Book Blogger Confessions is a meme that posts the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month, where book bloggers "confess" and vent about topics that are unique to us. Feel free to share, vent and offer solutions.
Just keep it respectful - no bashing authors or other bloggers! If you want to participate just grab our button and include it in your post with a link to either Tiger's All Consuming Media, Midnyte Reader or For What It's Worth. We will be providing a linky at the end of our posts so people can "hop" to see all the participants answers.
Not a blogger? Join in and let us know how you feel about how we handle the topic!
Question: Have you ever loved a book that you know is not a great literary gem? Maybe it's filled with spelling errors, tired cliches, and is utterly cheestastic but you loved it anyway.
How do you handle that as a blogger who is used to critical thinking and analysis? Do you pretend you never read the book - never to be reviewed or added to your Goodreads shelf :-)?
Do you write a review but maybe apologize and make excuses as to why you enjoyed it or are you bold and proud of any book you enjoyed?
Conversely - have you read a classic, that is considered a literary gem but you just didn't get it? Are you embarrassed to admit that or do you review it anyway?
Answer: I do read quite a few “cheesetastic” novels where there is a guaranteed romance and happily ever after – no deep plot required. In fact I don’t even want one.
I call them my palette cleansers and almost never review them. I’m not embarrassed but I feel like they’re "mine* – free from all scrutiny because lets face it, they would fall apart once I started looking more closely. They make me go awwww with their overly sappy declarations or true love by page 2 or laugh hysterically (a more likely scenario) with bad pop culture references that don’t make any sense. Errors be damned! That just adds to the charm. My favorite author for this type of read is Diana Palmer. God, I love that woman. I love/hate her books. I've also read a few of the quickie Harlequin romances – small town girl falls in love with billionaire/fireman/Doctor. Love em! (sort of) Not reviewing them :-) Although I do take notes and mark them up with post-it notes just like I would a review book.
Tiny confession…just between us. I have read a few erotica’s and for some reason I didn’t post them on GR at first. I was embarrassed. It’s not really a genre I enjoy all that much but I do try to give everything a shot. I have read a few good ones that were more plot based and even a couple of m/m books recently and have written mini reviews here on the blog and added them to my GR shelves but I was embarrassed at first. I’m over it. (btw this was WAY before that 50 something book!)
As for the classics, I’m horribly embarrassed to say that I don’t *get* them and I don’t enjoy them. I did a read-a-long for Jane Eyre this year and I think being able to discuss my frustrations about some of the writing with others helped me get through and mostly enjoy the book.
The writing always feels too plodding for me and the social rules of the day, particularly with women, always leave me irritated rather than swept away. I do keep trying though, hoping I’ll find one that hits the right note for me.
I also feel like I have no business reviewing a classic novel. I know it’s just a book like any other and only one opinion but so many bloggers write these amazing reviews for the classics and I’m like – the book was slow – the guy was an ass – I don’t get it…I kind of feel like some review cop will stop by and take away my blogging license. I did review Jane Eyre and as you can tell I did a horrible job.
How about you? Do you have a guilty pleasure genre that you don’t tell anyone about in fear of judgment. Do you dislike the classics?
Let me know! I won’t tell anyone
Questions for September:
September 3rd: Following: How do you follow blogs? Do you use Google Reader? Are you on an e-mail list? Are you more apt to follow people who have less followers? Would you follow a blog to enter a contest? What makes you unfollow a blog?
September 17th: Blogger relations: Are there blogs you visit and comment on because you like their style, voice etc.(maybe you even converse with the blogger on Twitter & Facebook) but those comments are never reciprocated on your blog?. Do you get a bit offended or do you understand that they may be busy? Or do you comment just because you like a post not expecting anything in return?
Too funny about the review cop. I think they work for the Blogging Police. I know I've read a few Harlequins years ago, but I can't really remember them. It was when I was cleaning out my parent's house and my mom had, you guessed it, tons and tons of them. When I needed a break and forgot my book, I would skim them in an hour or so. But I kind of hated them too. I've never read Jane Eyre. I've seen so many movie versions, I kind of don't want to.
ReplyDeleteI got the Harlequins at BEA two years ago. I had never read on and I can't say I would go out and buy anymore but they have an innocent sweetness to them and they are super fast to read.
DeleteI don't get classics either but I'm not embarrassed about it. I openly dislike them and rant all the time. haha. I feel like most people don't actually like them (a receint article about ereaders said that most people will buy and never finish reading the classics so it helps prove my point) but they think it will make them look smarter. I personally like your review of them (it's slow, the guys an ass...) that's great. It's honest.
ReplyDeleteI get the erotica thing though. I was sorta iffy for a while about posting the ones I've read on GR. I still don't have those show up in my newsfeed but I do have them on my shelves. Some things don't need to be posted to everyone.
I always feel like something is wrong with me because I haven't read the classics. Especially since I started blogging but I have found that so many people feel like I do so I guess it's ok.
DeleteAnd you found a study to back it up! lol
I read all different genres, from YA to literary fiction to mysteries to romance novels. Sometimes I love to read a book that's beautifully written, other times I just want to read something funny or fast-paced.
ReplyDeleteThere are classics that I love -- I mentioned some of them in my post -- and others that I couldn't stand. But that's the case for me in every genre -- I either connect to a book or not.
Love this topic and happy I could join in this week!
I remember loving Animal Farm and Lord of the Flies. I tried David Copperfield but never got past page 80.
DeleteI read a mix but don't always post my reviews of books I read like the Siren or seducing cinderella ;)
ReplyDeleteNeed to read more classics and I enjoyed that readathon with you on Jane.
I am happy to review all of the books I read, I read may 2 erotic books a year and they get very few responses which is fine as I know they are not everyone's cup of tea :-)
ReplyDeleteI have loved a few classics, Rebecca, And Then There were None but the biggest for me was To Kill a Mockingbird. I understand why it is a classic and 'everyone' loves it but it was slow and I understand those that couldn't get into it.
I think that's why I don't mention the erotica on my blog. I don't read them often (maybe 2-3 a year - often don't enjoy them either) and I review a lot of YA here so I feel like I should keep that separate.
DeleteMost people don't read the few reviews that I do write for them anyway.
So interesting. I read To Kill a Mockingbird in English class along with a favorite teacher, so maybe that was why I liked it.
DeleteI feel the same way you do about most classics. And for me you can add in "best sellers." I don't enjoy them and often don't understand them. I review most of what I read But don't have to worry about reviewing that kind of book because I am hugely unlikely to read it in the first place.
ReplyDeleteExcellent point about best sellers!!! I rarely enjoy a best seller or anything with "a novel" after the title lol
DeleteI tried to read & review more classics one year because it felt like something I should try but they just don't work for me most of the time.
Let us hope you never meet the review cop. He cannot be bribed or coerced out of revoking your blogging license. And to make matters worse he isn't even good looking. I got a glimpse of him last week when he came for my neighbor. *shudders*
ReplyDeleteBut don't worry if he starts lurking around asking about you I will misdirect him. :)
I'm hiding behind the tree! lol
DeleteWhen I was a teen I read loads of Barbara Cartland, and yes they were beyond silly and you could like finish one in 1 hour but they were so sweet and nice
ReplyDeleteI think that's why I like the silly books. They are such quick reads and almost always fun and angst free. Sometimes I need that.
DeleteLove you, dear! CLassics are an acquired taste. And they move at a glacial pace, it's true.
ReplyDeleteGotta love the palate cleansers! If I'm feeling blue, nothing brings me joy like a story about a simple down-home multimillionaire rancher and his simple (literally) love interest discussing outdated video games and extoling the virtues of genetically unaltered beef.
Good times.
Haha, Karen! I used to post my review for my erotic reads, but as more people stopped by to comment, I became embarrassed, so I stopped. Now I just read them for kicks. *winks*
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, I've read several books that don't really inspire much though other than, oh, that was nice.
That is funny...most pple *want* more comments...but I would probably get embarrassed too...but let's be honest, I'm too embarrassed to even read them!
DeleteIt's amazing how many people agree with you here. Nice writing style.
ReplyDelete