I remember the days of used bookstore shopping where I would pick books by the spine. Lol. I’m not kidding. 😅 If the title intrigued me, I would buy it, read it, and if I hated it, I had an “Oh well, better luck next time” attitude about it. I do read reviews, but usually after I’ve read the book for the reasons you talked about.
A good quarter of the books I buy these days are pre-orders and there are no reviews, which saves me the trouble of angsting over them. :) But when I *do* read reviews, I'm mostly looking for consistency. If all the 1 star reviews say "Oh god the typos why why" I take that into account, but if they're all over the map with what the reviewers didn't like, I assume it's just a matter of taste. Plus almost all books these days let you read an excerpt, and between that and the blurbs, I can usually tell if I'm going to like it. And if I don't, well, life is pain. There will always be another book to try later.
Yes, I think that's a good method of looking for consistency. If I see a book has a 3.5 or lower average, I look to the reviews because usually that means there was some consistent issue people didn't like.
I'm big on researching books and authors, but I have the memory of an elephant and if I read a spoiler, it will never be forgotten. I HATE spoilers. I usually do a quick scan of the ratings from trusted reader friends versus reading the reviews. Reviews are for when I'm still undecided and might need to dig a little deeper, but it's rare. I've learned that sometimes those 3.5-star average books can be my 5-star and just have to go with my gut. It has served me well since my tastes can be a bit eclectic. I think it's also why I enjoy your recs.
I'll occasionally read reviews after I've read the book, but I refuse to acknowledge any reviewers who make statements like the 1-star review you shared. Those are people who don't understand subjectivity and how offensive their statements can be to other readers, let alone the author. How can I trust their opinion if they've already offended me?
I agree that sometimes those books with the lower reviews end up being ones I really liked. On the flip side, many times ones with universally high reviews end up not working for me, lol. Guess we're the weirdos! lol
Pre-ordered Nightingale -- love that you're doing this! Also, the Reality Bites soundtrack will always be a favorite. It's aged beautifully and is such a MOOD.
As a fellow Gen Xer, Reality Bites is one of my all time faves! I’ve watched at least a dozen time, and always have to pause when Troy & Lelaina finally kiss in the kitchen. Seriously, he should have won an Oscar just for his facial expression—joy & pain & “oh god I’m going to f this up”
I remember the days of used bookstore shopping where I would pick books by the spine. Lol. I’m not kidding. 😅 If the title intrigued me, I would buy it, read it, and if I hated it, I had an “Oh well, better luck next time” attitude about it. I do read reviews, but usually after I’ve read the book for the reasons you talked about.
Love that you would just roll the dice on a spine! Lol. How fun!
I actually found a lot of good books that way. 😁
A good quarter of the books I buy these days are pre-orders and there are no reviews, which saves me the trouble of angsting over them. :) But when I *do* read reviews, I'm mostly looking for consistency. If all the 1 star reviews say "Oh god the typos why why" I take that into account, but if they're all over the map with what the reviewers didn't like, I assume it's just a matter of taste. Plus almost all books these days let you read an excerpt, and between that and the blurbs, I can usually tell if I'm going to like it. And if I don't, well, life is pain. There will always be another book to try later.
Yes, I think that's a good method of looking for consistency. If I see a book has a 3.5 or lower average, I look to the reviews because usually that means there was some consistent issue people didn't like.
It's been a while since I've watched Reality Bites. I am Gen X.
I don't pay a lot of attention to reviews. I write too many of them to be objective. (I only leave positive reviews.)
I can imagine if you're regularly writing reviews, you don't want to read others because that could also influence yours.
I'm big on researching books and authors, but I have the memory of an elephant and if I read a spoiler, it will never be forgotten. I HATE spoilers. I usually do a quick scan of the ratings from trusted reader friends versus reading the reviews. Reviews are for when I'm still undecided and might need to dig a little deeper, but it's rare. I've learned that sometimes those 3.5-star average books can be my 5-star and just have to go with my gut. It has served me well since my tastes can be a bit eclectic. I think it's also why I enjoy your recs.
I'll occasionally read reviews after I've read the book, but I refuse to acknowledge any reviewers who make statements like the 1-star review you shared. Those are people who don't understand subjectivity and how offensive their statements can be to other readers, let alone the author. How can I trust their opinion if they've already offended me?
I agree that sometimes those books with the lower reviews end up being ones I really liked. On the flip side, many times ones with universally high reviews end up not working for me, lol. Guess we're the weirdos! lol
Pre-ordered Nightingale -- love that you're doing this! Also, the Reality Bites soundtrack will always be a favorite. It's aged beautifully and is such a MOOD.
Thank you for pre-ordering! <3 And you're right, it's a total mood soundtrack.
As a fellow Gen Xer, Reality Bites is one of my all time faves! I’ve watched at least a dozen time, and always have to pause when Troy & Lelaina finally kiss in the kitchen. Seriously, he should have won an Oscar just for his facial expression—joy & pain & “oh god I’m going to f this up”
Such a great look! <3
I don't remember watching this movie but your description of that kiss makes me need to!
That kiss is in my top 3 movie kisses. His eyes just melt me.
Reality Bites is one of my favorite movies of all time! I adore it with all my 90s kid's soul.😍
<3