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What a great blog!! I l*o*v*e books! I always have. I still like to read YA books. I really need to work in a library!!

Great post! I hate this new mindset of you can't review books unless you're a professional reviewer. I love to review books occasionally on my blog to express my love (or strong dislike) for the book. I like to send out the recommendations to other bloggers who have similar reading tastes to mine. I in turn love to read other people's reviews. In fact, I'd prefer blogger friends' reviews to "professional" reviews. Geesh...you have to defend everything these days

I like this post, too, Becky, and am glad to have discovered your blog via this debate. I honestly don't believe professional reviewers should have the Last Word on any given book. But one thing to think about is that while Booklist, Horn Book, SlJ, etc. review from free advance copies, it's advance copies of everything. I'm guessing most bloggers, when they review from publishers copies, are only seeing a select group of books that someone in the publishing house thought the blogger might like, or at least be interested in. It's not that I expect a blogger to review differently because a book was given to them, it's that I think you get a wider perspective when you're evaluating the book in hand against the background of the thousands of others published the same season. I don't think the swag works on any of us, and maybe I'm just not used to seeing the evil jokes we have long made about it in-office to be served up on the blogs! Aw hell, just call me old.

Wonderfully written! I totally agree.

Great points, Becky. :)

"I actually find it easier to write reviews of books I am indifferent to or dislike. Sometimes the words come easier."

SO true.

"It's not that I expect a blogger to review differently because a book was given to them, it's that I think you get a wider perspective when you're evaluating the book in hand against the background of the thousands of others published the same season."

So true about the wider perspective. That is why I love participating in the Librarians' Choices project at Texas Woman's University. We get to read hundreds of books--probably not the thousands that are out there that Horn Book (etc) would be receiving--but hundreds. It is only when you see things in perspective--to read the competition that you get a sense of what should be labeled "great," "good," or "average" in a given year. It's important to read and enjoy. But you're not finished there. Sometimes you just have to wait and see if your initial impression lasts. Will your judgement in February about a particular book still hold true in October after you've read a hundred or so more titles? Will it still be among the best? Will it still be memorable?

Just to provide an example, Roger, of how the free books don't persuade, I will tell you a little tale. Recently I received two books from a publisher. I have read one of these books. I enjoyed the plot but it was poorly written. I looked at the back of the ARC and was surprised to see there was a quote on the back: ALA Best Books for Young Adults. I was very surprised to see this. As I said, the book was poorly written. I am going to post a review of it soon, but the point is, the free books do not persuade me. It is flattering to be sent free books, 'tis true. But if I give a good review, to a book that is not as good as I say, that would hurt my reputation as a blogger. No one will trust my review if I don't provide sincerity in my viewpoint.

Very through and thoughtful response. I like the way you talked about the very subjective nature of book reviews. This is something I was trying to hit on in my post last night, but you've gone into helpful detail. I think that meeting the author or getting a free book can effect the reading experience, but so can having a fight with your pre-teen daughter or wearing too tight pants or being a past member of the Glee club. Reading is personal. In reviewing, the best we can do is be able to pull out for potential readers the heart of the book, some warnings perhaps, and an opinion. Because, really, they're all opinions.

Wow. That was one great post, Becky. Nice job.

These arguments have been going on for awhile now, generally started by a 'professional' reviewer or someone in the press with a voice who thinks their opinion is the final answer on the subject.

I think most people blog book reviews not to be praised for their great reviews, etc. but to get the word out on books they love, hoping other readers will love them as well and to talk about books that just didn't work for them.

As for publishers courting bloggers, I think its great. Anyone with a lick of sense is going to take any Advance Reading Copy they get and give it an honest review, so what's the harm. Plus you get free books out of the deal! I've gotten some ARC's and I intend to be completely honest about my thoughts on them. I guess I believe my own personal integrity on this is good enough.

In the end I think critics are seeing the blogging world cutting in on their livelihood, and I guess if it was my job I might be all pissed about it as well.

"I think that meeting the author or getting a free book can effect the reading experience, but so can having a fight with your pre-teen daughter or wearing too tight pants or being a past member of the Glee club. Reading is personal."

I just loved what you said, MotherReader. Very true. Some of your response is determined by mood. That is one of the funny truths about reviewing. I think a good reviewer has to take some time and consider how much of their response is personal. Did I connect with this book because I saw myself in it? Did I love this book because it had references to the Beatles in it? Or a favorite book? Did the author capture a time and place that I love--that resonates with me? It's easy not to question a response if you're response is a positive one. But if it's negative, do we as reviewers consider how much of it is personal? Did we have a bad day? Did we want to be doing something else with our time? Were outside distractions always intruding during the reading process? Or my personal favorite referring back to my post on Monster Blood Tattoo...did we not like the book because it actually smelled bad. We could not like a book because it wasn't as good as another we've read that was similar. For example, I had a hard time getting all ecstatic about Vegan, Virgin, Valentine after reading The Truth About Forever. When two books come out so close together about perfectionist teens finding themselves and falling in love and learning to relax...it's hard not to compare them. But I recognized that as well. For me, there was no comparison. The next person, another reviewer, might rank VVV better than the Truth About Forever...or not want to read either of them.

Great post! Reading is such a personal thing - that's one of the beauties of blogging. I for one and delighted to read such a variety of opinions. Conversations like this just make it all the more interesting.

This is a great topic. I do believe that professional reviewers are a bit intimidated by the fact that bloggers blog about books. I think it's a competition issue more than anything else.

But that's the nature of business. And this business is changing very rapidly. Roger says that maybe he's just old. I don't know if that's so true as maybe the system and the ways that books were reviewed is getting old. And maybe people prefer something different.

"Will your judgement in February about a particular book still hold true in October after you've read a hundred or so more titles? Will it still be among the best? Will it still be memorable?"

That's a good point, Becky. Many times, I've had a negative reaction to a book, so I shun everything from that author. Then a while later, someone recommends something else, and I go back and realize that maybe I was just having a bad week.

I wonder why professional reviewers are all up in arms about the book blogging community? Jealousy, maybe? I have to admit, I trust the judgment of fellow bloggers, because I "know" them, over some cold, impersonal professional reviewer.

That said, I'd love to get more free books. :)

Dear Becky,
I was reading again your interesting and well-expressed post, but I have to disagree with you about spoilers (a well written review should NEVER contain them) and about there not being a right way to review. This might be the case with reader reviews, but there is an 'accepted structure' for reviewer reviews, which usually include:
*An interesting lead or opening line.
*A brief summary of the plot--without giving away the ending or spoilers.
*A well-thought, intelligent evaluation, possibly with quotes.
*And a recommendation (or not).

Mayra:

I don't think we'll be disagreeing as much as you might think. I don't like spoilers either. Never have. Never will. That's why almost all of my reviews are spoiler free. I can think of one or two instances--but I gave the spoiler alert in advance. I don't want to ruin the ending for any book.

The reason I said "some" was the fact that "some" reviewers--particularly on the internet--do spoil endings when they write about books. What I think is unethical is for there to be spoilers about books on the internet before the book is even released. That is completely unethical in my opinion. But even if I find it unethical. What am I really going to do about it? Am I going to go about searching for these reviews and posting comments that they SHOULDN'T have spoiled the ending? That I'm unhappy with the way they chose to review something? I may not like it or approve of it. But I can only control my own writing.

As for the format and structure, I agree with most of what you say. There is nothing wrong with that format. That IS the format used in Librarians Choices. There is a word limit. There is one paragragh for brief summary--no spoilers. One paragraph for evaluation. And we're encouraged to use quotes. The recommendation is a given. We don't do negative reviews. So it's not that I'm unfamiliar with the so-called correct way to review. It's that I'm more relaxed.

Why should that be the only correct way to review a book? That would be like saying that poetry has to rhyme to be poetry. Reviews should be allowed to be unstructured at the discretion of the reviewer. Especially blogs.

Blogging is fun. Writing is fun. Imposing strict guidelines...not so fun. If I was turning in a book review for a class or for publication or writing a book report...that would be one thing. I'll turn all analytical on you. I'll format it differently. I won't use contractions. I'll write a draft, and may change it five or six times before I turn it in.

"An interesting lead or opening line."

I don't know how successful I do this. I do tend to give a LOT of thought to my first few sentences. I know they are key. When I finish a book I automatically start thinking...okay how will I BEGIN my review. What should my first sentence be. Sometimes I'm more relaxed. Sometimes I go with the flow. But sometimes I've spent hours thinking about how to write up a book. I often finish a book at night--11:30PM or 12:30 AM--and try to focus my thoughts before drifting off to sleep on what my review should be like. What I'll say. I want to get it exactly right. Sometimes these come to me. And I still remember them the next morning. Here's how I see it. If I can find a line or two that I love to start a review, it makes the rest almost seem too easy. It sets it up right. It almost guarantees that I won't encounter stumbling blocks.

"A Brief summary of the the Plot--without giving away the ending or Spoilers"

There with you all the way. I do that each and every time. Sometimes it might be four or five sentences. Sometimes I might talk for two or three paragraphs. But I rarely (99.9%) spoil the ending. And I never do it without giving warning.

"A well-thought, intelligent evaluation, possibly with quotes"

Sometimes I feel more like writing 'intelligent evaluation' than others. Sometimes I have a lot to say on the merit or lack of merit in a book. Sometimes I don't. Sometimes this evaluation is a simple "well written characters" or "powerful writing" comment. Sometimes I really get into it. I don't feel guilty for not wanting to write paragraphs and paragraphs of analysis. Does dissecting a book really make a big difference to a potential reader? Sure, if you've read the book...then you might be interested in having a discussion with someone else who's read it. You might be curious as to my views on something. But I'm trying to get people who haven't read the book to be interested in the book. I really think that is a big difference between bloggers and PROFESSIONAL reviewers. A professional reviewer for Horn Book, for example, is targeting public librarians and school librarians. His audience is a librarian or possibly a teacher. He/she is writing in such a way to let that specific audience know whether a book is worth their time and money. Should they add it to their collection? Is it worth the money? What is the reviewers opinion on a book's quality? Does it have oodles of reader appeal? Is it a must have for a collection? Or is it one that can be skipped? Many libraries--be they school or public--must "prove" that a book is worthy of the money by finding a certain number of good reviews or starred reviews in order to justify their purchase. Books are not cheap. Reviews serve an important purpose.

But bloggers are not targeting school librarians and public librarians. That might be a small part of our audience. But not a big one. Bloggers don't have the prestige of PROFESSIONAL REVIEWERS and therefore their reviews and opinions can't really be used as proof to buy anything for a library. Bloggers have a different audience...a different goal. It only makes sense that our reviews be structured differently. That we don't have to play by the same rules. It's an informal community. It's okay to take your shoes off. You don't have to sit up straight. You can have some freedom in what you say and how.

I outlined this clearly in my post Becky's Five W's. My goals are stated.

zee said...
"I looked at the back of the ARC and was surprised to see there was a quote on the back: ALA Best Books for Young Adults. I was very surprised to see this. As I said, the book was poorly written."

Awards are another thing I look with suspicion--I have read a handful of books that have received awards and were nothing short of mediocre. This is especially common with ebook awards (I'm sure there are many good ebooks that have merited these awards, but unfortunately this isn't always the case and sometimes the judges themselves are mediocre authors--can a mediocre author jugde a mediocre book??)

Sometimes I've been deeply disappointed with books that received great reviews from one of the top review publications. For my book on book reviews I had to interview dozens of librarians and they also agree that many times they're disappointed with big shot reviewers.

"But if I give a good review, to a book that is not as good as I say, that would hurt my reputation as a blogger. No one will trust my review if I don't provide sincerity in my viewpoint."

Exactly! Most bloggers are aware of this and if they want to maintain their credibility, they have to keep their honesty. Also, we should give some credit to readers--it's easy to tell a good, fair review from a cheesy one laced with facile praise.

Hi Becky!

"The reason I said "some" was the fact that "some" reviewers--particularly on the internet--do spoil endings when they write about books."

I would have to think that these "reviewers" need to read a few things about how to write a review. That's the point I was trying to make on one of my earlier posts--there are people who blog about books, then there are reviewers who post their reviews on their blogs. There is a difference between the two. I'm not against bloggers at all! But I don't agree with all who blog about books to call themselves reviewers.

"What I think is unethical is for there to be spoilers about books on the internet before the book is even released. That is completely unethical in my opinion."

I completely agree--this is the sign of an amateur, very unprofessional.

"So it's not that I'm unfamiliar with the so-called correct way to review. It's that I'm more relaxed."

This is why blogging is so appealing.

"Why should that be the only correct way to review a book?"

That question opens a can of worms... Is there a correct way to dance? to act? to write a book report? to perform brain surgery???

Within professional reviews, you have the academic ones, which are usually written for small print publications associated with colleges and which are mainly interested in lterary works and poetry. Then you have the long, in-depth reviews, not as critical/analytical as the academic ones. Then you have the light, short reviews. I don't agree that professional reviewers only write for librarians. A review can be light and short and still be professionally written.

I agree that blogging is an informal community and that it shouldn't stick to rules, but I do think that we should come up with a new term for these people who blog about books, because when they call themselves reviewers, well, that's a bit misleading. Again, I'm not taking here about reviewers who post their reviews on their blogs.

On a last note...

All things aside, at the end it's all about literature, books, and geting people to read, and that is GREAT.

One thing blogging has done, is make book "revewing" more accessible to people.

I also think that professional reviewers may feel a little threatened because, due to blogging, they've lost some dominance over the publishing world... and this must hurt :-)

"That question opens a can of worms... Is there a correct way to dance? to act? to write a book report? to perform brain surgery???"

There is a 'correct' way to dance if you want to dance professionally at national or international level. But there are all kinds of dance. All kinds of places to dance. Same with acting. It's silly to think there is just one 'correct' way to act. You may prefer one method to another. But there are all kinds of acting methods and styles. There might be a "correct" way to act if you want to be in a Shakespearian play at a prestigious theatre. But again, there is room for everyone. To write a book report, the teachers set up guidelines. In that case, there is very little freedom. If the teacher says "MLA" or "Chicago" and you turn in "APA" then you deserve what you get. But every teacher, every class, every grade level is different. The expectations placed on a high school student are different than those placed on a doctoral student. But these examples are all about expectations. And of course there is no leeway in performing surgery. That one's just silly.

It is all about labels. I am saying that yes, there may be a *correct* way to write a review for a professional journal or an academic journal. But just because that one medium (journal) requires that *correct* format doesn't mean every other way to write a review is automatically wrong. A newspaper might have a different formula to follow. An online magazine another formula. A web page or blog another choice of how to do it. Why should every review be held to that one so-called perfect standard? Why is a review any less of a review if it doesn't follow those rules so long as it conforms to guidelines of its own?

"I agree that blogging is an informal community and that it shouldn't stick to rules, but I do think that we should come up with a new term for these people who blog about books, because when they call themselves reviewers, well, that's a bit misleading. Again, I'm not taking here about reviewers who post their reviews on their blogs."

Again with the labels. This seems to be an arbitrary distinction. WHO would decide which blogger could be called a "reviewer who post their reviews on their blogs" and which would be the lowly counterparts "people who blog about books" who dare to presume that they can be classified as reviewers. If the decision is based on money, then I think there's a serious bit of snobbery going on. Sure I can somewhat understand a distinction between a blogger who says, "Oh, by the way I finished this book today. I really liked it. The author did this and that. And the characters. Oh, I loved that character. She reminded me of Aunt Sue" and a blogger who seriously undertakes the goal of reviewing the book.

Out of curiousity,and assuming that you're new to the site...that you've found me because of this debate...take a bit of time to explore the site. To read my reviews. To look at what I do. What would you label me? What label do I deserve? Or am I misleading the public by offering so-called 'reviews'?

"WHO would decide which blogger could be called a "reviewer who post their reviews on their blogs" and which would be the lowly counterparts "people who blog about books" who dare to presume that they can be classified as reviewers. If the decision is based on money, then I think there's a serious bit of snobbery going on."

It doesn't have to do with money. Also, there are no "lowly counterparts"--it's only that the two are different.

At the end, what matters is a well written review that is honest, objective, fair, tactful and that more or less follows a certain format.

I'm sorry if you were offended--that was not my intention and though you cannot always tell the intonation of a person via email--or in this case by commenting--mine has been totally friendly all along.

I took a look at your reviews--I'm impressed by the quantity of material on your blog and the quality of your writing (some reviews were too short for my taste but this were well written too, your love for books really comes through in your writing).

By the way, the thing about the brain surgery... I was just being sarcastic, in friendly kind of way.

I wasn't offended. I knew it was a friendly debate. I just enjoyed participating and playing along. I'm glad my reviews--assuming I can still call them that--pleased you in some way. I love to write. As to the length, it's a mood thing. I like long reviews too. But I don't want to go to the extreme and be too long-winded. You never know how long someone's attention span will hold these days :)