How do you use book reviews? « Books Worth Reading

How do you use book reviews?

August 29, 2008 at 9:00 am | In Books, Reviews | 4 Comments
Tags: Jane Smiley

Image by elkit via Flickr

I have to admit that I usually only read reviews of books that I have already read. I like to see if the reviewer agreed or disagreed with my opinion of the book and has any new insights to add. A shared reading experience can lead to a good discussion in the comments.

Sometimes I’ll skim a review for a book I haven’t read if I’m considering buying it or if the subject interests me. But I am cautious, because I don’t want to get spoiled!

I don’t really like to read criticism — or an in-depth analysis of a book — unless it’s written particularly well, such as in Jane Smiley’s entertaining 13 Ways of Looking at the Novel. I also don’t like to write that kind of criticism. I’m not in school anymore!

I started this blog as an online version of my personal reading journal, so my reviews are typically limited to my feelings about a book and any interesting thoughts I might have had while reading it. They don’t go deeper than that. I might write more if I were getting paid. (But you’d have to pay me a lot to read books I don’t enjoy and then write about them.)

How do you use book reviews? Do they help you decide what to read, or do you wait until after you’ve read the book yourself? Do you prefer personal reactions to the book or more analytical reviews?

(I started thinking about this after reading this post on Editorial Ass.)

4 Comments »

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI

i only read reviews of new contemporary books (not classics) or bestsellers to see whether people like them or not
i also read book reviews before writing my own to have several opinoins on my mind

Comment by zawan — August 29, 2008 #
zawan-
That’s interesting. I usually wait until after I write my book review to read others so they won’t change my opinion! Shannon

Comment by Shannon — August 29, 2008 #
yeah you’re right
i have a bad habit of always praising books, so when I read negative reviews I get back my senses.
Don’t have really strong opinions!

Comment by zawan — August 29, 2008 #
[...] How do you use book reviews? [...]

Pingback by Great Book review site and blog | Aligning Technology, Strategy, People & Projects — September 2, 2008 #