sillypants124 Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 At one time I never read any reviews. I would enter the bookstore and ask one of the employees which book they would suggest and take their book/s into an account while I looked around and saw what books caught my attention either by the cover or title. After I read the book then I would find some reviews. Now I do at times and just to see what other have to say and gather information about the book and the author. Always there are the extremes of good and bad reviews so I find the ones that are in the middle and ones that give a simple to the point review. I did review a book on Barnes&Nobles site one time and I did make the mistake of adding info from the book to support my decision about the book as others have done as well... so I am learning not to write a term paper on the book but give a decent review on my thoughts without giving away any important crucial plot information. Usually I check out Barnes&Nobles site on reviews and look for what is new or interesting. Brandon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 I suppose I would have to know the reviewer and the approach before investing too much. A lot of reviews are often more descriptive than evaluative. The ones that evaluate will say things that are not helpful like THIS BOOK REALLY SUCKS. That is really not a review to me. Kirkus claims they are some kind of cream of the crop in reviewing but they don't really seem to be. Their reviews often just describe the book. Their review editors seem very elitist when a lot of their paid reviewers are simply taking information off the dust jacket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don't Try Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 (edited) I'm a review-skimmer on Amazon. Anything more than that usually turns up at least one spoiler and then I get all humphy. The Look Inside option is good, when it's available. Edited June 10, 2011 by Don't Try Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cabal Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 I like to look at the Amazon ratings. Obviously if a book is very poorly rated then I'll skip it. I don't like to read reviews beforehand, however, because they often contain spoilers. Why ruin the surprise? I do read them sometimes when I finish a book just to see what other people thought as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aralia Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 I have a kindle and enjoy both reading and writing short reviews on books I have read or am thinking of buying. Quite honestly this gives me almost as much pleasure as reading the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simply K Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 I quite often read reviews on Amazon but I try not to let the star ratings have any influence on me mainly because you can miss out on some really great reads otherwise. I do like to read what people have written though just to get a general sense of the style of writing used, but to be honest I'm more interested in the synopsis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emelee Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Sometimes I read reviews. Often only the reviews on the online site where I order my books. See if there is any interesting comment made by someone who read it. I next to never read reviews by "professionals", especially if they appear boring as personalities. Then I figure before-hand that I won't share their taste. Most often I read what the book is about, if the plot seems interesting, is the author famous/respected? Is it a book that many have read? Been nominated for awards/titles? On a list of great books? Seldom actual reviews. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 I read the reviews on amazon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knox Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 I read the reviews on amazon Me too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pickle Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 I also read the reviews on amazon, although it doesn't totally influence my purchasing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 (edited) I also read the reviews on amazon, although it doesn't totally influence my purchasing. I'm the same pickle, I read them and then make my mind up Edited June 12, 2011 by Weave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pickle Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 I'm the same pickle, I read them and then make my mind up Some are really harsh, then I read it quite like it and wonder why they didn't, although if we all liked the same books then it would be a sad world Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrugalBookShopper Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 I tend to read reviews of books before I look at purchasing them. I have a list of books that I would like to read/buy and if the review/synopsis isn't that grand, it won't make the list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugo Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 I read reviews before I purchase a book, but when I visit a book store I don't read reviews, I just look for interesting covers or books written by authors I have heard of but never read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hungertattoo Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 I read reviews thoroughly from a variety of different sources. There's nothing worse than not doing checking the reviews and getting a quarter of the way into the book only to give up - it feels like such a waste of time. I'll read the plots from many people just to see if it's my kind of thing. Having said that sometimes I'll go blindly into a book if I've heard that it's a fantastic book, then I won't read the synopsis from either a person or the back of the book. I'll just jump straight into it on faith that it really is a fantastic book. I did that with The Hunger Games and a few other books and most of the time I find it highly rewarding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aralia Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Opinions on books vary so very much it is inevitable that there will be a great diversity of comment made by any diverse group of critics such as the critics/reviewers on Amazon. My view is that it is wise for the potential book purchaser on amazon to read the reviews letting them be a guide but not committing to buy until having sample the product. This facility is readily available. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Escargot Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 I hardly ever buy a book before reading reviews. Most of my books I buy online so it is not a problem to check on the reviews, for example on amazon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tai_Mai_Shu Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 All the books I've picked up that has been reviewed by USA Today hasn't been that great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayley Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 I only read a book review if it's in front of me anyway, like if I'm ordering off Amazon. Usually though I just look around in a bookshop until something jumps out at me. I think it's better though sometimes to read a book without any preconceptions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finty Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 I never read reviews as what works for one doesn't for another. If I like the synopsis I buy the book and agree with Hayley on not having any preconceptions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleW Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 I barely look at reviews or recommendations. Mostly I take my books from the library or buy them in a bookstore, so I can flap through some pages and read the contents. That does work better than somebody saying it is a good book without telling, what it is about. And there are some bestsellers which I really didn't like, e.g. Dan Brown. I read two of his books, like almost everybody else, but I couldn't really find my way into the stories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2 Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 I usually ask those I trust over Amazon for the simple fact that I feel like family members, friends, and publishing company go on there an hype up the book and most time they aren't that great. I always read the Amazon reviews, but that is a real problem. The last few books I bought based on rave reviews turned out to be disappointing. Now I usually read the worst reviews first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anisia Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I rarely read the reviews on Amazon. Usually if I buy a book there, it's because someone recommended it to me, so I know I'll like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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