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Kat Kennedy's Reviews > Sleepless
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Comments (showing 1-50 of 85) (85 new)
Thank you, IP! I just made it but I'll be adding other books here from authors behaving badly. I kind of want to rail against her and write a snarky, angry post over why she's wrong - but I'm loathe to give her more publicity than she's already begging for.
I'd love to read that post, Kat, love your snarky remarks :) but you're also right not to pay too much attention to her... it's a shame really, I was looking forward to reading Sleepless by her one day... I still can't believe how a grown up person can have such a weird attitude... if you can't take the critic as a writer, don't read it! You shouldn't go around telling people not to rate books, that's just so silly.
@Kate: I understand that but if they don't like it they should stay away from it (besides, I find there are tons of authors using GR as a promotional tool or to keep in contact with fans). To me GoodReads is a place for people who read books and want to discuss them, not for people who write books.
Kate - I understand not being able to take the criticism. But I dislike her attitude and there's so many things wrong with her post.
Side note: Banned Books Week is coming up and I recently visited the banned book exhibition at my city library. YA is one of the most targeted genres of literature by banners. I wonder how many of the YA authors who write the "Be Nice" stuff and support it fight against censorship. The "Be nice" stuff reeks of pro-censorship, not to mention emotional blackmail. It's a similar attitude used by banners.
I think my issue is their treatment of critics - even vicious ones, as scum. I take my stance alongside Oscar Wilde. Literary Criticism is not only valid literature but it's necessary!
This post is so ridiculous, it's not even funny. Now no one can even give any ratings to books except 5 stars to spare authors' feelings. That's rich!
Yeah - it's like they're getting more and more precious and somehow still thinking this is in anyway appropriate.
yeah, I couldn't read everything she wrote because her tone just disgusted me.I get what she means, but I think its wrong for her, an author to say such things, when we are basically her income.
This author has issues. Huge issues.Authors have to pay the bills, but so do I.
I allow myself a monthly budget to spend on books, and I'm grateful to people who prevent me of wasting that money on bad purchases.
On a side note: hey, do you think I'm brainless!?
I pay attention to advices given from people I've come to trust or to motivated reviews. I don't mindlessy do whatever people say.
She sounds like a kid that is angry at the fact that not everybody loves her. I mean I write reviews for other readers and not for the ego of the author. If she can´t take some critic she should not publish her books.
Yanno, if we give five stars to everything, then five stars become meaningless. Heck, if we give 4 or 5 to everything, it becomes meaningless--look at Harriet Klausner, she has no credibility.
Actually, the negative reviews are one of the reasons I like Goodreads. I'm not saying I'm a negative person. But on Amazon, for example: I sometimes copy and paste my Goodreads reviews on Amazon. Instead of just a "like" button, as Goodreads has, Amazon has two options. Readers can indicate whether or not they found the review "helpful." Without fail, my negative reviews on Amazon are found to be unhelpful. This can't be a coincidence. From this, I must conclude that the reviewers and/or review-readers on Amazon prefer sweet, sticky niceness over honesty.I come to Goodreads for the honest truth . . . and the entertainment that comes with it.
Kelly - I really don't think they think beyond their own egos.I understand them not wanting to give blurbs to people who've torn their books to pieces. I'm not even debating that. But why make a big song and dance about it? Why try to intimidate people into toeing the line? It's all so frustrating.
Exactly, Kat. All they have to do is just...not give blurbs to those people.I often get downvotes on my negative Amazon reviews too. Ugh, when I'm buying a book, I *want* to read negative reviews of it. Sometimes they warn me off the book, sure. But sometimes they cushion its landing a little by making my expectations more reasonable, and sometimes what one reviewer hates is exactly what I *want*.
But if all the reviews are positive--especially if they all have the same wording--I wonder if it's the author's friends. Unless it's an author I already trust to write a good book.
I just thought we were past all this shit. We'd managed to go a reasonable time without a blow up and then someone comes and says something stupid... again.
When I see someone give only 5 star reviews, I tend to ignore that person's ratings. It is impossible to read only 5 star books. There's always a mediocre book in the to-read pile. Why bother rating books if all you are going to do is 5 star them?
Kat wrote: "I just thought we were past all this shit. We'd managed to go a reasonable time without a blow up and then someone comes and says something stupid... again."Have you noticed that authors who make this sort of statements are the ones who have nothing to show in terms of acclaim or quality of writing. I've seen this "GR is bad" issue brought up so many times, but almost always by self-published, unknown or not very successful (yet) authors, those who angst over every rating/review. Reading their opinions only encourages me to not give them any chances. I still can't forget this post http://veschwab.wordpress.com/2011/08...
Do you think these authors make such posts only to get some publicity for themselves though? Sometimes I think so, cause we, readers, are so quick to jump on this topic and bring their obscure names to light.
Tatiana, yes! That one was terrible! I got involved on the discussion on GR here about it and they ended up dropping the issue as they clearly weren't getting the kind of support they were hoping for.
Kat wrote: "Um, is it just me or did the author change/remove that post?"That must be what's going on. LJ tells me I'm not authorized to see it.
I agree, Tatiana. Thus why I didn't write a snarky post for this book's review. But, *sigh* I'm still putty in their hands - angered and outraged so easily. I can't help it. I have a flammable personality. Maybe I should just take my own advice and Shut The Fuck Up! :P
I am so tempted to rate this one star, just to piss her off. When you tell me not to do something, I just have to do it. And I wonder what authors she talks to that feel as if they only deserve 5 stars.
Thanks, Tatiana! Did either of you see Melina Marchetta's latest blog post, btw? Here: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
That was the first thing I saw this morning, and I thought to myself, "Huh. I wonder why she's telling us this?" It's in the air, apparently. (And it's kind of sobering, right? Because I think of Marchetta as fearless and independent, based solely on her prose, and if they've made HER anxious about this, should I be more worried?)
It is very sobering and sad a little, Rachel. But at least she doesn't try to scare anyone into doing what she does.
Infinite Playlist wrote: "Deleting that post from her LJ was the first smart move she did today ;)"It is. I wonder if we're all the trolls she's referring to.
Rereading Cyn Balog's post makes me wonder about the quality of her writing in general. It's not structured like someone who thought through what she was saying. It might have been appropriate to say to a friend over coffee, but it's not advice to toss out to the internet. The 'Or else.' It's awful advice and it's stated like one of the ten commandments to a career in writing. Some people need a 24 hour delay between finishing a post and actually putting it up.
Cory wrote: "Infinite Playlist wrote: "Deleting that post from her LJ was the first smart move she did today ;)"It is. I wonder if we're all the trolls she's referring to."
Of course we are, Cory! :D
It is. I wonder if we're all the trolls she's referring to. Every time I read one of these author complaints where they mention mean, snarky reviews (WITH PICTURES!), I always wonder if they're referring to me.
But then I try to be less self-involved and remind myself that the world doesn't revolve around me.
Still, we do tend to be more on the trouble-maker side of GoodReads. And we do use a lot of pictures...
I have always wondered if authors hate professional reviewers (Kirkus, SLJ, Booklist, etc.) as much as they seem to hate us, Goodreaders?
“You have now killed my book in the United States, nothing short of that...I will hate you till the day I die and wish you nothing but ill will in every career move you make. I will be watching with interest and schadenfreude." -Alain de Botton to New York Time's Critic, Caleb Crain I'd say... yes!
I honestly wouldn't know. All I know is that Published Critics and authors have a far more tenuous relationship than we do!
Aw....from [info]cyn2write
Is someone jealous that they can't get themselves published? Boo Hoo. You sound like the jaded, sad, unpublished troll I referenced. Truth hurts, doesn't it?? Enjoy your unpublished life... I am sure your status isn't going to change!
I wonder how she ever got published and how her books are... she sounds like a little kid.
Cor wrote: "Aw....from [info]cyn2write
Is someone jealous that they can't get themselves published? Boo Hoo. You sound like the jaded, sad, unpublished troll I referenced. Truth hurts, doesn't it?? Enjoy your..."
Where is this from?
Cor wrote: "Aw....from [info]cyn2write
Is someone jealous that they can't get themselves published? Boo Hoo. You sound like the jaded, sad, unpublished troll I referenced. Truth hurts, doesn't it?? Enjoy your..."
Randomly jumping in here, but does this insinuate that unpublished authors purposefully leave bad reviews of published authors because they're jealous? Ehm...
(ps. you have a "do-not-read" shelf, that's awesome)