Lola’s Rambings is a feature on Lola’s Review where I talk about me. Usually these posts are everything that doesn’t fall under any standard header, like blog tours, book blitzes, cover reveals or reviews. Lola’s Ramblings posts are are personal discussions of a certain topic. Sometimes about book related topics and sometimes about non-book related topics. If an Lola’s Ramblings post is about a non-book topic it gets the non-book content posts tag. This feature was previously knows as About Me. The banner for this feature is designed by Michelle from Limabean Design.
Today I want to talk about commenting and then in specific about commenting on a review. So when you are reading a review on another blog the chances are that you want to leave a comment, it can be hard sometimes to come up with something to say, especially when you haven’t read the book and maybe not even have the intention of ever doing so. I usually try to comment when I am reading a review on a blog and have found a few techniques that help come up with something to say in my comment.
How do I comment on a review for a book I’ve read?
I always seem to have less trouble when commenting on a review for a book I’ve read, I usually have enough to say about the book as I’ve read it. Here are some of the ways in which I comment on a review for a book I’ve read.
- Comment with your opinion. This is one of the ways I most often comment on reviews of books I read Usually I share my opinion of the book and why I liked it or not. Usually combined with the next point.
- Comment about on which points you agree or disagree. I like mentioning point with which I agree or disagree with the reviewer about the book. I like seeing how people can like and dislike different things in books, so I usually assume the reviewer also likes to hear about these things.
- Comment about the next book in the series. This is more a general way of commenting by saying that I am looking forward to the next book or how I can’t imagine how the next book will go or comment about the ending.
- Comment about the author or other books by the author. If a review is for a book by one of my favourite authors or author by whom I have read more then one books I might mention any of his/her other books or inguire if the reviewer has read any other books by the author.
- Recommend a similiar book.I don’t do this often as I am not one for comparing books often, but if someone really liked for example the originality of this story I might recommend other original books I’ve read. Or a book in the same genre.
- Comment about things where you can comment about if you haven’t read the book. Even though I have read the book I can still mention any of the things I mentioned under comments when I haven’t read the book. See the points under the next heading.
How do I comment on a review for a book I haven’t read?
When commenting on a review for a book I read I usually say something about what I thought about the book, but when commenting on a review for which I haven’t read it can get a bit trickier to comment. There are various reason why I might want to comment on a review for a book I haven’t read, it can be because I am interested in reading the book or sometimes I just want to show that review some comment love or other times I am commenting back and can’t find nothing else to comment on, but a review. So here’s how I usually comment in those cases:
- Comment about the cover. This is an easy one, I usually have something to say about the cover. Either what I like or don’t like about it or the colours or the model. Also because a cover can lure me into reading the review this might be the reason I am reading the review in the first place, so commenting on the cover makes sense then.
- Comment about the blurb. It can happen the blurb mentioned something that catches my attention or which I have somethign to say about in that case I might comment about the blurb. Sometimes I don’t want to read the review for fear of spoilers and commenting about the blurb is always a safe bet then.
- Comment about why you do or don’t want to read this book. This is one of my favourite ways of commenting on reviews I haven’t read combined with the next point. I like mentioning what about the book sounds like a book I ight read or why I don’t think I’ll read this book or whether I am doubting about reading it or not. This can also spark some nice conversation sometimes.
- Comment about things mentioned in the review. Along with the previous one this is my favourite way of commenting and it doesn’t even require reading the whole review. To explain this a bit further for exmaple someone mentions that in book X there was a slow building romance, as I am a big fan of slow buildign romances I then can comment that I like slow building romances in a book and that that’s always a plus sign. Or when someone mentions she didn’t like the insta love in book X, I can comment that I am usually not a big fan of insta love either. Basically you take a specific comment about something he/she liked about the book and tell if and why you like or don’t like that thing in general.
- Comment about seeing it around on the blogosphere and if you know people who read it. You can mention whether you have heard of this book or not. And if you did see the book around the blogosphere wat the general opinion was.
- Comment about their review style. This one I do especially when visiting a new to me blog. I comment about their review style or the way they write their reviews.
- Comment about other books by the author. If I haven’t read this specific book by this author, but have read other books by that author I can comment that I haven’t read book X and mention that I have read book Y by this author. Or say something about that author’s general writing style.
- Comment about the genre or trope of the book. Sometimes I comment about the genre or trope used in this book and my opinion of that genre or trope. I can also mention whether I frequently read that genre or not.
What do I do when I don’t know what to comment?
If I really have no idea how to comment on a post I’ll probably pick another post to comment on. There’s always another post to comment on, I might have to go a bit further back, but eventually I’ll find another review or post on which I can comment. I’ve found that most bloggers don’t mind or even like it when you comment on an older posts, so this is always an option as well.
So my question to you is:
When I’ve read the book, it’s easy : I point out whether I agree or not.
When I haven’t, it depends on whether I am tired or not : if I am, I just state that I’d like to read it too and that I’ve added it to my list (I should copy/paste that sentence, much to my shame, because I use it so many times) ; if I’m not, I stress the arguments that convinced me to read or that repelled me (I remember one review lately about the use of needles during sex, urgh !). I’d love to write elaborate coms, but the main reason I opened a review blog ? For so long, I was just able to say “I loved it” or “I hated it” and I felt like I really, really needed to elaborate lol !
Red Iza recently posted…Review / Eve Vaughn : Sex with an ex ((Tall, dark and alpha boxed set, story 5)
I think commenting on a review of a book I read is easier as then I can just give my opinion and whether I agree and on which points.
I try to be a bit picky with adding new books to my to-read list, but if I did add a book to my to-read list thansk to that review I do point it out. I know how much I like it when people comment on one of my reviews saying they added it to their to-read list.
When I am in the right commenting mood I can leave logn comments, but sometimes I just don’t know what to say and leave a short comment.
It’s usually easier to comment on a review that you have read than one you haven’t. I find it especially hard to comment on a review for a book that I’m not really interested in. If I’m excited to read the book too, it’s easier to write about that and why I am excited for it. I usually just avoid reviews where I’m not interested in the book but the reviewer really liked it. Sometimes it is best just to choose a different post to comment on when you don’t know what to comment for a review. Great discussion =)
Stephanie@ThesePaperHearts recently posted…The Designer’s Handbook: Choosing a Color Scheme
I agree commenting on a review of a book you haven’t read is much more difficult and I usually try to avoid doing that, but sometimes I really want to comment back and even if I don’t plan on reading the boook I can still comment on the review and what I liked about it. If I really can’t think of anything I choose another post.
I generally don’t read reviews of books I haven’t read before, unless they’re really famous, like Fifty Shades. I then tend towards reading the negative reviews, because they make me laugh.
As for commenting on reviews I have read, I’ll take some points from the review and say whether I agree or not, and then usually a general opinion of the book.
Inge @ Bookshelf Reflections recently posted…Review: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
I actually like reading reviews of books I haven’t read yet now and then. Although if I plan to read the book I am carefull to avoid spoilers, but most reviewers I follow write spoilerless reviews.
I sometimes find it hard to write spoilerless reviews, because it doesn’t allow me to fully pinpoint what I liked and disliked about it. Although if I do write spoilers, I’ll put a notice at the beginning of the review, and cover the huge spoilers with tags.
Inge @ Bookshelf Reflections recently posted…Review: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
I think that’s a good way to handle it, then at least your readers know what to expect! I don’t mind spoilers when the reviewer explicetly mentions them, because then I can avoid them if I don’t want to read them.
It’s difficult, because spoilers can be subjective as well. Obviously it’s a spoiler when you’re talking about the ending or a character’s death, but I’ve written reviews that I consider spoilerless, when someone else does think I’ve written spoilers. Tough business. 😛
Inge @ Bookshelf Reflections recently posted…Review: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
I agree spoilers can be very subjective. I usually have some small spoilers in my reviews when it’s a review for a later book in a series, but then again I think that’s quite normal. Spoilers are a tough business indeed!
Haha, I totally feel you on these points. I like commenting on reviews and discussion posts more than the other sorts of posts, but they’re usually reviews of books I haven’t read. I usually comment about why I do/don’t want to read the book, or even the cover if the cover is really gorgeous. 🙂
Ana @ Read Me Away recently posted…Review 118: Heir of Fire (Sarah J. Maas)
Indeed there always seem more book reviews of books I haven’t read then of those I have read. I always like ssaying why I plan to read the book or not. And I often have some sort of opinion about the cover.
I agree, it’s so much easier to comment on a review for a book I’ve read, or at least in a series or by an author I’ve read some of. Its trickier when I haven’t read and have no intention to. But I think my approach usually is to comment on something they say in their review that means something to me and why I don’t think I’ll read it. You’ve got some great ideas though, I’ll have to try them out next time I’m stuck!
Berls @ Fantasy is More Fun recently posted…Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis | Book Review
As long as I know a bit about the book or have read another book by the author I always can come up with something to say. I do this as well “comment on something they say in their review that means something to me” there’s often something in a review were I have an opinion about or what I generally like or don’t like in a book. I never realized I had so many different echniques for commenting until I wrote them down, lol.
I’m more inclined to comment on a book I’ve read. If I haven’t read the book, I’ll often just read the review and leave unless something really strikes me about the review that I want to talk about. Handy tips there though and I do agree that commenting on covers is a good standby, plus I love covers so I love to chat about them.
Trish @ Between My Lines recently posted…The Sunday Post : Get your Bookish News #51
Thanks Trish :). I hope these tips come in handy. I often read reviews and don’t comment. Sometimes I just don’t know what to say. I also love covers and talking about them! There’s just so much to say about a cover.
I’m more likely to comment on a book review for a book I’ve already read. I’ll write about what I liked, what I didn’t like, how my opinion of the book differs from the reviewers. I’m less likely to comment on a review for a book I haven’t read, although it’s not unheard of. Generally, if it’s a book EVERYONE is reviewing at the same time, I won’t say anything. But, on occasion, I have stumbled across a review for a book that genuinely interests me, and I’ll leave a comment talking about the points that interest me. Sometimes I’ll ever write about how I’m reluctant to read a certain book.
Jackie recently posted…Weekend Review: Happy Halloween!
I agree, when lots of people are reviewing the same book at the same time I quikcly run out of things to say. I don’t want to feel like I am commenting the same thing every time. With reviews of book I read that’s easier as I have more to say in general.
Great idea for a post, especially as so many people don’t know what to post! I always tend to comment on reviews whether I have or haven’t read the book. Let them know if I want to or don’t want to read the book now, and it the pointers they have mentioned appeal to me or not. And if I like the cover a lot, I will also comment on it! But thanks for some more tips so I can mix up my commenting a bit 🙂
Olivia recently posted…Krymzyn (Blog Tour & Giveaway!)
You’re welcome :). I hope the tips come in handy. Just like you I like commenting on reviews for books I have and haven’t read althoguh the later can be more challenging.