Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Book Talk: Is it Time to Rethink How I Review?
I've noticed a trend on my blog lately, my review posts, by and large, generate the least amount of traffic and the fewest comments (the exception seeming to be those that feature bestsellers such as The Girl on the Train). Perhaps this is because my reviews aren't linked to a site hosting a meme, or maybe it is simply because I'm reviewing books few others have an interest in. Whatever the reason, I find it a bit disheartening -- of all my posts, reviews are the ones that take me the longest to prepare and require the most thought.
Am I the only book blogger that has this issue, or is it a phenomenon that many of you are also experiencing? I love book-related discussion posts, but one of the main reasons I got into blogging in the first place was to discuss those books I've read and want to share with others. Perhaps I simply need to augment my reviews with discussion posts on subjects related to the book reviewed.
With this in mind, I'm looking for ideas and inspiration from my fellow book bloggers. What do you find works best for you as both a reviewer and as a reader of reviews? What types of review formats do you most like to read? Are there any formats you dislike? What determines whether or not you'll comment on a review? For those of you who have followed this blog for a long time, what do you most like about my reviews? What do you think I should change?
I'm looking forward to hearing your views.