Lola’s Ramblings: Why I enjoy Reading Reviews

Posted May 26, 2016 by Lola in Lola's Ramblings / 32 Comments

LolaRamblings

Lola’s Ramblings is a feature on my blog Lola’s Reviews where I ramble on about a book related or a non-book related topic. These are discussion type of posts where I talk about a topic and readers can weigh in on the topic in the comments. Usually these posts are everything that doesn’t fall under any standard header, like tours, cover reveals, memes, challenges, recaps or reviews. Lola’s Ramblings posts are discussions of a certain topic and my point of view on them. The banner for this feature is designed by Michelle from Limabean Designs.

I’ve seen mentions around the blogosphere about how reviews aren’t their most popular posts. So that got me thinking about reviews and review posts. I really enjoy writing reviews and also enjoy reading review posts. I also like other type of posts, but also read a lot of review posts. It usually just depends which post catches my eye and why or when I comment back I pick out a recent post on that blog that catches my eye or sometimes just the one the commenter links to. Overall I would say a good chunk of the posts I read each week are reviews and I enjoy reading them. So wanted to talk about why I enjoy reading reviews and what do I like to see in review posts?

Why I enjoy reading reviews?

  • Comparing opinions. I enjoy reading reviews for books I’ve already read, although from all the reviews I read on a weekly basis those are in the minority. In the case of reading a review for a book I also read I like to see what the reviewer thought of that book and seeing on which points we agree or disagree. It also makes it easier to comment on the post as I’ve actually read the book myself as well and can share my experiences and thoughts on the book.
  • Fun to read. In general I enjoy reading reviews. It’s always fun to hear what someone thought of a book/ products etc and why. Overall I enjoy reading reviews. I do usually prefer to read reviews either by a blogger/ reviewer that I know and/or follow or for books that I’ve heard of/ am curious about or plan to read or have read myself. So I have some sort of connection with either the blogger, authors or book.
  • Like to know why a reviewer did or didn’t enjoy a book. One of the reasons why I enjoy reading reviews is because they show me what a reviewer thought of a book. Not only do I enjoy hearing the opinion of a fellow blogger/ reviewer, but I also like knowing what they did and didn’t enjoy the book and it might even give me the feeling I understand them more and what they like seeing in books. Even when it’s a book I don’t plan to read, it can still give me something to talk about and I like hearing what people like and don’t like to see in books.
  • Getting a feel for the book. No matter if I plan to read the book or not I like to get a feel for the book. Most of the books I’ve read reviews for I eventually form some sort of image/ feel for in my head what it’s about and/ or good and bad points. I like knowing a bit about a book and forming an image about it.
  • Helping decide whether I want to read the book or not. A review can help me decide whether I want to read a book or not. When a reviewer mentions things in their review that I like seeing in books there is a higher chance I might read it or add it to my to-read list. And the more reviews I read the higher that change gets. But reading different reviews for the same book can also give me a more balanced view of what to expect of a book and help me make a better guess of whether I will enjoy it or not.
  • Hear about new books/ authors. Reading reviews gives me a way to discover new books or new to me author. Thanks to other reviewers and bloggers I’ve come into contact with books or authors I might not have found else.

Which reviews do I read?

When it comes to reviews I am not really picky about the style of the review or how the reviewer formats their posts. I like seeing different styles or ways of reviewing books. Although I often do need some sort of connection with either the book, the author or the reviewer/ blogger as else I simply won’t find their review. Usually after I’ve read a book and written my review I like to check out reviews from other people on Goodreads, so I might look specifically for reviews for that book then. In general reviews for books I’ve recently read are more likely to catch my eye when on social media or strolling through my feed. In the case of authors, reviews for books from whom I know the author or have heard of the author might be more likely to get my attention. Bloggers their reviews that I know or follow are more likely to catch my attention, simply because I know that blogger and often like them and/ or their style of reviews. Also when a blogger comments on my blog, I will usually try and comment back on them and regularly I will comment on review posts through that as well. So those three ways are often ways that I find the reviews that I read. I general I like reading reviews for books I’ve read myself, books I consider reading, books on my to-read list and even reviews for books I don’t plan to read. It’s just that I enjoy them for different reasons.

Do you enjoy reading reviews posts? And why or why not? Which reviews do you read?

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32 responses to “Lola’s Ramblings: Why I enjoy Reading Reviews

  1. I definitely love reading reviews for books I’ve already read since, as you said, it’s fun to compare our likes and dislikes. I mean, after I read a book and write my own review, I’ll usually then go look at other random reviews just to see what even strangers thought. I just like to know if anyone agrees with me about certain things, etc., but seeing where people disagree is also interesting.

    If it’s a book that looks interesting to me or one I already have on my TBR, then I also reviews because, as you said, they help me decide and give me feel for the book.

    If it’s a book I’m completely not interested in, it depends, but I think I have generally the same opinion as you because if it’s a blogger I regularly follow or interact with, I just like to see what they like and dislike in general to get a better feel for their taste and even just for who they are. And especially if someone loved a book, I like to join in their excitement because I’m happy they found a book they loved ๐Ÿ˜€ But if it’s really not my thing and I don’t really know the blogger, I’m probably not gonna read it. Even if I do know the blogger, sometimes I’ll just skip it, but that kind of depends on how much time and energy I have for commenting because I’d rather use that time and energy on posts for which I really have something to bring to the table and discuss, you know?

    But I’ve noticed that you really do comment on review posts a lot, and I always appreciate your comments ๐Ÿ™‚
    Kristen @ Metaphors and Moonlight recently posted…Book Review: Triad Blood by โ€˜Nathan BurgoineMy Profile

    • Indeed it’s fun to see where people agree and disagree on certain points when it comes to reading a book. I usually read some reviews on goodreads when I have reviewed a book and when I see a review for a book I read on my social feed I am more likely to check it out.

      Most reviews I read are for books I haven’t heard of before or not sure if I am interested in yet, but mostly read because I already know the blogger. And reading reviews for a book someone loved is a lot of fun as you can get to share their excitement.

      And yes I do comment on review posts a lot. I found it hard to comment on them at first, but I like to think I have gotten better at it. It’s just fun to hear what someone thought of a book.

  2. I use reviews a lot. When I find a blurb that I find interesting, I check out the Goodreads reviews, (trying to avoid plot spoilers), to see what the book is really like. If there are a few tropes I hate or one of my deal breakers, I know to give it a miss. The idea is to cut down on the number of books I get that I’ll hate!

    I like seeing what my blogging colleagues thought of books they reviewed. I don’t often leave comments on reviews as most people I know read the genres, or the books aren’t my thing, and I don’t want to keep leaving comments like ‘not my genre’ ‘not familiar with book’…I feel that might eventually annoy the blog owner! I hope to have more time to visit and comment from now on so hopefully you’ll see me lurking more often!
    chucklesthescot recently posted…Book Review: Reduced by Robin TidwellMy Profile

    • I always try and avoid spoilers as well. Especially when I haven’t read a book yet I don’t want to encounter any spoilers for the book. And yes it’s always a good idea to look out for the things you really dislike or like in books, so you can make a better decisions about whether to get the book or not.

      I do agree that it can be hard to leave a comment on a review when you aren’t really interested in. I think I actually did a post about that once if I remember correctly. I usually talk abut aspects I like as well or catch my attention. I read a broad range of genres so that makes it less likely it’s a genre I don’t read, so I don’t have that happen often. I always appreciate comments on reviews as well even the not my genre type of comments, as else you don’t know when someone has read the review.

    • I do agree it’s often easier to comment on a review when you have also read the book as you can relate more to it. And yes reading reviews of books you don’t know yet is a great way to find new to you books or authors.

  3. I love reading reviews. I normally stick to the bloggers that I know, since it’s just easier because I already know how to locate their reviews. Often times I find myself adding books to my tbr list that I normally wouldn’t read because the reviews have been so amazing. Although if I’m curious about a book, I try to search reviews out on GoodReads or do a general Google search for that particular title. As for books that I have for review, I always wait until I write up my review before reading other reviews just so my opinion of the book isn’t influenced.

    As for the type of reviews that I read, I’m not too picky on the format or the style. Although I would like to be able to get a feel for the characters and the plot from the review. I’ve read several reviews that have only been 1 or two sentences basically saying the book was good or bad. I do find myself reading both the positive and negative reviews because I think both offer a bit more insight into the book.
    Angela @Simply Angela recently posted…The Official Outlander Coloring BookMy Profile

    • Same here I mostly stick to reading reviews by bloggers I already know or reading reviews on Goodreads when I am considering a book. And yes I definitely had some books that I added to my to-read list simply because of the reviews I read for it. I also wait to read other reviews until after I have written my own as I want to make sure I include the things that stood out for me, without getting influenced by what others mention.

      I do think those short reviews can make it difficult to get a feel for the book sometimes and I usually prefer the slightly longer ones. And reading both negative and positive reviews can help to get a better feel for the book and can help me decide if it’s a book for me.

  4. I like reading reviews also!! I always find it funny when people say that reviews are the least popular posts… I’m like, but they’re my favorite!!! I especially love reading reviews for books I’ve already read. It’s so fun to see what parts the other person picked up on and what their opinions are. I love book talking bc I don’t know that many YA readers IRL.
    Michelle @ Pink Polka Dot Books recently posted…With Malice by Eileen Cook –and why I couldn’t put it downMy Profile

    • I am always a bit sad when I hear people saying that reviews are their least popular post. I myself visit al types of posts, although I do notice on my own blog that my discussion posts get more comments, not sure how it is in terms of views though. It’s fun to hear other people their opinions about books.
      Lola recently posted…Sunday Post #180My Profile

  5. I like reading reviews for many different reasons:

    If it’s a book I’ve read then I like to see what other people thought of the same book and if I’m reading on a bloggers website I can then add something more meaningful and connect more to the review when commenting.
    I like to discover new books/authors. Reviews help me do that. I’ve found, so many new to me’s just by following a blogger and reading a review. I find myself adding books to my TBR list that I normally wouldnโ€™t read; because the reviews have been so amazing making that book sound like something I might enjoy.

    As for the type of review. I like it when a reviewer gets to the point on what they liked or didn’t. I’m not found of reviews (manually you see this on Goodreads) that have a lot of .jpg or .gif pictures in them. I also like both the positive and negative reviews. They give you different insights into the book.
    Angela @ Angel’s Guilty Pleasures recently posted…ARC Review: Awakened by a Demoness (Eternal Mates #10) by Felicity HeatonMy Profile

    • It’s fun to hear other people their opinions of books you also have read, but as I read a lot of indie books that rarely happens. I think most of the reviews I read are for books I haven’t read and sometimes even haven’t heard of before.

      And yes reviews are great for discovering new authors or book. I have added quite some books to my to-read list thanks to reviews. And also helped me gave new genres a try when I heard bloggers I follow talk about other genres that sound good.

      I don’t mind it when a reviewer uses some gif’s, but not too many and I also want text to accompany the gifs. I have seen a few bloggers who handle gif’s in a way I don’t mind as much, but I’ve also seen some gif only reviews on goodreads and those don’t really work for me.
      Lola recently posted…Sunday Post #180My Profile

  6. I love reading reviews, Lola, and like you, I enjoy reading them both for books I haven’t read yet – especially if I haven’t planned on reading the book. And other times, it’s great to read a review of a book I have read, so that I can see a different point of view of something I have either enjoyed or not enjoyed.
    And I like different kinds of reviews, too – I think it’s really neat that many bloggers have their own personal review style!
    Great post ๐Ÿ™‚
    Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews recently posted…4 Year Blogoversary #European #GiveawayMy Profile

    • Yes both reviews for book you have read and those you don’t know yet are fun to read. And I also like seeing the different styles fo bloggers, from length to the topics they include in their reviews. Everyone is different and it’s nice to see that reflected in how we review.

  7. I like reviews too. Sure discussions are great but book reviews have made the difference for me on whether to buy a book or not, so they’re pretty important too. Plus I kinda like writing them even if they don’t get a ton of views (and some get a lot more than others- it’s always interesting to see which reviews get hits).

    I like reviews both of books I haven’t read (helps me decide) and books I have read, to see what other people think. So they’re both fun. ๐Ÿ™‚ It’s fun too to read a spoilery review or discussion of a book I’ve read, so you can really get into it in the comments and discuss it. I like finding other people who liked the same book and comparing notes. ๐Ÿ™‚
    Greg recently posted…City of the LostMy Profile

    • Exactly! Reviews can really make a difference when you’re deciding whether to read a book or not. Pretty often i have picked up books because of reviews or added them to my to-read list for that reason.

      And spoilery reviews are fun if you have read the book or watched the movie and it’s clear the review contains spoilers so you can avoid it when you haven’t read the book yet.

  8. I love reading reviews.
    I can’t remember the last time I picked a book without reading a review on it first.

    But choosing my books isn’t the only reason I enjoy the reviews. I like seeing what others think and how they see the book (this is for books I’ve read already). I like learning about new books that are out there. I don’t mind reading reviews for books I don’t plan to read myself b/c I like book ‘talk and thought’ in general. And it has happened a few times that I expanded my horizons by trying something new as a result.
    Sophia Rose recently posted…Z by Larissa Ione #ReviewMy Profile

    • For me it’s mostly new releases that I see on netgalley or already am on an author their review/ arc list when I don’t read other reviews first. In most other cases I read reviews first to get a feel for if it’s a book for me,

      That’s also why I like reviews to hear how other think about books and hear about new ones. I also like the talk and thought process and read a lot of reviews for books I probably won’t ever read.

  9. I find that I’ll skim reviews of books I haven’t read, to see if there are points of interest that’ll make me want to read the book. If it’s a book I’ve already read, I’ll read the review to see if there’s anything I missed in the narrative or if I have the same or differing opinion than the reviewer. It helps me gauge their personality!
    S. J. Pajonas recently posted…Taking The Weekend Off!My Profile

    • I often read reviews on other blogs when I know the blogger and will usually read the whole review. I usually will only skim if I plan on reading the book soon or it’s a later book in the series and I want to avoid spoilers. Reviews sure help with gauging people their personalities too and what they pay attention to in books.

  10. I absolutely love reading reviews, Lola! It’s a great way to find new books and authors to read. It’s also a great way to chat with a blogger when it’s a review of a book I’ve already read. It’s fun to discuss why we did or didn’t enjoy a book. But mostly, I like getting to know a person via their feelings about books. I think it’s interesting how much you can learn about a person through their opinions and feelings about books. I’m so grateful to have our blogging community as a place to chat about books! ๐Ÿ˜€
    Bookworm Brandee recently posted…New Release Review ~ Wild Abandon ~ Jeannine ColetteMy Profile

    • A lot of books have been added to my to-read list thanks to reviews. And yes it’s definitely interesting to get to know a person by talking about books. I am still really glad I started a book blog and found this awesome community.

  11. I think one reason people comment on discussion posts more is because they are more open to, well, discussion. I comment on almost every discussion post I read, but not on every review I read. For example, if I go to a blog I love and they reviewed a historical romance, a genre I’m not a fan of, then I might not have a comment to add. Sometimes, there is still something that I can relate to and I will comment on that. But if I don’t feel like I have anything to say, I won’t comment, but I still read them. I think more people are sharing discussion posts because they really want to share their thoughts on the topic. I also see several discussion posts that are shared on other people’s Sunday posts, which I think help spread the word and get more visits. Great topic.
    Melanie Simmons @mlsimmons recently posted…Early Review: The Pages of the Mind by Jeffe Kennedy (@mlsimmons, @jeffekennedy, @Kensington)My Profile

    • I agree that’s one of the things I like about discussion posts that they are more open to dicussion and it’s often easier for people to comment on. And yes they also get shared more often.
      In reviews for books I might not be interested in I often try and find something I can elate to or want to mention.

  12. I do like reading reviews, I also like writing them. If I find a new blogger (which has happened a lot this year since I doing the 365 commenting challenge), I always look for reviews first. It is the core of blogging books so of course I look for those more than any other posts. There are times that a blogger reviews books I am not interested in (like NA or just romance) then I usually don’t comment since I have nothing to add to the conversation. Great post Lola!
    Karen Boue recently posted…Weekly Wrap Up #88 -I left something in ChicagoMy Profile

    • Yes I think for many blogs it’s starts out with reviews and I think reviews are the core of book blogging. And reviews are a good way to get a feel for someone’s blogging style and preferences when it comes to books as well.
      Lola recently posted…Sunday Post #180My Profile

  13. I have to confess that if I’m on the fence about a book, I actually seek out reviews with spoilers on Goodreads. I generally try to just skim the spoilers to get an idea of what they are about without getting the full details.

    I also like to seek out the more thoughtful 1 & 2 star reviews. They can either steer me away from a book if I agree with their points. Or, if I disagree with all their complaints, they might help me decide to read the book.
    Got My Book recently posted…text: Are Our Children Being Audiobook Deprived? | My MusingsMy Profile

    • I rarely read spoiler,s but there is this series I read the first 6 books and then heard things I didn’t like about later books and I have read a few spoilers to get more information and for now decided to not continue the series.

      I agree that those well written 1 and 2 star review scan be quite helpful especially if they dislike things you know also would be things you don’t like. Reviews can be quite helpful that way to help you decide if a book is for you.
      Lola recently posted…Sunday Post #180My Profile

  14. I just love reading reviews!!! Its my favorite thing to look through in book blogger sites. There are many different reasons why and you have a great list of reasons here. The biggest reason for me is finding new books to read or get a feel for a book I am curious about but not quite ready to buy yet. It is fun to read different insights on books you have read before.

    • It’s just so fun to read multiple insights and point of views about a book. And review can definitely help me discover new books or make me form an opinion about them and whether I want to read the book or not.

  15. I agree with you, I personally enjoy reading reviews too! I find it sad that they’re often considered the “less popular” posts, because I feel that reviewing is really the backbone of book blogging! I actually gravitate more toward reading reviews of books I have already read because I really enjoy comparing opinions, and I stay away from reviews for books I really want to read so my perception of it isn’t clouded at all (but then I usually immediately rush to read reviews once I’ve finished a highly anticipated title. Great post, Lola!
    Cristina @ Girl in the Pages recently posted…Cristina’s Close Look [4]: Abuse and Assault in Fantasy Featuring A Court of Mist and FuryMy Profile

    • Yes it’s sad they are so often consider the less popular posts as they are still one of my favourite posts. And I feel that my reviews are an important part of my blog. It depends a bit on the book, but I also stay away from reviews for some books. And for others I read as many reviews as possible so I can better decide whether it’s a book for me.

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