For What It's Worth


Monday, July 17, 2017

tell me something tuesday

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(yes, I know it's Monday 😜 but I have a tour post scheduled for tomorrow)

Tell Me Something Tuesday is hosted by Rainy Day Ramblings and discusses a wide range of topics from books to blogging.

Question:

Do you find that it’s easier to read and review books that you have picked up on your own?

Yes and no? lol

If I buy a physical book up at the store, I tend to set it aside and worry more about my review books that need to get read on a schedule. Most of my purchased books sit on the shelf for months to years – unread.

If it’s a Kindle download, I read those right away almost every time. They are usually spontaneous purchases from someone linking a sale on Twitter. Mostly romances, and I loooove those as my *in between/pallete cleanser* reads. So I can read one of those in an afternoon and get right back on track with review books.

As for reviewing, I hate to review books I’ve picked up on my own. I do occasionally, if I loved them, and as I cut back on review books I guess I’ll have to do it more but they’re mine – just for fun – and I hate to dissect them and ruin the experience. I do write a short review on Goodreads though and occasionally do a post with mini reviews for a group of them.

Let me know what you think about this topic!

45 comments:

  1. I haven't reviewed a book in a while but the last one was something I'd chosen and I enjoyed it. I don't mind reviewing a book I haven't chosen but maybe have more fun reviewing something I bought myself. Interesting question - I haven't thought of this before.

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    1. I review almost everything but not always on my blog. A lot of my *fun* reads only get a short Goodreads review. If I have something to say about a book I'll review it even if it was for fun but i do like to keep some reads just for myself.

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  2. Lol palate cleanser are good, that I know

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  3. For me, even kindle books end up put aside in favor of review copies. But I enjoy reviewing my just-for-me books too. I mean, I don't force myself to review those if I don't want to, but some of them I do want to review, so I do.

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    1. I've cut so far back on review copies that it's easy for me to fit in fun reads in between. That wasn't always the case and I did put review books first then.

      I'm the same - I don't make myself review everything but if I have strong feelings either way I will - even if it was just for fun.

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  4. I tend to set aside books I buy too - even e-books - in favor of review copies. I'm getting a bit ahead though, so I'm hoping to fit in more of my own reads. I don't review them ALL, but I do review most. Sometimes it's a shorter review though.

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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    1. I donwload so many novellas that I manage to squeeze one in between review reads a lot of the time. They are almost always HEA romance/fun so it helps me clear the slate.

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  5. I snap up those twitter kindle book deals too! And my answer would be "yes and no" too, both because I worry about review copies and because I'm a horrible mood reader. So unless I'm REALLY itching to read it, mine purchased books also sit on the shelf for a long time.

    Sarah @ A Weebish Book Blog

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    1. I don't have many review books anymore so this was easier to answer now. The past few years almost 99% of my books were review reads and I rarely ever read for fun.

      I'm pickier now so even my review reads are fun for me.

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  6. I used to review books for another blog as a guest reviewer and while I still do every once in a while it's for only a couple of select authors. These days I tend to only review books that I've picked out myself, from authors that I already like. Once in a while I'll read a review on a blog for an author I haven't read and I'll pick up the book and most times review it.

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    1. That's what I'm heading towards. I'm only taking 2-3 books per month -if that - for review so it's mostly for fun reads and I tend to do mini reviews for them.

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  7. Ugh I have so many books sitting around on my shelf and Kindle because of review books. I am trying to cut WAY back on those but still have so many to catch up on. If it is a book I own I like to do more of a mini review and not super intense.

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    1. I'm finally getting control of that but it's hard to juggle for fun reads and review when you're that overwhelmed.

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  8. I find that the books I purchased get forsaken for review books. I do manage to squeeze a few fun reads here and there. I also reviews, depending on the mood I am in.

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    1. I'm getting MUCH better about making time for fun reading!

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  9. That's an interesting question. I tend to review books I've bought more since I don't do very many ARC's, but if I were doing review copies more I'd probably be the same. I would want to review those and keep up and so yeah my personal buys would probably sit for a bit!

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    1. This will be me since I've got waaaay back on review books. But it should still be fun since I'm picking what I want to read and a lot of the schedule pressure will be off.

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  10. It's interesting how its harder to review books you picked. I have the same fear that it will ruin the reading experience. But last year I learned that I needed a good balance between review books and books for fun just so I wouldn't get in a slump from just reading review books.

    Great discussion, Karen!

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    1. Thanks to blogging, I'm always analytical now lol but that's not the same as actually writing a review where you have to start picking it apart - so some books are just for me, warts & all.

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  11. I never thought about this before, but I have a hard time just picking up a book if I'm in a bookstore, EVEN IF it sounds totally up my alley. I guess I prefer to rely on recommendations before I pick something up at random. Also yes, I totally have a stack of review books that I tend to prioritize so I don't always get around to reading the others in a timely fashion!

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    1. I'm the same now! I used to grab almost anything that looked good but I'm so much pickier now. Maybe because I have a bajillion books already lol

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  12. I've always accepted review books that the blurbs made me want to read them right there so I've never had an issue. There's always those books I didn't enjoy so when they are review copies its harder to review since I don't have a lot to say. Likewise if I really loved the book then I have no words for it, I'm too overwhelmed LOL!

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    1. I'm really bad reviewing books I loooooooved. It's just a big word jumble of love lol

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  13. I'm the complete opposite with kindle reads. They sit on my kindle no less than one year before I pick them up!

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    1. I tackled my Kindle reads last year (this year is my psychical books which isn't' going well O_o) so I guess it's not overwhelming to me and I just get the book out of the way quickly and then go back to review books.

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  14. Honestly I just find it hard to review books at all, haha, I'm so lazy with them. But I feel like there's not enough pressure with books I've bought myself, so that's nice.

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    1. Been there! lol I'm just now getting my reviewing groove back. I didn't want to talk about anything for the past few years.

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  15. They're about equal for me to be honest. I only request/review books I know I want to read or would have bought in the first place.

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    1. I'm getting back to that point so I guess if you ask me this question in a few more months my answer would be the same as yours.

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  16. Ha - we are so similar. I use Goodreads to log every book I read. And usually I trick myself into writing "just a few sentences" about the book on GR and usually a few sentences turns into a couple paragraphs and there is a review! If I don't have much to say I also do the mini-review thing - love those! And yes, if I buy a book for myself I feel way less pressure to review or write anything - sometimes it's nice to read just for fun.

    Thanks for visiting my new site and helping me test comments - you are the best!! Jen Ryland

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    1. My quickie GR's review often turns into a mini review for the blog lol

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  17. That's a very interesting question. For me, it all depends on how badly i want to read a book. if it's an ARC i've been dying to read, then i'll read that first. but if it's a new release that i've been salivating on, then, for sure i'll forgo everything else for that book. i guess, i agree with you? yes and no? ;p

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  18. I've finally gotten to the point that I can read my review books almost as soon as they've come in which is great but means I already have some for 2018 done. lol Weird reading that far out. I review just for fun books, too, though. Feels weird to skip them.

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    1. I put my books in order by date and read them one to two months before the release date but that's more because I'm a pantser.

      If I read ahead to 2018 books I wouldn't' have anything to post now. lol

      You are a much better/more efficient blogger than I!

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  19. You make a good point about not wanting to review your fun reads, it is easier to blow off writing reviews for books that you aren't obligated to review. Still I like to write reviews for them and put them in my rainy day bank of reviews for when I need a review. Great post, Karen!

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  20. Ever since I got back into book blogging I've been picking up books that I WANT to read, and haven't had too much trouble with reviewing, so that's good. I would like to start getting review copies again (I did read a recent review book just last week too, but that was the only one I've gotten since starting again) but I like the freedom of picking and choosing, and not having to stress over release dates. I can just read at my own pace! Even though I'm averaging like 3 days per book, though I'm back to uni (post-grad). And work. Ugh!

    But yeah, I get into the habit of reviewing the book before I can move onto the next read. It's been serving me well so far. :)

    Cass @ Words on Paper

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  21. Great post! I'm the same way with my personal books, I want to just enjoy them. So, unless it gives me some strong emotions that I just have to share, or if I'm not taking in as many review books to keep the blog going, I don't review them.

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    1. I will review my books if I feel something strongly about them or throw them into a mini post so that I didn't *waste* my time reading and have nothing to review. But I need some fun reads now or I think I would burn out again.

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  22. I review almost everything I read (or at least I try to), whether it's one I chose for myself or a review book from a publisher. Usually I'm pretty good about reading my review books in a timely fashion thanks to the deadline of the pub date, but honestly, sometimes I have a *really* hard time actually reading the books I buy for myself. Not spontaneous Kindle purchases, I pretty much read those right away, but hardcovers I saved up for seem to languish unread for a long time. Maybe it's my subconscious punishing me for spending money, LOL.

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    1. Punishing you - lol that's so funny and probably has a grain of truth to it.

      I read all my kindle purchases right away too. I think it's because I snap them up right when everyone is going so crazy for them and get right to it.

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