Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme, created and hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books and Dani @ Literary Lion, where we discuss certain topics, share our opinions, and spread the love by visiting each other’s posts. You can check out more about this meme here!
Today’s topic is about book reviews and what we, as a reader, like to see when reading other reviews.
WHAT I LOOK FOR IN A REVIEW
One of my pet peeves when reading a book review is when it doesn’t actually review the book. I read a lot of reviews on Goodreads which simply restate the synopsis by briefly talking about what happens during the book. And this is probably an unpopular opinion, but I also really dislike when reviews are filled with gifs 🙈 It makes it really hard for me to follow along with the review and what the reader is trying to say when there is a gif every two sentences. It’s way too busy on my eyes; I prefer reading just text.
When I read a book review, I’m more interested in what the made the reader like/dislike the book and their opinions on certain aspects. Some of the things I like to see the reviewer touch on:
✨ Worldbuilding/Setting – how well was the world developed? what kind of setting is the book in?
✨ Characters – who are the characters? are they well-developed? how is their growth throughout the book? what kind of relationship do they have with the other characters
✨ Romance – i’m a sucker for romance so i love knowing whether or not romance is a part of the story and between who
✨ Writing/Pacing – is the book fast paced? slow and hard to get through? how is the writing? what style does the author use to tell their story?
SPOILERS IN REVIEWS
I don’t mind people putting spoilers in their reviews–as long as they are tagged appropriately. I can’t tell you how many times someone’s review has come across my Goodreads feed with a huge spoiler for a much anticipated upcoming release. I really don’t mind people including spoilers (I even go searching for them sometimes) but I just wish everyone would have them tagged appropriately on Goodreads, or a warning in their blog posts.
I usually only include spoilers in my reviews if sometime major happens that causes a lot of feelings, whether they be good or bad. I typically type my reviews in white so they blend into the background of my blog post and someone would only be able to read them if they highlight the phrase/word. On Goodreads, I always make sure the spoilers are hidden appropriately.
EFFECTIVENESS OF READING REVIEWS
Reading other book reviews definitely affect whether or not I’ll pick up a book. I’ve decided not to read books before when I’ve seen nothing but negative reviews. I’ve also added many, many books to my TBR after reading glowing reviews on Goodreads. For example, both The City of Brass and The Poppy War were not books on my radar but I saw a lot of positive reviews following their releases and it persuaded me to give them a try. And as anyone who follows my blog knows, I am obsessed with those two series. My favorite kind of comments on my own book reviews is whenever someone tells me I convinced them to add a book to their TBR!
Let’s Talk Bookish! Chat with me in the comments below!
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