Book Reviews, Authors, and Growing Up

Hi there.  I am going to type this up tonight and then sit on it until tomorrow to see if I still want to post it.  I feel like I want to get this off my chest though, and I was going to to a VLOG about it but you know… Its midnight and I, quite frankly, don’t feel like fixing my damn hair.

Here’s the thing…

It is killing me to see authors, flipping out on reviewers and bloggers if they don’t like the review that person has written.  Whole pages of nasty comments back and forth arguing over books and reviews.  I’ve seen this happen like 3 times in the last 2 months.  From both new authors and someone I considered to be a pretty well known author.  What in the world do they think acting like an ass is going to accomplish?  I’m just now getting into the whole “Book Community” thing, and you guys are starting to freak me out a little.

For me: I read because I love to read.   I tell my friends about it because I want them to love to read too.  That’s how this whole reading section got started.  After mentioning a few books on my personal blog, someone said I should start doing reviews and well.. there ya go.  Because I talk about what I read on my site doesn’t make what I think about that book any less or more important.  It’s just a place for me (and I am sure many other bloggers as well) to talk about what we’ve been reading. 

Let’s be  honest here.  I’m not going to love EVERY book I read.  I don’t even like to call my reviews “REVIEWS” because with that comes certain expectations.  Like using some kind of “star rating”.  I don’t rate with stars.  I’m not grading the book.  This isn’t kindergarten and that’s not their homework.  Why should anyone be rewarding with stars?!  I don’t even like to READ “star” ratings.  Just tell me if you liked the damn book or not, and please for goodness sake don’t spoil the damn thing for me (unless I ASK you to!)

I don’t even post “bad” reviews.  Or at least, I don’t consider them to be bad.  If I liked the book – I profess my love everywhere (I’m really not kidding).  If I didn’t really care for it – then I say “Read it at your own risk, maybe you’ll end up liking it”.  If I hated it, I just mark it as DNF on my Goodreads and move on. 

I say I posted a book “review” because what else can I call it?  I’m not some authority.  I am just some chic, with a blog, who likes to read.  Who wants her kids to think it’s cool to read.  Who thinks it’s ok to have opinions and it’s ok to have a format to share them on.  This is not my job, this is my passion.  I don’t get paid.  My gosh, I spend my money (well, my Mr’s) and my invest my time in these titles.  I think I earned the right to talk about them afterwards.  To be able to say my true thoughts, without worrying if some author is going to come egg my house or beat up my kids because of my post.

Do I accept ARCs?  Shoot yea!  We’re an entire family of readers, and honey we ain’t rich.  I am not about to turn away a free book. NO WAY!  We go through books in this house like most houses go through cereal.  No way can I afford to keep books coming in without trips to the library and glorious REVIEW COPIES!!!  But that doesn’t mean I have to give it a “rave” review either.  What I have to do is show my gratitude.  Not only gratitude for the free book but for the trust that author has put in me to give them an honest review. 

If you decide to become an author…you should really be prepared for some people to not like your work. You can’t please EVERYONE, so just take what they say with a grain and move on. Getting upset and trying to change their mind is useless. If you have to EXPLAIN it… well… Im just sayin.  Don’t scream at them and call them names.  Don’t make yourself be the ass.  Ya know?  My goodness, how long was Tolkien an author before he finally got the praise he deserved?  And Jane Austen?  Come on!

And another thing… Don’t just assume the review is awful and “wrong”  if there are 20 “5-star” reviews on Goodreads and only 1 1-star.  How many review copies did you send out, again?

If you’re a “reviewer” or “blogger”- try to remember that there was a PERSON behind the pen of that piece your talking about.  And they have feelings too.  And this, THIS is the internet and there is a dang good chance they are going to SEE your post.  You can talk about what you didn’t like without being rude, or MEAN.  And please, don’t just give it a great review because you got it as a free ARC.  Receiving an ARC is a gift, for sure!  Show your gratitude by saying “THANK YOU”.    You would serve the author AND your followers better with your honesty.  That should be enough. 

It sounds strange, I know, but it’s true.
{O.o}