February 18, 2013

Book Blogger Confessions: Reading Habits Edition

Book Blogger Confessions is a meme that posts the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month, where book bloggers "confess" and vent about blogging-related topics. This meme is hosted by Midnyte Reader and For What It's Worth. So click on the link(s), grab the logo and jump right in! Let's get to know each other a little better :).


February 18 Question: How has blogging and reviewing changed your reading habits? Do you read a genre now that you wouldn't have tried prior? Or have you been turned off by a genre you used to love?

Since my blog is still in its infancy, I haven't seen any significant change yet - at least when it comes to genres. I tend to be picky about the kind of books that I read and review. Contemporary romance and historical fiction are a big turn off for me. (Well, honestly, any book with instalove or heavily underlined romance is). Fantasy doesn't do much for me, unless it's urban and a bit unusual. So I don't plan to read and review those genres ever! I wouldn't be able do justice to the books, anyway. Also, you know the old saying - so many books, so little time. Why would one spend it on the wrong ones? (wrong for that particular person, that is) There are so many talented and active bloggers out there, willing to read and review the very things that others don't find themselves attracted to...
The only change in my reading habits so far is, I often read or reread a particular book at a given moment because I feel it right for the blog. For example, I started off reviewing a whole Christopher Pike trilogy - then it occurred to me that I could actually be boring and/or too predictable. Also, non-Pike fans would have run away screaming and never come back! And maybe they did. Same for posting reviews for the Anna Dressed in Blood duet, or for two novels from Jeri-Smith Ready's series WVMP Radio in a row. Now I'm trying to offer a variety of authors/genres/ratings, which implies reading (or rereading) what the blog needs sometimes, prior to what I need. And it's great when the two things overlap :).

Enough of me! Given the nature of this question, I'm particularly curious about what the established book bloggers have to say. Do you read and review genres that you didn't particularly like before? Do you read and review genres that you still don't particularly like? If so, how do you manage to keep your rating honest? Is there a genre that turned you off and why? (I'm aware that I stretched the original questions a little...).

10 comments:

  1. That's so great that you know exactly what you like for books and aren't "wasting" your time forcing yourself to read something your not interested in. There is absolutely too may books and too little time, lol.

    I previously have tried to read genres I don't necassarily like(historical fiction and high/epic fantasy) and it just doesn't work out for me. I dread picking up the book and more often than not the rating/review would be not so great because It's not even something that I would like in the first place. It doesn't really seem fair honestly.

    Welcome to the book blogging community :)

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    1. Besides the ratings problem, reading should be a pleasure and not a job...so we are entitled to choose what to read, aren't we? :) It's not a shame if a genre doesn't work for us.
      Thanks for the welcome and the follow - I'm following you as well!

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  2. I love this post. I'm picky too and I don't take review requests. I only read books that I want to read. I don't see anything wrong with reviewing a trilogy or two WVMP books, etc. I don't only read people's blogs to find out about new books, I read them to find out their opinions. The discussion is my favorite part and you may bring up something that I hadn't thought of.

    I don't read books that I have no interest in. I'm not a romance reader or contemporary fiction...so you probably won't see those genres on my blog.

    (New Follower -- good luck with your blog. I love the concept!)

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    1. Thank you - I thought I could sound too opinionated or harsh at first...
      Thanks for the follow and the compliments too! I'm following you as well. Your blog is well organized...just how I like them :D.

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  3. Love this post! I'm trying to read books with variety as well for my blog and it's tough. I try to think about what I should read next instead of just picking up a book. I agree with a lot of things and you made me think about this confessions question even more.

    New follower :)

    My Book Blogger Confessions

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    1. (First off - I love the camelopard icon!).
      Book blogging can be a source of pressure for many reasons. But I do think our priority should be to read for pleasure. Of course, a blog is also a public place, where one tries to keep the reader interested and entertained...but we shouldn't sacrifice too much for that :).
      Thank you for commenting and following - I reciprocated :).

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  4. In my early days of blogging I only read paranormal. Then I started dabbling in YA, chip-lit. Historical romance was a big fat NO for me until a blogger friend started recommended a few that I did enjoy. UF was never something I considered until I started getting bored with PNR.

    I evolve constantly now with what I like or dislike. I think it's hard once you start reviewing It changes your perspective and makes you more critical of things you would have loved before. (In my case anyway)

    I'm making sure I leave time for more fun reading these days. I mean all reading is fun :-) but books that I don't review.

    I'm glad you joined in this week!

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    1. It was a pleasure to join in - I love the concept of this meme because it makes for some interesting discussions, not mentioning the fact that it does connect bloggers far better than a mere display of next reads or latest purchases. Not that there's anything wrong with those, of course :). I might even consider partecipating in something like that, in the future.

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  5. Blogging has definitely expanded my book choices a lot. I've branched out into several areas I never thought I would (hello, sci-fi!). I don't take review requests but if I decide to read a book that is not something I normally like when I review it I usually just say that it isn't a normal read for me. I wouldn't review it at all though if I hated it, because to me that's not fair as I knew going into that it wasn't my thing.

    As far as review stuff by the same author in a row, I've done that once or twice. I read what I want to read and if I don't have any reviews stored up to space between them, then so be it!

    Cute blog :)

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    1. Thank you for the articulated response - I'm beginning to feel less guilty about the multiple reviews of the same stuff, thanks to you and Midnyte :).
      Thank you for the following and the compliment as well!

      Delete

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