Cheryl’s Comments (group member since Jul 30, 2011)

Cheryl’s comments from the More than Just a Rating group.

Yeah, it's funny that way, that so many people don't realize what they're comparing, that apples can't really be compared to oranges.

Sorry I never saw the notification for this!

I don't think you're being pedantic, just correct. Which is the reason I started this group.

Let's write reviews that talk at least a little bit about what we mean by 'good' or 'best.' As you did by describing Billy's works with some specific words including 'easily read.' Whereas a lot of 'classic' and 'genius' are not easily read, like Joyce's Ulysses.

Thank goodness for the friends and following features here on Goodreads!

Sounds fairly ridiculous to me, and not something ppl in my inner circle (so to speak) would be into. I don't seek out new friends very often, or get sought out too much, either, though, so I don't know if it's any sort of an issue in my larger community.

But thank you for the heads-up, good to be aware!

Oh no!

heh, yeah

Ah. Interesting. Yeah, probably too much.

I had to look up Blue Zones lifestyle. I pretty much do it now, as much as I can though I do have to feed hubby "real meals" more often than I want to!

"People in the Blue Zones eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans every single day. They don't snack on energy bars and processed foods, choosing instead to munch on nuts and seeds when they're hungry."

I mean, we don't subscribe to the same libraries, but I bet they all have 'kits' if they buy into "Oceans of Possibilities" for example. Or at least their Journals would have 'what's trending' or 'what brings new patrons in' articles of tips.

I'm an old fogie, I guess. I just want to read, share a few reviews probably, watch the occasional movie, visit with a book club discussion maybe. My local library is having an Escape Room! What??

Well, I know that I'd feel relief if I knew the library didn't need my participation points. Especially because, yeah, the categories and events have lately been of less interest to me. So, I guess I'm advising you, don't beat yourself up about it. :)

Burnt out? Needed better incentives?

I will be looking at several of these, Beth, I love your synopses of your reviews!

Your complaint against Katanagatari 1 is something I complain about, too. I'm not fond of being taken along detours & dead ends, unless it's a mystery, and I avoid mysteries....

6. Yes, books that don't hold up, esp. genre romance or sf, make me sad. Whether it's because I've grown up, and can't just let go and have fun with a story... or whether it's because the world has grown up and the sexism & racism are more apparent and less appreciated... whatever the reason, it is a sad feeling when we realize that we're fussier now.

I seldom remember to give content warnings but I wish that I did more often. Otoh, if I can get through a book, squeamish as I am, probably most people can. If I give up on a book because of yucky content, I'll probably note that in my review.

Triggers can be sensitive. Some reviewers give warnings for just a mention of rape or whatever, because that might be enough to cause a reader trauma. I'm most sensitive to child abuse, and if it's just an excuse for shock value or for the author to get a good backstory or is otherwise exploitive, I won't put up with much before slamming the book shut. So, I'd say, if you notice it and remember, please do add the warning.

Sha wrote: "Come to think of it, I'm actually more likely to go easy on books which start off badly and continue badly ... I think wasted potential bothers me more than amateurish writing does. Huh. Good to know."

That is quite an insight! I have trouble deciding whether to give one or two stars myself, because usually I dnf bad books, and I do not give star ratings to books that I don't finish because there's always a chance they get better later. So, um, yeah, your strategy makes sense to me... kinda like... reserve the one star for books not worth reading or recommending to anyone at all, two stars isn't too much if some people would like it as a way to pass the time... something like that?

6. I don't read a lot of romance, but as it happens I did read this, and I also gave it four stars... and your review makes me remember how much I smiled while reading the book. I particularly liked your paragraph about how the sex scenes were worth reading, even though you generally don't bother with them.

3. "I'm almost definitely going to pick up another book by this author eventually."
LOL! Yes, that is a perfect last line for a three star book. And thank you for the content warning in the spoiler tag... I was almost considering reading the book myself until I hit that.

I'll pass on the other two. I don't know anything about Webtoons and don't feel qualified.

4. I still like, and still appreciate your rec's in the comment section. I like that you 'wore your heart on your sleeve' there and got passionate & honest... like the book, like the author.

1. Yea, even if I were interested in that genre, I'd choose a better book. Surely there are better ones. This doesn't look like it even deserves two stars... maybe an improvement in your review would be to justify why you're not giving it one. Anyway, I really appreciate how specific your examples are of what is racist, what is misogynist, what is cliched... why it's a dnf. Oh, and in P. 3 there's a typo of whi for who.

Oh absolutely.

That makes sense.

I suppose it also depends on the depth of experience a reader has. If one has never read a certain 'type' before, the first time it's encountered will seem special. Indeed, I see that in SF a lot.

Same for tropes, motifs, themes, etc. Those of us who read a lot can be harder to please because we've seen it done before... so this time it has to be done *better.*

:)

I just read a book that I consider more of a fable than a straight novel: (The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry). The characters appealed to me (in part) because they have universal appeal, and because every reader can relate to at least some aspects/traits of most of them. They're identifiable archetypes. But another reviewer here says that the whole book is full of clichés.

So, I can almost see her point. But I disagree, because each character is an individual, too. When I see the world 'cliché' I think the reviewer is talking about predictability and about 'cardboard' or 'stock' characters. And I honestly did not see that in this book.

So anyway I googled a bit and found this essay, which I absolutely love, and you-all might enjoy it, too.

https://www.quora.com/Writing-Im-writ...