I was asked today by someone I respect why such a large percentage of my reviews are 4 stars or higher and a full 50% of my most recent reviews were 5 stars. She joked that she would like to buy her books from the same place I get mine since she has had such rotten luck lately re book choices. Here’s what I told her (with some minor corrections and changes to protect the innocent) *g*, since some of you may have similar questions –
“I do read books that are below 4 stars or even below 3 stars – I don’t post reviews for most of them because I didn’t finish them, they were so bad. At one point I toyed with the idea of posting DNF on a number of books but I would have had to totally diss the books and I didn’t have the time. Here’s a review I posted a couple of months ago for a book that I gave 2.5 stars
(I have deleted the link to the book since it would not be fair to post it here)
One of the reasons I just don’t bother posting reviews for many of these books is they take time to write when I could be reading a book I really enjoy and my TBR list is huge as you can imagine *g* . So no hidden agenda – I just can’t be bothered writing a lot of (negative) reviews for books that are really bad. Another reason you see a significant percentage of high ratings is I have also been very selective lately in what I buy since in most cases I actually pay for most of my books and I choose them very carefully because I don’t want to waste money on something I’ll put in the garbage. Of course from time to time I get some that really stink up the place.
Also, two months ago I decided that 25% of the books I reviewed were going to be old favourites. Since these books were favourites, clearly when I review them on the blog they will be at least 4.5 stars.
Here’s what I tell the readers about my reviews – either the book is in a genre that I particularly love, e.g. fantasy, paranormal, cowboys, action-adventures, murder mysteries, sports etc., or I love a particular author’s writing (the rest of this paragraph is deleted because I named the author).
I hope that I have explained to your satisfaction why there are so many 4.5 and 5 star ratings on the blog but you bring up an interesting point. Since I never explicitly explained why there have been so many high ratings on the reviews I posted, other readers may misunderstand and think I’m giving the authors a pass, which I’m not. I’ll post something on the blog along the lines of this email so that there is no misunderstanding. Right now my TBR list is over 400 books and I know I won’t read them all because every week I buy more. It’s a sickness. *g* “
If any of the regular readers of this blog have questions on any of my reviews or ratings I would be happy to answer either by email or on the blog. I try to state my biases up front, whether it’s a particular genre or an author who is an auto buy for me. No review is totally objective because we all have our biases but most reviewers do try to be fair, even taking into consideration our personal preferences. There are authors whose books I refuse to buy any more because I have been disappointed so many times in their stories, the characterizations or both. I can overlook a few areas in a book if the characters are credible and not caricatures, and while I would love to get both a good plot and great characters, I can settle for great characters. In case you’re interested, I read almost twice as many books as I review.
UPDATE
Because you, my loyal readers, *g* want me to post more reviews of books I really didn’t like, rather than file them away never to see the light of day as I have been doing recently, I will accede to your request. But this will not be a hate fest. I respect authors who take pride in their creative skills and give readers hours of pleasure through their imagination, and the mere fact that a few of them might have written books that strain credibility (especially if the story is not a fantasy) does not give me free rein to dump on them. So “fair and balanced” as the guys at Fox News say (although I don’t believe them). Thanks guys. You always give me good advice.
Makes perfect sense. I can identify with that totally. If it doesn’t have redeeming qualities it doesn’t get finished. I sweep it under the rug and pretend it doesn’t exist.
Hi JL
I know. I guess I’ll have to post some of my negative reviews now *trying to figure out where I filed the books* 🙂
Sometimes when I don’t enjoy a book I wonder if it’s just me, so in a lot of cases I don’t post reviews. One author suggested that maybe I should not buy her books any more because I always give her bad reviews, so I took her advice *g*
I rather promote books I enjoy than the ones I don’t, so I understand your reasoning.
Of course every so often I must warn readers about some books…
One author suggested that maybe I should not buy her books any more because I always give her bad reviews, so I took her advice
*gigglesnort*
Harriet Klausner also only reviews of books she liked.
I like reading about what worked and what didn’t and why. It would piss me off to no end if I mentioned a book that I hated, and you tell me you didn’t like it either. Well, why didn’t you tell me? Coulda saved me a few dollars, or at least I’d be forewarned.
Emmy
I’ll email you the name of the author. She writes great blurbs and I used to get sucked in, then when I read the books I hated them because her characters sucked.
When I reviewed for other sites I had to post reviews for all the books I requested, so I had no choice.
I’ll think about what you said and maybe I’ll do what Jen did. Rather than write a review I’ll post something on the sidebar with just the name of the book, author and rating and if I didn’t finish the book I’ll put a DNF against it.
As a writer I refuse to publicly tell books I don’t like. I will brag all day long about books and authors I do like, but to me it serves no purpose to bash a book.
That said, I don’t mind well thought out negative reviews as long as it is constructive. Writing “this authors sucks! I’m never buying anything by them again!” or “Don’t waste your money!” doesn’t help the author or the perspective readers.
I have bought many a books on a “bad” review because I could tell it was the reviewers opinion and their particular squick (no apologizing Katiebabs. It’s your opinion and the way you do it doesn’t insult the author or readers who do enjoy the content. It helps readers make an informed purchase). As long as readers can see what the reviewer didn’t care for and can make their own opinion on whether they would like it or not and the author can easily decide if it’s something they can improve on it’s not a bad review.
I have read several, what people would call a, bad review and gone, “Hey, I bet I would like this book. I don’t have a problem with any of the things the reviewer didn’t care for.” In fact, one of my favorite books of all times had overwhelmingly unfavorable ratings by reviewers.
I have also read bad reviews that make me want to slap the reviewer because they are not only bordering on a personal attack of the author but they insult anyone who enjoyed the book. I’ve gritted my teeth at several that insulted me as a reader.
I agree, JL, which is why I like to know why something didn’t work. It’s ok to say something like ‘this particular element didn’t work for me, but if you like that stuff, you might enjoy this book’.
JL
I do try to be objective when I review a book but sometimes the characters are so poorly written, or there are so many typos or name switches in one book that I just give up and never finish it.
There is one publisher that is notorious for typos and spelling errors that are not caught by the editors. I like their authors but at times it’s hard to be objective when the book has many errors.
Thanks for your comment KB. This is something I struggle with a lot and whenever I critique a book I try to be constructive.
I’m in much of the same opinion as JL and Emmy re: wanting to know why a book does or doesn’t work for a particular reader.
One of the reasons that I like reading reviewer’s blogs like yours so much, Wave, is that the detail and honesty of your response can give me a different perspective about a particular book or author, especially when my own opinion may differ to yours. Let’s be honest, wouldn’t it be boring as bat poo if we all liked the same thing?!
My own pet hate (not that you do this, W!) is when the reviewer obviously doesn’t like or understand a particular aspect of a book, which will then colour their reaction. If they only admitted upfront that this was not their thing, their review would be entirely more credible.
I guess it really all gets back to the honesty of the reviewer and their willingness to share their personal views without all the ostentatious fluff.
Actually, there are more than just one publisher. I can think of 2 off the top of my head LOL. And yes it’s annoying! However, that’s not a bad review. It’s stuff that needs to be pointed out. Hopefully, even if the publisher and editor don’t see the review, the authors will and realize hey I need to read this more carefully and/or get someone else to before I turn the final in. I know this because there are a couple of my books riddled with misspelled, missing and incorrectly used words. I now go over them with a fine tooth comb AND get my own proof readers. Sadly I have only one publisher (out of the ones that don’t do print and ebook at the same time) that makes me reread and make changes before the book goes into print incase anything was missed. ( I LOVE that btw) There is almost always at least one thing, if not more, that is missed. So see even THAT in a negative review can be helpful. It may embarrass the author, but it’s something they need to be aware of if they aren’t already.
Hi JL
I hear you, but several months ago I did a review for a Phaze anthology where I pointed out the numerous spelling errors and typos. The books in the anth. were all rated separately but one of the authors took offense and she complained to the blog owner. She questioned my impartiality and asked whether my comment about the errors …blinded me to the brilliance of her writing .. (my interpretation). She totally ignored the fact that fully half of the books in the anth. were rated as 4 stars or slightly higher. I guess she was mad because I rated her book as 3 stars; incidentally her book was error free *g*. I found out afterwards that she was hoping to use the rating and review of her book as part of her promo (guess she didn’t bother in this case).
I LOVE it when an author takes responsibility for typos and other errors in their books. But for me, the worse case scenario is “head hopping” and character switches. No book is perfect, but most reviewers (like all readers) just want to enjoy a well written book.
Hi Kris
I guess what I’m hearing is that I should post some more negative reviews (by the way there are some on the blog, but not in the past month).
Sometimes I write a review to get the emotive language out of the way then the next day I scrap it and rewrite it more objectively. One of my reviewer friends is often on the end of my vitriol on many occasions when I discuss my reviews with her :). Since I stopped reviewing for other sites I don’t do it as much (I didn’t have the luxury then of not reviewing a book I requested but didn’t like.)
Sometimes when authors ask me to review their books, if I don’t like the books I give them the option of me posting a negative review or not reviewing the book on the blog – most of them choose the latter option. One author whose books I review frequently actually told me to go ahead and post the negative review.
Another author whose writing I enjoy commented a couple of weeks ago about a review one of her books had received. She wasn’t mad, she just wondered why the reviewer picked her book. The reviewer admitted that she didn’t like the subject matter (voyeurism) yet she requested the book for review purposes. I was just amazed. There are some topics I never review e.g. horror, inspirational, and some topics I’m scared to read because I’m a chicken.
Thanks for your comments Kris
Wave,
Hi, I know long time no hear..;-)
You know Im glad you post this bc I (secretly) always wondering about your reviews bc rarely did I saw and for the record I HAVE seen reviews at like 2.5 stars. I was like “Wave must have some great luck finding some great books” bc although Im still new to the genre I KNEW that had to be some duds but u know what you clarify it. I really dont blame you. Life is too short. Why sit and read some horrible when there are other books that could be undiscovered gems which to me is the wonderful thing about books. Finding that story that u never knew existed and to your surprise loving it.
Toni Morrison said once that she doesnt mind negative reviews, she just loathes BADLY WRITTEN reviews.LOL. And you Wave write wonderful reviews bc they are objective and even offer constructive criticism if they are less than stellar. Now, I think if you are a writer who hates to read a review with constructive criticism of his or her work: GET OVER IT. LEARN FROM IT.
Ooo! I’m glad you posted this, because I was just wondering the same thing yesterday. I love your blog, but I was starting to wonder why everything was rated so highly.
I think your approach, and your reasoning is perfectly valid, and knowing it gives me more confidence in your reviews.
Nothing wrong at all with only devoting your time to the stuff you liked.
Hey Ozakie
It’s so great to hear from you – I missed you on the blog and the guys missed you on Fridays with your paddle.
As I said earlier I did post a lot of reviews a few months ago when I reviewed for other sites that some may consider to be negative. In most cases it was the characterizations that I hated.
However, I have decided to find a few books which I read recently that I either did not finish or I hated the characters and I promise to post the reviews on the blog. But it won’t be a whole slew of negative “dumping on the author” reviews. I will offer what I consider to be constructive criticisms.
I think Tony Morrison got it right. Reviewers who do not explain why they hated or loved a book are giving the rest of us a bad name. Reviews that say “this book sucked” or words to that effect make me cringe.
It’s great to have you back Ozakie and take care.
Wave
Reviewing a book you did not like is NOT tantamount to a personal attack on the author, deriding their ‘baby’, book bashing, hate festing, or anything of the like.
Nobody loves every book out there. I hate the Twilight series with a passion and flew Eclipse off the cliff out back in sheer frustration, but my 14-year-old niece thinks its the best series EVAR and wants to be turned into a sparkly!vampire, and my son is bouncing on his bed waiting for the movie Friday. I’ll be the mom in the back of the theater poking my eyes out with a fork, thanks.
Objectively stating that I found certain elements unacceptable- the relationship between a 108 year old guy and a 17 year old girl to be past the pedophilia line (where’s Chris Hansen when you need him?), their intensely co-dependent relationship eerily creepy, and the underlying message that a girl can get pregnant and drop out of high school and still be ok because some rich guy is going to take care of her irresponsible in the extreme when directed at a young adult audience- does not mean that people didn’t love the series for those very same elements. It just wasn’t a story I could enjoy.
Your job as a reviewer is to give as objective an opinion on a subjective subject as possible and let the reader make the decision as to whether to plunk down the ready. Nobody is busting out the pitchforks and torches and waiting for you to roast someone a la Mrs. Giggles.
PS: Fox Noise has never been particularly fair or balanced.
Also…glad you posted this. Were you at all surprised to see how many people were wondering the same thing as that big mouthed anonymous person, but just hadn’t said anything?
Emmy
You are my pulse to everything, that’s why I always listen to you *g* Did you notice how quickly I followed up after your “mean spirited” email? And did you also notice how I started my post “I was asked today by someone I respect“?
You are not a big mouthed anonymous person. You can’t be anonymous, no matter how hard you try 🙂 Perhaps you should consider wearing a veil *g*
Emmy
I will continue to be fair and balanced whether my reviews are positive or negative.
There are reviews on the blog where I didn’t like some elements in a book and the authors considered them negative. However, lately rather than reviewing these books I just have not finished them or decided not to write a review. Btw my approach to reviewing could never emulate Mrs. G’s style. She’s unique and you can take that however you want *g*
Thanks for holding my feet to the fire Emmy.
I can understand you not wanting to waste time writing reviews on books you didn’t like. I’m the same way. However, as I reader I like to know too which book people really didn’t like because then I can avoid them! I actually have two M/M lists, books I want to buy and books to avoid. If one person whose opinion I trust say that a book isn’t good, and the reasons why she didn’t like it are the kind of things I know bugs me too, I usually put that book on my AVOID list. It might be harsh, but there are just too many intriguing books and too little time to waste time on books you have the smallest reason to suspect you will not like.
By the way, I agree that any negative review has to be constructive. When I read comments about a book, I pay the same kind of attention to “THIS WAS AWFUL SHOUD NEVER HAVE BEEN WRITTEN” comments as “OMG THIS IS THE BEST BOOK OF THE ENTIRE WORLD EVERYBODY READ IIIIIITTTTTT !!!!!”s – which would be a big fat zero :). Your reviews Wave are always as objective as possible and extensive :). Although you are sometimes more indulgent than I am :-DDDD
Mary
Indulgent, moi??? How can you say that? Seriously, I do try to find redeeming features in every book I read even if I have to turn over some pretty bad prose to find them. *g*
Most authors do their best but a few of them phone it in, and in those cases I wonder where the editors are because clearly they didn’t do their jobs.
I’ll do my best to provide reviews of the books I didn’t like in the most constructive way possible. For those that I don’t get around to reviewing on the blog I’ll email you what I think, if it’s the kind of books I know you like.
Seriously, I do try to find redeeming features in every book I read even if I have to turn over some pretty bad prose to find them. *g*
That’s exactly what I meant by “indulgent” 😀 If I don’t like a book I usually don’t bother trying to find redeeming features – which is why I don’t write public reviews. 🙂 I’m not much at diplomacy because it takes me FOREVER to find a non-offensive phrasing. If you check comments about books I hated on the group, you’ll see I pretty much just pointed out the negative aspects :).
I learned my craft about diplomacy in dealing with high powered corporate and government clients. I had to learn how to give bad news without making the client(s) too angry 🙂
Ugh. Better you than me. That’s why I went for Journalism in University instead of PR. Journalism allows you to be much more rude. The short period I worked in PR I was sweating my ass off coming up with polite, empty stuff to say, and shaking like a leaf if I had to make conversation with “important people”. Fortunately it didn’t happen very often – I was mostly doing the writing stuff and my boss took care of the public side. That’s what I call a winning partnership. 😀
Unfortunately since I’m a consultant I can’t delegate. But it works out. Consulting taught me how to deal with all kinds of people, no matter how nasty, and also how to give bad news with a smile *g*