tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post4486856335081330710..comments2024-03-27T17:40:10.624-04:00Comments on We Live and Breathe Books: Discussion: Could You Be More Vague?Kiersten Kozbialhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00538943081866009856noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-61985128748820933742018-05-05T12:45:51.575-04:002018-05-05T12:45:51.575-04:00That is my goal as well, just not sure I am accomp...That is my goal as well, just not sure I am accomplishing that 😆Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-89747132935917751002018-04-30T18:30:16.441-04:002018-04-30T18:30:16.441-04:00It's a troublesome thing and can be so hard to...It's a troublesome thing and can be so hard to do. I try my best to walk in the middle of vague and specific. Vague enough that no spoilers are given, but specific enough that if someone has read the book they will always know exactly what I am referring to. Whether or not I perfect that... well, that's debatable :POlivia's Catastrophehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12706765857201768908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-17473202179333652032018-04-29T07:42:40.687-04:002018-04-29T07:42:40.687-04:00It's even harder to review, when you are not a...It's even harder to review, when you are not a writer type, like myself. Information without spoilers is definitely a tough thing to balance.Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-50004225656313332732018-04-28T22:14:20.066-04:002018-04-28T22:14:20.066-04:00I really think reviewing is an art! It's hard ...I really think reviewing is an art! It's hard to review! I totally agree with you! You want to give a lot of information but without spoiling it! I guess I strive to explain the qualities if the book :)Daniela Ark @ BOOKIVERSE (www.danielaark.com)https://www.blogger.com/profile/15777377723072645220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-13564348566121666652018-04-25T14:50:16.701-04:002018-04-25T14:50:16.701-04:00How great would it be, if all we had to say was, &...How great would it be, if all we had to say was, "read the book"? I don't want to be the book report reviewer, who tells you everything that happens in the book, but I want to be able to say something specific to the book. So hard!Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-65212950080942827202018-04-25T14:17:02.014-04:002018-04-25T14:17:02.014-04:00I'm with you. Writing reviews can be hard anyw...I'm with you. Writing reviews can be hard anyway and trying to keep them spoiler free can often result in vague reviews. Sometimes I feel like you should just say read this book, trust me. I don't think people would accept that as a viable review, though. Becky Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14938602345709426466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-37406046384785780592018-04-25T10:26:49.021-04:002018-04-25T10:26:49.021-04:00The BIG twists are easy to avoid, it's those d...The BIG twists are easy to avoid, it's those details, which can be spoilery for some, but not for others, which I fear divulging. However, I have always been guilty of being somewhat terse. I look at other people's reviews, and think mine are so short in comparison, but I also know I don't want to read a dissertation on the book. Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-23315907110812067902018-04-25T09:12:40.999-04:002018-04-25T09:12:40.999-04:00It's indeed difficult to explain WHY a book is...It's indeed difficult to explain WHY a book is so good that everyone and their dog should read it without giving too much away. To me, it's not so much a spoiler thing (in the sense of, divulging some huge twist) as a "being too specific" thing. The real spoilers I can handle, but then...I find myself saying TOO MUCH about the book in general. I'm trying to write shorter, less revealing reviews lately, without being too vague...but I'm so talkative I always end up "telling, not showing" more than I should LOL.Roberta R.https://www.blogger.com/profile/18228840429799100354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-57530664825109158782018-04-25T08:49:09.395-04:002018-04-25T08:49:09.395-04:00Saying something of substance without being too re...Saying something of substance without being too revealing is a challenge, which I lament almost every day. The harder it is with a particular book, the longer the review goes unwritten. XDSamantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-5982218562095344162018-04-25T08:47:56.378-04:002018-04-25T08:47:56.378-04:00For the most part, I am all about the emotional ex...For the most part, I am all about the emotional experience the book delivers, so it works, but I hope that I am conveying enough of how the book in question specifically delivered something special to me. Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-51561353967413197342018-04-25T08:46:30.537-04:002018-04-25T08:46:30.537-04:00Writing a lot of reviews definitely has forced me ...Writing a lot of reviews definitely has forced me to become more creative, and I am not a writer at all, so it's quite a stretch for me. I usually write something right away, but revisit several times before I publish, and I agree, fresh eyes do help. Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-64533589123663819642018-04-25T08:45:09.815-04:002018-04-25T08:45:09.815-04:00Exactly. I feel like I have to withhold so many de...Exactly. I feel like I have to withhold so many details, that I am not doing justice to the unique pleasure the book gave me. Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-73938725305952125272018-04-23T23:11:37.358-04:002018-04-23T23:11:37.358-04:00I know what you mean! I feel so much the same way...I know what you mean! I feel so much the same way you do. Sometimes it's so hard for me to come up with anything of real substance to say and I feel like my review just sucks.<br /><br />--Sam @ <a href="http://www.sharinginspiredkreations.com" rel="nofollow">Sharing Inspired Kreations</a>Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11888678036236094804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-1565679633392776442018-04-23T18:48:01.040-04:002018-04-23T18:48:01.040-04:00I agree that it can be so hard to write a review w...I agree that it can be so hard to write a review without giving things away. Sometimes I think vague reviews are fine, though. As long as I can get a sense of what someone thought of the book, that's enough for me. I don't want too many specifics anyway!<br /><br />Nicole @ <a href="http://feedyourfictionaddiction.com" rel="nofollow">Feed Your Fiction Addiction</a>Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addictionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08637114079800138680noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-42463432261897061342018-04-23T13:46:48.313-04:002018-04-23T13:46:48.313-04:00I sometimes feel that you either write enough revi...I sometimes feel that you either write enough reviews that you find new ways to express yourself or you end up writing the same review, just different variations of it. It's a very cynical thought, but I sometimes think it. One thing that does help me is having a few days away from a review I write. I like to edit it before scheduling it and I end up having fresh eyes and sometimes more to say or at least better ways to say them.Alicia @ A Kernel of Nonsensehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12100606566359762426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-54409853525475173412018-04-23T08:44:09.906-04:002018-04-23T08:44:09.906-04:00 I hear you on this no always feel mine are garbag... I hear you on this no always feel mine are garbage and just a repeat. Like I always say the same thing use the same words. I guess I deal though by knowing they are my words. If they are repetitive or vague or nonsense at least I convey my love or hate for the book. JennReneehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15278066926315928070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-77077164931365990612018-04-23T06:11:02.486-04:002018-04-23T06:11:02.486-04:00Absolutely. It's a lot easier when there are c...Absolutely. It's a lot easier when there are concepts I can talk about, but I always want to try and make it specific to the book, and that is when I get all frustrated. I like the "5 reasons" or category format for reviews too, because organizing my thoughts keep me from spilling too much as well. Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-84910887637674572712018-04-23T02:21:10.757-04:002018-04-23T02:21:10.757-04:00Absolutely agreed, OMG, yes!! And it also depends ...Absolutely agreed, OMG, yes!! And it also depends on the book. Like, some books have enough 'conceptual' good things that I can do 5 reasons about them, but some - some don't, not without some serious spoilers. By the way, that's why I do the 5 reasons - to be able to review without majorly spoiling the book. It's always pretty hard xD I've realized it's best to talk about the feelings the book gives you and why, rather than what happens. But that's never ever xD<br />Great post! Will be sharing.Evelina @ AvalinahsBookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09564183695294142501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-28808759638892000762018-04-22T19:04:37.550-04:002018-04-22T19:04:37.550-04:00It's a real skill to be able to point out like...It's a real skill to be able to point out likes and dislikes without scaring anyone off a book. As long as you are honest about what you like, that's all you can do, and if these are readers who follow you, they should have a good feel for the type of books you like. Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-73912379969821329922018-04-22T16:38:47.369-04:002018-04-22T16:38:47.369-04:00I always have trouble - or maybe not trouble but f...I always have trouble - or maybe not trouble but feel compelled to - to point what I liked and didn't like so that the reader can decide if it's for them. But I want to do it in a way that doesn't put anyone off the book or that I think the book is perfect because then someone reads it and says Karen you know I hate *blank* but you didn't mention it in your review! lol<br /><br />In the end I just go with whatever feels right and hope people get soemthing out of it.<br /><br />I think when you follow certain reviewers for awhile you get the shorthand or implication and it doesn't matter very much because you trust their opinion.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.fwiwreviews.net" rel="nofollow">Karen @ For What It's Worth</a>Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13958940283330319507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-14152867608515371792018-04-22T12:31:26.350-04:002018-04-22T12:31:26.350-04:00I personally have no self control, and must always...I personally have no self control, and must always click. I am the worst! But yes, it let's the reader exercise their free will and I know I appreciate the caveats when I see them. Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-67199543920983209912018-04-22T12:24:14.730-04:002018-04-22T12:24:14.730-04:00Ohhhh I feel this so much haha. If there's som...Ohhhh I feel this so much haha. If there's something I really have to talk about that is a huge spoiler, I will hide it so that people can decide for themselves if they want to read it, but most of the times it's just so hard. Especially when it comes to positive reviews. But at least we're not spoiling anything right? 😂Michelle @ The Writing Hufflepuffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02648857928153388043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-36709353069947949472018-04-22T09:17:17.273-04:002018-04-22T09:17:17.273-04:00I have seen a lot of people do that, and then it&#...I have seen a lot of people do that, and then it's the reader's responsibility to read or not. I am really appreciative of people who LABEL the parts of their reviews or hide spoilers, because it just kills my desire to read a book when I know something I would rather discover. Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-40359471813984521562018-04-22T09:15:51.748-04:002018-04-22T09:15:51.748-04:00If I am not feeling anything, I usually stop readi...If I am not feeling anything, I usually stop reading the book. So, I never really find myself there, but I could imagine it is difficult to evaluate when you have no strong feelings, positive or negative. Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-91408706042900949532018-04-22T09:14:29.385-04:002018-04-22T09:14:29.385-04:00I think my problem is I like to give examples to s...I think my problem is I like to give examples to support my opinion, and it's hard to determine what's off limits. Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.com