Why I still hesitate to buy a book when it has hundreds of five star reviews
Choosing a book to read has become a bit of minefield for me of late. So many glossy covers out there (I've told you in the past what a sucker I am for them) Cool sounding book blurbs and of course, the ever present best-selling author recommendation (talk about a baited hook)
Then there's all those five star reviews.
Well you can pretty much discount the first twenty or so as they all start with the words "I was provided this book by *&&^% in exchange for a fair and truthful review" (And I've definitely shared my views on free book reviews in the past - check out my earlier blog)
So who do you trust to give you the real 411 on a book?
When I'm checking out a book I always read a couple of the 2/3 star reviews to get a feel for why they didn't like the book - if it's because the large majority think the heroine is a crying mess or TSTL - then I won't buy the book. Simply because I like a strong heroine who can stand on her own two feet.
But other than that it's a bit of a hit and miss targeting system isn't it?
Mainly because each of us has an individual perspective on what we want from a book. Some want romance, but not too soppy or too unbelievable. Erotica can be a bit of sore spot for some, many people have lines they don't want to see their characters cross - bondage, alternative positions, same sex partners etc.
And then there is humour. The spectrum of what people find funny can be a tricky one. I personally don't mind a bit of whacky (Stephanie Plum, Charley Davidson) but the author has to know when to rein it in or I'm out of there. Witty, clever, smart are generally safe bets. And I always pay attention to a review if a person says they found themselves smiling for no particular reason and laughing out loud.
I've read reviews where people have thrown the book on their DNF pile as soon as they came across a swear word. Personally, if it's done right (Shelly Laurenston does great cursing) then swearing - to a degree - can really add to story/character.
I could go on... and on... about what readers want from a book/characters/story. And no two requirements would be exactly the same.
Unfortunately I can't provide any answers here. I too often find myself the majority of one - disliking a book thoroughly - against hundreds of glowing five star reviews and all I can think is "What book were they reading?"
Just as what we want from a book is highly subjective so is the rating of five little stars.
Some people would never think to give less than five stars no matter what they thought of the book - all that hard work on behalf of the author they exclaim.
Others - the tough crowd - only ever give two star ratings except when they love something, awarding the rare three star rating as if it were an Oscar.
So... hold on, why am I writing this again? Oh, how to choose good books... frankly I have no clue... any ideas?
Then there's all those five star reviews.
Well you can pretty much discount the first twenty or so as they all start with the words "I was provided this book by *&&^% in exchange for a fair and truthful review" (And I've definitely shared my views on free book reviews in the past - check out my earlier blog)
So who do you trust to give you the real 411 on a book?
When I'm checking out a book I always read a couple of the 2/3 star reviews to get a feel for why they didn't like the book - if it's because the large majority think the heroine is a crying mess or TSTL - then I won't buy the book. Simply because I like a strong heroine who can stand on her own two feet.
But other than that it's a bit of a hit and miss targeting system isn't it?
Mainly because each of us has an individual perspective on what we want from a book. Some want romance, but not too soppy or too unbelievable. Erotica can be a bit of sore spot for some, many people have lines they don't want to see their characters cross - bondage, alternative positions, same sex partners etc.
And then there is humour. The spectrum of what people find funny can be a tricky one. I personally don't mind a bit of whacky (Stephanie Plum, Charley Davidson) but the author has to know when to rein it in or I'm out of there. Witty, clever, smart are generally safe bets. And I always pay attention to a review if a person says they found themselves smiling for no particular reason and laughing out loud.
I've read reviews where people have thrown the book on their DNF pile as soon as they came across a swear word. Personally, if it's done right (Shelly Laurenston does great cursing) then swearing - to a degree - can really add to story/character.
I could go on... and on... about what readers want from a book/characters/story. And no two requirements would be exactly the same.
Unfortunately I can't provide any answers here. I too often find myself the majority of one - disliking a book thoroughly - against hundreds of glowing five star reviews and all I can think is "What book were they reading?"
Just as what we want from a book is highly subjective so is the rating of five little stars.
Some people would never think to give less than five stars no matter what they thought of the book - all that hard work on behalf of the author they exclaim.
Others - the tough crowd - only ever give two star ratings except when they love something, awarding the rare three star rating as if it were an Oscar.
So... hold on, why am I writing this again? Oh, how to choose good books... frankly I have no clue... any ideas?
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Christine
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Sep 10, 2014 04:16AM
I also am lured in by a really good cover! Sometimes that is the only good thing about the book! I usually get more out of the negative reviews than the positive because they more often say what they didn't like about it. I skip over the reviews that say how wonderful the book is and how much they loved it, but never say WHY they think that. I guess I look for the reviews that explain why the reviewer feels the way they do, regardless if they liked it or not because I can decide for myself if I feel the same way about those things (swearing, violence, weak heroine etc).
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Those darn glossy covers get me every time. It certainly looks like cover design artists have really gotten their groove on in the past few years... best marketing tool some of these books have and totally agree with your assessment - I now own way too many books that I hate/dnf that I bought because of their ridiculously cool cover. Am slowly breaking the habit, in fact these days the glossier the cover, the more suspicious I have become of the content and now wait for a good cross-section of reviews before deciding whether to hit the buy button.
