews either.

04-23-2010, 02:50 AM	#4
ImogenRose PORTAL Posts: 7,204 Karma: 2884640 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: Kindle 1, Kindle 3 (3G), iPhone	I never used to either, but recently I just started. It was after a friend asked me to look at his book and review it. I enjoyed the whole process and am now jotting down short impressions of my views.

04-23-2010, 02:50 AM	#5
dreams It's about the umbrella Posts: 25,112 Karma: 56250158 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Sony 505\| K Fire \| KK 3G+Wi-Fi \| iPhone 3Gs \|Vista 32-bit Hm Prem w/FF	I'm really lax about going back and leaving a review. I think it's mainly that I don't really rely on outside reviews when choosing a book to read. I've bought books based on 4 or 5 star reviews that didn't live up to those little stars. So, I went back to what I did when reading pbooks. If someone with like tastes enjoyed it, I figured I would also. Since I am on this forum, I will mention the book I've read and comment on it. I will also look into buying or reading other books that members have read and mentioned (especially if I they have read and liked other books that I liked also). When I buy or download a free book, it goes on my TBR list. I load my reader once a month with new books, so it may take 3 months until I read a book that was put on my TBR list. So, basically, no, I don't usually do reviews. I never did written reviews for pbooks. Word of mouth was the way I chose what to read before and it's almost the same now (except I read the "What are you reading now?" thread).

04-23-2010, 03:00 AM	#6
GraceKrispy It's Dr. Penguin now! Posts: 3,909 Karma: 4705733 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: (USA) Device: iPad mini, Samsung Note 3, Sony PRS-650 (rarely used now)	I have only reviewed one or two books. I plan to review the smashwords books I have, but I havenʻt reviewed a lot of them yet because I havenʻt made a dent in many of them yet.

04-23-2010, 03:39 AM	#7
ChrisC333 Groupie Posts: 194 Karma: 2031 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: West Australia Device: Acer eM250 Netbook, iTouch, iRiver Story, HP TM2 Tablet	I haven't done it much in the past. But it might be an interesting way to collect your thoughts about specific authors, styles, genres, which in turn might provide helpful pointers to help make future buying choices. It would also presumably be a very useful way of ensuring that you pay a bit more attention to what authors do and how they do it. Handy to know if you ever plan to do any writing of your own. Enjoy your reviewing. Cheers, Chris

04-23-2010, 10:21 AM	#8
TallMomof2 Kindlephilia Posts: 2,017 Karma: 1139255 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Snowpacolypse 2010 Device: Too many to count	Not very often but when I do it's usually because I really loved the book.

04-23-2010, 02:05 PM	#9
Hamlet53 Nameless Being	Generally never write reviews myself. It does give me a chance to express something I've been thinking. I have been going through all the books that have been uploaded here, in an A to Z (still on F) fashion, and have reached two conclusions about the value added by this site [as a book source] versus just going to Project Gutenberg; the source for almost all the books here; Sometimes value has been added through significant modification of the source material, e.g. illustrations, or significant improvement to formatting. Even when little more has been done than stripping out the P.G. legal stuff, maybe slapping on a cover image, and file format conversion, often the person doing the upload provides valuable comments (a review of sorts) about why the book might be of interest to me. In other cases when all that is said is what was copied from, say Wikipedia or Amazon, then not so much value added.

04-23-2010, 02:20 PM	#10
Ea Wizard Posts: 3,490 Karma: 5239563 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Denmark Device: Kindle 3\|iPad air\|iPhone 4S	I write one once in a while - usually because I either liked or disliked the book and so had something to say about it. I also partly do it as a writing excercise.

04-24-2010, 08:46 PM	#13
MartinParish Author of 2184 Posts: 61 Karma: 810 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: Kindle	If I really really really love a book I'll review it. Otherwise, typically not... I have to say I've never found reviews particularly helpful in deciding whether to buy/read something or not either.

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04-25-2010, 03:20 PM	#14
rcuadro Wizard Posts: 1,686 Karma: 874275 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Device: Kindle DX	There has to be something that really got me going about the book for me to review it though most of the time that is when a book is horrible... I used to read the reviews but I find that most of them feel the need to tell you about the book, the story line... well I want to read the book and not get cliff-notes on it so I stopped reading them.

04-25-2010, 04:41 PM	#15
Shayne Parkinson Author Posts: 1,532 Karma: 5447804 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: New Zealand Device: Samsung Galaxy Tab	Yes, I do, although not of every book I read. I've got into the habit since I joined Goodreads, where my reviews become part of the record of my own reading as well as something I share with friends there. I've also done some reviews on Amazon, generally of books that are a little less well-known, and don't already have hundreds of reviews.