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I've been trying to actually put reviews on Amazon, lately. And post them here. I don't read as fast as I used to, but since I get most of my book recommendations from reviews--either by friends or on places like Tor.com--it seems like I ought to return the favor somewhat.
But...it's a little awkward, after a point, when I realize I'm only really posting five-star reviews on Amazon and hearty recommendations. Because it feels a bit insincere if I'm only ever talking about the stuff I really, really liked. It kinda makes it look like I'm just indiscriminately highly recommending everything I read. I wouldn't particularly trust a reviewer who only posted unqualified chipper reviews all the time.
...and yet, I have such limited time and brainpower these days, I pretty much only finish books if I really, really like them. (And even those sometimes take a few attempts, just because I lack the energy necessary to follow the complex plots I enjoy.) I'm reading a book right now that's probably a 3-4 star one, depending on how it ends--"I liked a lot of stuff in here, but it had some issues"--and, well. I haven't touched it in a few weeks, because there are all these other truly amazing books hanging around waiting for me.
Not quite sure what to do about that. (And it seems unfair to review books I didn't finish, even if I didn't finish them because I didn't like them. Especially since a lot of the time I didn't like them because they weren't to my taste, not because they were objectively Low Quality or anything.)
But...it's a little awkward, after a point, when I realize I'm only really posting five-star reviews on Amazon and hearty recommendations. Because it feels a bit insincere if I'm only ever talking about the stuff I really, really liked. It kinda makes it look like I'm just indiscriminately highly recommending everything I read. I wouldn't particularly trust a reviewer who only posted unqualified chipper reviews all the time.
...and yet, I have such limited time and brainpower these days, I pretty much only finish books if I really, really like them. (And even those sometimes take a few attempts, just because I lack the energy necessary to follow the complex plots I enjoy.) I'm reading a book right now that's probably a 3-4 star one, depending on how it ends--"I liked a lot of stuff in here, but it had some issues"--and, well. I haven't touched it in a few weeks, because there are all these other truly amazing books hanging around waiting for me.
Not quite sure what to do about that. (And it seems unfair to review books I didn't finish, even if I didn't finish them because I didn't like them. Especially since a lot of the time I didn't like them because they weren't to my taste, not because they were objectively Low Quality or anything.)