Sunday, June 7, 2009

BONUS BLOG: Where are the negative reviews?

I actually do read books I don't like. Just this weekend I started a new mystery series about a crafting group. The blurb on the back cover says it is about a business owner and her relationship to the victim and her need to keep herself from being a suspect. After 16 pages, I had flipped to the back cover no less than six times to be sure that the owner was supposed to be the primary character because she isn't. The story is told from the perspective of another character (and not the victim - I get when books start that way). I was completely distracted by this and couldn't get into the story. I feel like a victim of false advertising. It shouldn't be a big deal, but it seems like a pretty easy thing to get right... I also don't like mysteries without an actual mystery or when the mystery is completely incidental to the story being told.

But I don't feel like book bashing is something readers enjoy. I have too much respect for the hard work authors do to bash a book I didn't like but someone else might love. If someone asks for my opinion on a particular book, I will tell them honestly. And I have posted negative reviews on Amazon when the book is supposed to be a mystery but isn't - that just isn't fair to someone who will shell out $16 for a book. But I won't post an unsolicited negative review here. There are just too many great books out there to talk about instead!

This week we are back to our regular review schedule. I hope you find some books you want to check out for yourself!

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