Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
What is a "reliable" review? If you don't like a book, does it mean that I won't like it (or vice versa)? I can't stand reading books with poor grammar; perhaps it doesn't bother you. I'm just not sure that I really see the value of reviews, unless it is simply to make factual statements about this like the book having poor grammar, or things like that.
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How do
you determine what new books might be worth your attention?
I read a fair number of reviews, and reliability is a function of the reviewer.
The best reviews for me are those in which the reviewers tastes and biases are clearly stated. Even a negative review can be a positive indicator when that's clear, in the cases of "X hated it, which means I'll love it!"
If I were to undertake reviews, mine would all be positive. There are scads of bad books published. I'd rather spend my time recommending stuff I found worth reading than warning people off the failures.
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Dennis