Donate all your money; we’ll make it better (make it better) – we’re here to welcome you

A big hello to whomever found my WordPress by typing “AJ Menden” and “Phenomenal Girl Five” into Google. You’ll find it on my Reading Wishlist. Think the release is supposed to be August 2008 at the earliest. Keep your eye out. A.J. Menden is an ace chick, by the way, so save up your money for her first novel

If you consume a lot of manga and graphic novels, please message me privately.

Spent mucho moolah posting 4 books through BookMooch today. Gosh. And though I’ve moved my most-wanted books from Save It For Later to Wish, have yet to receive a nibble. This venture may end up costing me more than I’m gaining.

But I stand by my decision to post worldwide. Because I personally don’t like being excluded. You know those competitions where they’re for US residents only, or UK? They have their reasons, I’m sure, and though I like being Australian, we do get excluded from a lot of fun stuff. So I’m practising what I preach by posting worldwide. Perhaps you should consider the same.

Anyway, I’ve been thinking about reviews today. Do you read them? When I can’t find copy for some titles on Amazon, I read the customer reviews to find out what the book’s about. I pay attention to reviews by Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews if I see them. But generally I don’t read reviews, unless I’ve never heard of the book in question before.

There are various reasons for this. Mainly I don’t know whose judgement I can trust, or which reviewer I agree with most. I’m wary of:

-People who read books very fast; one or more a day. Speed-reading doesn’t seem like proper reading to me. Admittedly, I can get kids’ and YA books read fast, but there’s more to my day than reading.

-People who mostly write about the plot, with only a sentence or two of personal opinion. That pisses me off. I can read the plot summary on the book cover. I want reviews to give me opinion.

-People who gush/fangirly over everything they read. Because even if those reviews are written from the heart, they still come across as not-entirely-truthful. I don’t love every book I read equally. I sure like a lot, but everything’s on a different level. I’m suss of reviewers who give everything 4 stars and/or up, because what’s the benchmark?

Tez’s Rating System for Books Read So Far in 2008
A+ (x3)
A (x3)
B+ (x2)
B (x9)
C+ (x1)
C (x1)

I’m not a professional reviewer, and my reviewing style is about thoughts/opinions/feelings, what’s likable, what’s worth fangirlying over, what could’ve been done better. It’s not an attack on writers; it’s more a matter of whether the novel fits your likes and dislikes, and preconceptions. Everyone is different and unique. And thus how people feel about what they read differs.

So the question for you readers is: which reviewers do you pay attention to? Why? What do you like to read in reviews? What would you prefer excluded? And more to the point: do you like my reviewing style the way it is, or would you prefer more/less of something? Thanks.

And if you haven’t bought Goldfrapp’s Seventh Tree, please do so ASAP. Great album.

© 2008 by Tez Miller