I've decided to start a new feature on the blog called Random Bursts where I talk about random things. (duh.) They may be book-related or not...
Whether its books with a lot of hype/buzz, the classics or just simply any book that everyone seemed to love I am sure we have all at one point or another felt the pressure to read them (and maybe even love them?).
Whether its books with a lot of hype/buzz, the classics or just simply any book that everyone seemed to love I am sure we have all at one point or another felt the pressure to read them (and maybe even love them?).
Recently I have been feeling the pressure to read new releases and hyped books because:
a) Who's Rhysand? Whats #teamAdam? What's that new ship everyone keeps talking about?
I wanna be kept in the loop!
b) I want to stay relevant and review books that everyone is talking about. No one wants to read a review about a book that was published 5 years ago.
c) Everyone loves them!!! And who doesn't wanna read a 5 star book?
However I find that all these pressure sometimes affect my reading experience negatively. I find that more and more people (including me) are now avoiding hyped books because:
a) Expectations are way too high and it is nearly impossible to enjoy the book.
b) There is crazy pressure to love the book - nobody wants to be the black sheep. I am guilty of forcing myself to overlook things that would typically annoy me just so I would like the book more. I always end up changing my initial rating of the book after I write my review though. :/ What a dumb move, Ee Hwee.
Despite all that, I still get sucked into all the hype & buzz and the thing is, I rarely enjoy books that are extremely hyped so I don't know why I continue to read these books. I don't know what's wrong with me. :P I think I just haven't gotten to the point where I am totally fed up with all the pressure.
How about you? Do you feel pressurised to read certain books?
Does it affect your reading experience?
p.s. only 4 days left to enter my international giveaway!
Find me here:
p.s. only 4 days left to enter my international giveaway!
Find me here:
Absolutely not. I have never and never will only read that are popular right now. Simply because I read books that interest me and that I wanna read. If it happens to be a popular book that catches my interest thats perfectly fine but I would never change my reading habits for the sake of "relevance" in the blogging world. Aside from that, I don't think its making you more or less relevant to review newer or older books exclusively.
ReplyDeleteYea I don't only read books that are popular but I do slip them into my TBR every now and then, I read a good mix of new releases and older books. I know of some bloggers that review newer books exclusively and I feel like they are definitely more relevant because they are talking about books that a lot of people are curious about, you know what I mean? I think it all comes down to how important blogging is to a reviewer. A book review on an up and coming book usually does better than an older book. Thanks for your comment! :)
DeleteI read whatever draws me in. I do totally agree that it is hard not to be pressured to read what is hyped right now. Hence, I am reading An Ember in the Ashes and totally struggling with it. I really wish I would have went with something I was excited to read rather than something hyped.
ReplyDeleteMissie @ A Flurry of Ponderings
It is really difficult to try and detach yourself from all the hype isn't it? I am also reading An Ember in the Ashes now and it is okay so far, nothing really that amazing imo. If you are really not feeling the book, maybe put it down for now and read something else? You can always come back to it when the hype dies down! :)
DeleteThanks for your input, I really appreciate it!
I do feel a little pressured to read hyped books. Not really because people are putting the pressure on me but because I see certain books around over and over again and I just think "Oh, I really need to actually read that!" I do want to stay relevant and read the popular books. They tend to have tons of fans and they get a lot of comments compared to random books. But the hype definitely doesn't help. I don't think I overlook bad aspects of really popular books but I probably judge them more harshly. I'm expecting amazingness and I'm critical when I don't get it. I'm less critical of books that get sent to me or that I buy when I'm at a book store on a whim. I'll still probably read the hyped books though since I'd like to stay in the loop of what everyone's talking about.
ReplyDeleteVicarious Caytastrophe
Yes I judge them more harshly too and since I am doing that, I sometimes overcompensate by trying to be less critical. I don't get what I am trying to achieve here lol. I think in this day and age, we all want to be kept in the loop so that we can actually interact with others over social media etc! Thanks for your comment! :) Great to know that I am not alone in this.
DeleteI don't think I feel over pressured to read them. I sometimes feel like I missed out on something good. I try to read books that are being talked about, if only so I can join in the conversation about them. I do not let what people think of the book effect my rating or enjoyment of the story. I would never let it effect my rating either. If I don't like it, I will put that in my review.
ReplyDeleteIts great that you can detach yourself from the hype! I find it difficult because I like to know how everyone feels about a book (whether good or bad) so that I know what to expect when going in but the problem with popular books is that they are all usually overly positive. I am always honest with my reviews too and this means that I usually end up as the black sheep! :P Thanks for your input! :)
DeleteI used to care a lot about keeping up with everyone else. Now I just read what I want. If it happens to be a hyped up book so be it, but I don't worry so much. It's not worth it. Great post BTW. New follower!
ReplyDeleteI think striking a balance is the key and yes if caring less makes you feel better then that is the way to go! :) To me, I find it fun to be able to fangirl/rave with others about a book so I don't mind reading popular books for that reason. Thanks for dropping by!
DeleteI love backlist!
ReplyDeleteI definitely do find myself wanting to read that book that everyone loves. Unlike you, though, I'm not terribly disappointed all that often. Maybe I don't LOVE the book as much as I wanted to, but the books are still good reads, so I don't mind. And some I DO love, so that works for me!
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction