Happy Sunday Morning! Today's post is a little different as I'll be sharing my thoughts on the thought process behind my Sunday Salon in general rather than a specific bookish topic. Cheater cheater pumpkin eater, I know.
On a quick side note, the Sunday Salon is a forum for bloggers to share their reading thoughts with one another. The Sunday Salon was originally set-up by a blogger, Debra, and there are over 500 documented participants but the interest has grown so much over the years that Debra has recently set up a Sunday Salon Facebook page for those not in the RSS Pipeline who would still like to participate. As far as I know you don't have to be a book blogger to participate--but books should be the main focus of your post. Sunday Salon posts are my favorites to write and my favorites to read. Hope you'll check it out as well!
Ok, back to my Sunday Salon. For some reason I put an extraordinary amount of pressure on myself for my Sunday Salon topics. All week long I sweat and stew over what I'll write about, which is a stress, but the truth is I love Sunday Salon posts. Look forward to them all week. Look forward to the discussions we'll have in the comments and the things you will make me think about regarding my own topic! And while I love reading the Sunday Salons where people talk about their weekly reading, I yearn for the discussion topics. But alas, how to keep the pressure down while still writing a topic that I'm interested in writing and you're interested in reading?
I feel like I've reached a juncture in my blogging where I'm really not terribly interested in reading other bloggers' book reviews anymore. This isn't entirely true but the reviews I'm more likely interested in reading are for books that I've a) read b) already plan to read c) seen so many stinkin' times in my Reader or on Twitter that I'm now curious. I don't want to buy any more books and I don't use the library (topic for another day perhaps--strange Trish logic used for that one). I certainly hope this post doesn't hurt anyone's feelings--I know there are lots and lots of people who do care about newly released books and even books that haven't been published anymore, and maybe one day I will be again, but today I'm not.
Crap--I hate when my topic evolves without me. I guess to steer myself back on topic rather than veering in a direction I know I shouldn't go, I should simply say my favorite posts are those that are more discussion based rather than focused around a single book. Book reviews and the such are not bad--and I'd be a hypocrite to say so as I don't plan to stop writing any here--but they don't always lend themselves towards discussion (though they can).
Sunday's Questions: What are your favorite blog posts to read? Do you read book blogs to find new books to read or do you like to look for discussion or general bookish ideas or random thoughts? I realize this is such a loose topic, but I'm interested in knowing what you're interested in!
I find myself gravitating towards the Top 10 posts (as an example) or the Sunday Salons; I love knowing about actual reading processes rather than the actual books themselves (unless a. b or c. above). Collections of books that spurred a specific emotion or a hot topic that produces varying opinions (though not necessarily controversial ones). What draws you into a book or why you love to read so much in the first place. Because for me reading is about so much more than the actual books and while I love to tell you why I love a book as much as you love to tell me why you loved a book, I love the actual discussion, whether in the post or in the comments, even more.
Or maybe I just like to babble about things. :) I just couldn't ignore the constant nagging voice I feel when thinking about Sunday Salon and what type of discussion it will produce so I thought it that nag deserved a little teasing out. In the end we all want to hear more than "wow, this book sounds great" right? And while I shouldn't pressure myself so much (I'm going to scream if one of you tells me "it should be fun, not stressful" in the comments!), I do love a good Sunday Salon post!
So what say you? Which kinds of posts do you gravitate towards? Are there topics you'd love to hear more about (from anyone, not me specifically) or those you'd rather never hear again?
What's on your agenda for the week? I'm proud that I've made a bit of progress on the Recipe Scrapbook project and purchased some material for Little Miss Baby Billy Sue's quilt. I'm reading and enjoying The Knife of Never Letting Go and I hope to start going through pictures of Europe for that post that will get written!
Hope you all have a lovely lovely Sunday!
I do like how non-review posts tend to have a lot more conversation in the comments section. There are certain blogs where I will read pretty much everything. But for many of the blogs I only read if the topic looks interesting or if I'm at all interested in what they have to say about that book. There are lots of books I've learned I don't care about and since I follow a gazillion blogs I have to pick and choose! I guess I like both review and bookish topics... as of right now I don't really have a preference.
ReplyDeleteI really like the discussion posts. I don't always comment on them, but I make a point to read all the Sunday Salon posts for the blogs I have in my Reader. They are usually quite interesting and a little catch-up on most bloggers lives. I don't write a Sunday Salon post myself, but I do occasionally try to write a post about some something I've been pondering. Those almost always get the most comments and that is great.
ReplyDeleteI do understand about reading reviews, although I do read them a lot and write them. I will admit after I've read a couple of reviews about a book, I tend to skip others on the same books or give them just a quick skim.
I guess what I'm trying to say is I like both types of posts. Thoughful topic discussions and reviews. I mean book talking is book talking isn't it?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Trish!
My favourite posts to both write and read are *drummroll* book reviews :P (Don't worry, though, I promise you have NOT hurt my feelings!).
ReplyDeleteI think the main reason for this is because I have a bit of an idiosyncratic way of thinking about reviews - at the end of the day, I don't think you and me look for very different thinks in the blogs we read and love, Trish. Let me see if I can explain what I mean:
For me, reviews aren't really about finding new books to add to my wishlist or TBR list or whatever. I mean, they're about that TOO, but that's secondary to the main thing I look for in them. The kind of reviews I gravitate towards, the ones I strive to write with varying degrees of success, are the ones that use a book as a point of departure to talk about, well, Life, The Universe, and Everything. My favourite reviews are the ones that make me think, that tell me as much about the blogger as a deeply personal post could, that address the question "What did this book make you think about? How did it affect you as a human being?" rather than "How much did you enjoy reading it? Would you recommend it to others?". Of course, not all readings (I'd say this rather than "not all books", but that's another topic) lend themselves to that kind of review, which is perfectly fine. Nobody writes them 100% of the time, which is also fine. But I'll keep reading reviews voraciously because I love nothing more than the ones that do this.
Gah. I really hope this doesn't sound horribly pretentious :P
Should a disclaimer to add that this is not what I think reviews "should" focus on or be about; this is just my personal taste :P
ReplyDeleteI like what you say under your first question... about wanting to know about the process of reading, the emotion of it. That's lovely.
ReplyDeleteI look for book reviews first, and probably library loot posts second. But, even though I don't tend to seek out personal posts, I enjoy reading them. And posts with pictures of food!
I don't read a lot of book reviews either, unless it's a book I'm already interested in or specific bloggers. At this point in our blogging lives (what are we, 4 years in?) we know whose tastes are going to match up to ours, right? So as much as I might like Blogger Billy Sue :) I probably already know that I don't want to read her posts about board books, or whatever. I do usually read discussion posts, like this one and I love top ten and monthly wrap up lists so long as they have some kinda commentary about the books, either the thoughts on them or the reason people read them. I am really bad at subscribing to comments though, so I often miss the discussion.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you. I definitely gravitate toward Top 10 type posts and reviews of books I've read about over and over again. I generally skip posts that look like ARC reviews.
ReplyDeleteI read book reviews only from a very narrow selection of book bloggers, where I know their tastes are for the most part similar to mine but who also read books I never would have found on my own.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love discussion topics though. I think Sunday Salon topics should be discussion topics and if I recall correctly, that was the original purpose of the Sunday Salon. I see a lot of Sunday Salons that are recaps of what people read (and often already reviewed) the week before and I skim those. If I read your blog, I don't need a recap...
On my own blog, I do review books, but I also try to put up posts that are more general. I have two new weekly topics this year: Wish List Book Wednesday, where I show books that are on my TBR wish list and instead of just telling what they are about, I try to tell why I put them on my TBR list. I also have Series Saturday, where I talk about series I am currently reading or that I want to read. Here too I try to be more diverse than just a 'this is what it's about' topic. I plan to do more of these general posts this year about other topics as well.
And of course, my Sunday Salon posts. I do not post every Sunday, but when I do, I try to make it a discussion topic. This weeks Salon, for instance, is about the question: Recent setting, yet still historical? (It's here: http://bookwormsandtea.blogspot.com/2011/01/sunday-salon-recent-setting-yet-still.html)
So, in short, I mostly agree with you, but I wouldn't want to miss book reviews either.
I like to read all kinds of posts, but I'm just curious (or is that nosy?) about how people think and how they write and what they read. But I have too many blogs in my reader so it IS starting to feel very burdensome to get through the reader every day!
ReplyDeleteI suppose I am rather shallow when it comes to Sunday Salon posts as I have never really given this much thought :(
ReplyDeleteI have read several blogs who focus their Sunday Salon on personal activities, and reserve weekly posts for bookish items. I enjoy getting to know the person behind the blog.
As far as bookish posts - I like a bit of both, I suppose. I like reading varying reviews to see how one book can appeal or not appeal to a wide audience. I truly enjoy bookish discussions, as it gives me the feeling that I am a part of an online book club - something that I have never had the opportunity to join in real life.
As for my own personal posts, unfortunately I am finding it difficult to find the time to post once a week.
*Jenny - Like you there are some blogs where I'll read most of what's posted-review or not-some bloggers also hae a knack for writing really great book reviews! And I do like them--still can't wait for yours on EL&IC.
ReplyDelete*Kay - Have you ever considered writing Sunday Salon posts? I've always gravitated towards them--although even any type of discussion posts are great! It is a fun way to catch-up on blogger's lives and thoughts!
*Nymeth - I feel I was too harsh regarding reviews and I agree with you 100% about the types of reviews you love and they are the reason why I keep coming back for more book reviews from my favorite bloggers. I hope I am not unfair in saying that many bloggers don't take this approach, though. I even struggle in my own posts when writing book reviews and that's probably why I have a tough time writing them in the first place. So, up in my post above where I say that reviews can encourage discussion, those are the ones I'm referring to. It's sticky--but I don't think it's wrong for us to have preferences--just like there is no right or wrong way to write a post. I hope that *my* post today doesn't come off sounding terrible. :-/
*Charley - Isn't it fascinating to think how differently everyone processes their reading and how they all take something different away from reading? I think that's why I love book blogging so much--the varied opinions!
*Lisa - Discussion is really tough to get because most people don't subscribe to comments. I could be spending 20 minutes writing up all these responses and makes me wonder if anyone even reads them!! ;)
*SmallWorld at Home - LOL--I hate to admit that ARCs are the first posts that get marked as read in my reader. :-/
*Samantha - You make a great point--the WHY of it. I think this is so important and it opens up a dialogue with readers whether spoken or unspoken. And I'm probably like you--have a narrow selection of book bloggers whose reviews I just adore!
*Rhapsody - NO!! I LOVE to know how people think and how they write and what they read. Unfortunately I can only sneak on Google Reader maybe twice a week and actually spend some time, so it's overwhelming to try and focus on what's priority to me, you know?
*Molly - I LOVE your Sunday Salon posts, Molly, because while they might not ask a question they definitely offer a lot to think about!! And yes, part of why I love blogging so much is the feeling of an online book club.
*Trish I read your comments :).
ReplyDeleteThey WHY is indeed important, but although I do try to tell why I loved or not loved the book, I'm afraid it mostly comes back to WHAT I loved/disliked. Is that enough to evoke discussion? I don't know. But then, I'm not really looking to evoke discussion with my reviews, they're just a recording of my thoughts on the book. I make seperate posts about issues I want to discuss after I've read a book, if there are any. I use those topics a lot in my Sunday Salon posts.
I like to have a mix of stuff, reviews and discussion posts and personal stuff etc. Too many of one thing gets tiresome for me. I know of at least one blog that writes nothing but bookish discussions, really long posts, and I do get tired of it after awhile. I stop paying attention. I don't always read every single review, but I do like reading them. Even if I don't necessarily put the book on my TBR.
ReplyDeleteI like a mix. Reviews work fine too.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I have started a weekly feature on Sunday, Sharing Poetry With You, where I would be sharing any poem that has made an impact on my. It could be a classic one or a contemporary one, and anything in between. Today's Sunday Salon is all about that. Do check out what poem I share today by clicking on Sunday Salon: Sharing Poetry With you. You are invited to give your thoughts on the poem posted. In one word or many words..your choice!
I gravitate towards people instead of posts so I won't be much help on that front. I will say, however, that I have been toying with writing more discussion posts instead of just reviews. Writing reviews has become something of an annoyance for me. Probably because I write about 140 a year....
ReplyDeleteDon't worry, Trish, you don't sound too harsh or unfair! I know what you mean. And I think it's very easy to experience review burnout when you see 10 of the same book the same week and none of them takes that more discussion-oriented approach. I've definitely been there myself :P
ReplyDeleteTrish I only read (a) (b) and (c) reviews also. For the most part. I just can't keep up with all of the book reviews. And as you also stated I adore the top ten posts, sunday salon, or personal posts about what is going on in the world of the blogger.
ReplyDeleteAnd girl, I wanna see some of your cooking posts! :) Me too, I promise.
I prefer discussion posts personally, even though most of what I write are book reviews! I only really like to read book reviews about books I've already read to compare opinions. I hesitate to read many of books I anticipate reading soon, because I don't like spoilers. New to me books can be interesting too. The only exception is exactly what Ana's said above me - those reviewers who manage to use the books they've read to reveal more about themselves and the world and how the book has affected them personally (and her reviews are the best example of this I can think of). Those are great no matter what book is discussed.
ReplyDeleteMeghan @ Medieval Bookworm
I love to read both discussion and books reviews. My favorite Sunday Salon post are those that ask a question but it can be hard to come up with a question every Sunday that's original.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite posts tend to be like the Top 10s or Sunday Salons. That type of post is generally much easier for me to write than a review, too. It's fun getting to know the person behind the blog better, so I usually use TSS as a weekly wrap-up... both reading and personal. Happy Sunday, Trish!
ReplyDeleteI don't know. I try to keep it simple with Sunday Salon posts: share what I've read the past week, what I'm reading today and what I plan to read in the future. Sometimes it's the same. Sometimes it changes. I then open up the question to what others are reading. That's usually about it. However, I like posts like this one, which question what it is that we are doing and why. Personally, I'm like you in that I don't read reviews much, unless it's a book in which I'm interested. If that's all a blog has, I tend to shy away from it. A part of my blog is connecting with others, but a part of it is also a diary of sorts, on my reading, on my exercise (or lack thereof) and on my spiritual life. At some point, though, I hope it connects with the reader of my blog and we can have a discussion. Otherwise, for what am I blogging?
ReplyDeleteI liked your post today...in fact, I think this is my first visit here. I'll be back!
ReplyDeleteI, too, enjoy discussions, and I could relate to what you said about loving to react to the emotions in books.
Bloggers who include their personal stuff also interest me, and that can include discussions of issues. I'm always up for a discussion of issues.
Here's my salon:
http://accidentalmoments.wordpress.com/2011/01/09/the-sunday-salon-jan-9/
I like a mix of both types of posts. I really enjoy reading reviews of books that I've already read...I'm always curious to hear others' opinions and all that. I just like to read anything that relates to books :P Hope you have a great week!
ReplyDeleteOne of the things that I love about the book blogging world is the wide variety of approaches that different bloggers take. I like that we can play to our own strengths and interests in what we choose to write about, and in which posts we choose to read and comment on. Just as not everyone likes the same books, not everyone likes the same kinds of blog posts, and that's ok.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I tend to love meaty long-form reviews, sometimes with personal musings included, sometimes not, and that's also what I tend to write (though with mixed success on the meatiness). But I definitely don't read every review on every blog that I follow, usually I only read those for books I'm already curious about or have already read. There are maybe a dozen bloggers whose reviews I'll always read, no matter what the book is.
And I love posts that get into various aspects of the bookish life, which is what I use Sunday Salon for. I'll read almost any of those that I run across.
I also gravitate to those posts that are either books I have read or books I would like to read. Also to bloggers that I enjoy everything they write. I have cut WAY down on the book blogs that I actually read. I think I only read about 5 total, otherwise i get too consumed, and I just don't have the time anymore!!!
ReplyDeletep.s. you don't sounds harsh at all.
I like the discussion posts, but I don't write them...too much work. :-) I also like rambling, babbling posts about this and that. Those I do write, along with the reviews, but the reviews are so I have a record of my reading.
ReplyDeleteOk, you must talk about why you don't go to the library because I'm very intrigued :)
ReplyDeleteI love the Sunday Salon but haven't participated in a long time. I got out of the habit of doing so when I was going to yoga on Sunday mornings and sort of saved sunday for non-computer time. Now that I am not doing the sunday class maybe I'll start up again.
I like to read all kinds of blog posts but personally I try to keep my posts and reviews on the shorter side. Just because of time. It takes time to write and then to go read other's blog posts. It's hard to find a good balance but I'm always trying :)
*Samantha - ;) Glad someone reads my responses! I'm mostly teasing--I enjoy writing them regardless. I know just what you mean about seeming to go back to the WHAT in book reviews rather than the WHY--I'm guilty of this, too. And I definitely don't think EVERY post needs to be a discussion post! Maybe I should make that disclaimer!
ReplyDelete*Amanda - Oh, I totally agree--I don't think every post needs to be or should be a discussion post. I just find myself gravitating to those first when I have 200+ items in my Google Reader! Balance for any blogger is really important (at least in my opinion).
*Gautami - What a great idea about the poetry! I'll have to pop by and check it out.
*Trisha - And maybe that's what it is--that I just don't read as much as other bloggers so I don't focus as much on the reviews? I'm not even sure I wrote 20 reviews last year. ;) And I do enjoy your discussion posts!
*Nymeth - ;) This is what I talk about in my post when I mention that YOU guys make ME think after writing my own discussion posts! I love it--it takes many views to make the world go round.
*Christina - If you haven't already seen Joanna's post today, I'll be linking to it tomorrow. We've got ourselves a cooking challenge!! From books to cooks--challenges: it's an addiction, I swear. ;)
*Meghan - I'm the same with you and reading reviews for books I haven't read--though it's funny that I can usually get a pretty good idea about books with skimming. And yes, Ana's point is exactly what has kept me interested in blogging for so long--I love when a blogger shares pieces of them (whether they know or not) through their reviews.
*Vasilly - LOL--that's EXACTLY the pressure I'm talking about! Trying to come up with a great topic every week. ;) But I think I'm shamefully addicted to the great comments these posts generate... PS--cooking challenge has been announced at Joanna's blog. I'll post about it tomorrow. Yippee!!
*JoAnn - Happy Sunday to you. :) And yes, maybe that's what it is--getting to know the person behind the blog (and through comments!!) via discussion type posts.
ReplyDelete*Unfinishedperson - Because I'm such a boring reader that wouldn't work for me! ;) Even when I was reading regularly it was hardly a book a week. Great point about connection--any post that tries to connect are ones I really value (NOT to say the others I don't value...).
*Laurel-Rain Snow - thanks for visiting! And yes, I really enjoy reading personal posts as well--we spend so much time interacting with one another it's nice to know a bit about the person behind the screen!
*Samantha - Like you I love reading about books that I've already read--so fun to see how opinions compare! You have a great week, too, Sam!
*Teresa - You're absolutely right about blogging providing such a variety of different styles and topics! That's what I really love as well. And I think it's safe to say that if you asked bloggers what kind of reviews they like to read there'd be 100 different answers to that as well. Meaty reviews are always nice--as long as "meat" doesn't equal full play by play summary! ;)
*Michelle - Only 5 book blogs! ;) That would make life a lot easier. But I do enjoy seeing so much of the variety and I've become better and picking and choosing what to read and comment on rather than EVERYTHING. Reviews of books I've read are also my favorites.
*Softdrink - For discussion posts, the most difficult part is coming up with a topic! And then responding to comments takes a lot of time. ;) I adore rambling, babbling posts as well--posts that share more about the blogger as a person! Love your rambles, Jill.
*Iliana - LOL--I don't go because I have SO many books already at home to read. But, that doesn't stop me from buying books. It's dumb logic. I try to write my posts on Saturday so I don't have to use Sunday morning for writing--hubby and I love to cook breakfast together and usually hang out the rest of the morning. I've enjoyed reading your more rambling posts about books and like you I also like shorter reviews sometimes as time is *always* short! ;)
I think it was Trisha who said she gravitates more toward the people than the posts and I find that to be true for me often times too. I'll read just about every post by my favorite bloggers, book related or not.
ReplyDeleteI do like book reviews, whether I'm looking for a recommendation, thoughts on a book I am considering reading, a book I've read or even a book I know I'll never read but want to know more about anyway. There are certain books though that when reviewed, I'll skip. A lot depends on how much time I have to spare.
I also really like discussion posts. I'm not good at starting my own discussions so I must live vicariously through bloggers like you. :-) There are some discussions I have stopped reading though--the topics get old after awhile. If I read another post about negative versus positive reviews, I might jump off the nearest cliff.
Oo! You're reading Ness' book! I want to read that one. Hopefully soon. That's the plan anyway. :-) Have a great week, Trish!
I love reading book reviews from fellow bookbloggers, but I also love reading snippets of their life and other misc. stuff as these what make me get to know them better. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm moody. There are times when all I want to do is read book reviews and times when I love reading only lengthy discussion posts. But whatever I read I do like the posts/ reviews that have a personal touch to them, whether they are reviews or anything else.
ReplyDeleteIt depends! There are some book reviews that really interest me, but for the most part, I have to say you're right. I tend to read more into book reviews of books I've read or books I'm really super interested in. There are some bloggers where I will read every single thing they've written and others who I pick and choose. Like Ana, I prefer reviews that really mean something bigger than just a review of a book.
ReplyDeleteI too look forward to Sunday Salon, though I'm not always together enough to write a post for it!
Oh, good question! Personally, I like any post the blogger obviously got into. That can be a book review -- I've seen someone get so gushy over a book that I just love reading the review. I also enjoy discussion posts, provided it's about a topic that interests me, of course. On my own blog, which doubles as a reading journal, most of my posts are reviews (or "thoughts on ___," as I prefer to call them).
ReplyDeleteOne thing I've discovered I love is readalongs. I love reading someone else's thoughts on a book that's still fresh in my mind; I find it leads to the best discussions. In fact, I kind of think I'd like to have a reading buddy for every book I read!
I'm terrible about keeping up with blogs. To be honest, though, I do like reviews, and I usually read them if the cover of the book that the review is about looks interesting. Or if the title makes me curious. Or, lately, I really enjoy reading about books I've read or want to read, like you say.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I hate the top 10 posts because it seems everyone does them at the same time. When they are sporadic, then they're fun and they tell me a lot about the blogger and I don't feel like I was conned or something. I am crazy.
I can't write Sunday Salon posts anymore because I usually have nothing to really say about anything in particular, and I'm bad about letting myself wander. I should probably work on that, or something.
Oh, I also love negative reviews and controversy. Or readalong posts.
I really hope you are going to post pictures of the material for Little Hiss (I mean Miss)'s quilt :) Sadly, I read ZERO book blogs these days. The blogs that I read are now all family type blogs--mostly about other people's babies and children's development and adventures. I do miss the bookish discussions and reviews, but I don't want to get sucked into that world again--the challenges, the dramas, the longing to do read-a-thons. It was great during a particular (lonely) time in my life, but now I don't feel the need for reading strangers' thoughts on books or writing my own ideas. I do still like talking about them in real life though, and I would love to be in a book club at some point. Ok...this is long...sorry!
ReplyDelete*Lit Feline - I know just want you mean about gravitating towards the person rather than the post—especially with some people who you’ve been blogging with for years! It’s so amazing how much you can learn about a person just by what she/he writes. LOL—and I agree that some discussions are best left undiscussed (or at least don’t need to be discussed any further). Gets to a point where you can only say so much about a topic! Hope you have a great week, too, Wendy!
ReplyDelete*Melody - I agree with you that I like a nice balance on posts but I really like the snippets of life and miscellany as well—makes blogging a little more personal!
*Violetcrush - LOL—it’s OK to be a moody blogger. ;) And yes, I’m with you 100% about the personal touch. Even with book reviews it helps with learning the blogger’s taste when they include a bit of personal (whether meaning to or not).
*Lu - I really enjoy book reviews that touch on something bigger than just the book itself but boy are those tough to write! Some bloggers definitely have a talent for writing reviews that way (Ana!). ;) And I think a lot of us bloggers have gotten good about reading what we want to read rather than making ourselves feel obligated to read everything posted!
*Erin - Oh yes, gushy reviews are the best! Those are usually the ones that have me putting the book on my wishlist or running out to the store to get the book! And yes, I love readalongs for the same reason you do—getting to talk about a book while everyone is reading it together. Like a virtual book club—except I’ve seen better discussions on readalongs than some of my face to face book club! So, you in for Ulysses? ;)
*TopherGL - Haha! I can’t help but laugh at your thought of the Top 10 Meme conning you. I guess I can see your point and if all a blogger does is list our her/his books with nothing more then they’re pretty boring. ;) And nothing wrong with wandering posts—I’m usually guilty of just such! For me, though, I tend to skip the controversy and negative reviews—sometimes it seems a bit gimmicky to me.
*Laura - It’s OK for interests to change—and definitely for people to have different interests. I don’t read as many book blogs as I used to and what I like to read has definitely changed as my reading patterns have changed. Because I’ve been blogging with the same people for 3.5 years, though, I don’t feel like I’m talking to strangers—it’s more like a big online book club. Unfortunately I don’t know many people in “real life” who blog about real life things, so I envy a little bit your knowing so many family type blogs! Luckily there’s very little drama in the blogosphere anymore. Or if there is I’ve just gotten very good at ignoring it!
That's an interesting question. I originally came to the book blogging community to find books to read. I don't have any friends of family members who read regularly enough to give recommendations. So sad! Now that I've been around for a little while, I don't always read the reviews but I enjoy the discussions more. There are a couple of bloggers that I feel share my reading taste, so I do read all of their reviews to pick up recommendations.
ReplyDeleteI laugh at myself a lot! Sometimes, in real life, I talk about how something bothers me, and then I feel silly just saying it out loud and realize I have no idea why it bothers me. Usually, if it's on a blog I read a lot, I feel very good about it. If it's on ones I don't visit often, I guess I'm probably annoyed that I finally took the time to visit and there's a top ten, again!
ReplyDeleteIt's not necessarily negative or controversial that I like, I think, but when the comments section explode and there's some disagreement about something, I feel much better about it. Many times, that's not even the result of what was blogged but a result of the community on the blog. :)
I generally enjoy your posts. :)
I do love to read book reviews, but I also love personal posts. I kind of hesitate to write personal posts, because I figure most people aren't interested in them.
ReplyDeleteI like Sunday Salon posts as well because even though I like reading reviews, I just don't have time for them all. Catching up on 'whatever' once a week is perfect.
ReplyDeleteCount me in as one who's curious about your lack of library usage. I'll be looking for that post!
*Kristi - I think it's natural for blogging habits and tastes to evolve a bit. I think if I didn't have SO many unread books that I'd be more interested in what's THE book to read, but my acquisitions have gone up in staggering amounts since blogging--so I can't say I haven't been influenced! ;)
ReplyDelete*TopherGL - I wasn't laughing AT you. ;) Ha! But yes, I know what you mean about comments exploding with disagreement or conversation. Sometimes that can be very exciting (though not sure I've personally experienced that here, which is OK).
*Bermuda - I think people are interested in the personal posts--at first I noticed that my personal posts didn't receive as many comments but now they usually receive more (maybe that's also because the bookish stuff is kind of sparse these days). I LOVE seeing personal posts from fellow bloggers!
*3M.Michelle - LOL--I fear the lack of library use isn't that interesting but maybe next Sunday I'll "go there" for the topic. Thanks for coming by.
I still enjoy reading book reviews but when I'm trying to play catch up with my Google reader my go-to posts are the Sunday Salons. There is always some way to make your comments more personal which is part of the reason I visit blogs.
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