tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4735524103208288255.post5174556944342364692..comments2023-10-10T11:13:27.980-04:00Comments on Constantly Moving the Bookmark: Are Amateur Reviews Valuable to Anyone?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02764689207655947517noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4735524103208288255.post-80172644436169664392015-10-29T13:34:56.671-04:002015-10-29T13:34:56.671-04:00AJ, I am on the same page as you ... I write revie...AJ, I am on the same page as you ... I write reviews because I enjoy doing it. If anyone reads them, its bonus and of course I love comments. (I was the kid in school who was not satisfied with a grade, I always wanted a comment too LOL) I have been reviewing on Goodreads for about 5 years and didn't start my blog until April of this year ... let's face it ... who doesn't like the perks of getting ARCS and such at no charge in exchange for honest reviews. Amazon has become such a hotbed of review angst lately that I am glad that I made the choice a long time ago not to post reviews there unless asked to do so.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02764689207655947517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4735524103208288255.post-66561534583636554742015-10-29T13:32:01.652-04:002015-10-29T13:32:01.652-04:00Robin, thanks for reading and commenting. Those t...Robin, thanks for reading and commenting. Those three "trigger" phrases that you quote in your comment would likely steer me away from a book rather than towards it. It's just overkill. I admit I was not overly impressed when Mr. Smith admitted to asking friends and family to post some positive reviews to balance the sheet a little, but in all honesty I would probably make the same request. It is certainly a conundrum.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02764689207655947517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4735524103208288255.post-8226197656143933442015-10-29T13:29:49.214-04:002015-10-29T13:29:49.214-04:00Tiffany, like you I have never based a book select...Tiffany, like you I have never based a book selection strictly on reviews I've read. I like to make up my own mind or go by word of mouth from people I whose reading tastes I trust. Thanks for your comment.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02764689207655947517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4735524103208288255.post-84407465149487506192015-10-29T13:28:18.821-04:002015-10-29T13:28:18.821-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02764689207655947517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4735524103208288255.post-58752993219555650722015-10-23T21:51:04.967-04:002015-10-23T21:51:04.967-04:00Interesting article. I review books for selfish re...Interesting article. I review books for selfish reasons. Writing reviews forces me to slow down and think about what I’m reading instead of tearing through books as fast as possible. I don’t really care if my reviews are selling books or being taken seriously. I write reviews because I enjoy it.<br /><br />Aj @ <a href="http://ajsterkel.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Read All The Things!</a>Aj @ Read All The Things!https://www.blogger.com/profile/02860483414620371093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4735524103208288255.post-73773724515128740702015-10-23T13:37:47.402-04:002015-10-23T13:37:47.402-04:00Thank you for inspiring a much-needed dialogue, Ru...Thank you for inspiring a much-needed dialogue, Russell. I wonder now, what you might say about authors swapping reviews. Because of author/author and author/family/friend reviews (the epidemic culture of nepotism), and because anybody can win an award from somebody, words like "dazzling debut," "stunning," and "award-winning," have lost their luster and their appeal for me. Robin Gregoryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02228078617839649885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4735524103208288255.post-60620855381199122002015-10-23T12:56:00.634-04:002015-10-23T12:56:00.634-04:00This was an interesting article. I think amateur r...This was an interesting article. I think amateur reviews are a great resource for book lovers and authors, but it's disconcerting that so many reviewers are paid for having a particular opinion or have ulterior motives. Overall establishing the integrity of reviews is the most important thing. To be quite honest, I have never avoided buying a book or decided to buy a book based solely on the reviews, and I think that's a good thing. Tiffany Anne https://www.blogger.com/profile/16853347039862228155noreply@blogger.com