More than Just a Rating discussion

For a number of reasons, lots of members here on goodreads follow a lot of different people's reviews. Lots of us have lots of reading friends, too. However, some of us want more, especially if we're new.

Please post in this thread if you: 1.) are *not* an author promoting your work or your friends' work and 2.) that you would love new = A. followers, B. friends, or C. both.

For example.

I, Cheryl, am: 1.) not an author and have no friends for whom I promote their books and 2.) C. = welcome followers and friends.

Also, feel free to converse, promote yourself, say what you want out of a GR friendship, etc. etc. :)

Maybe this isn't a good place, but would anyone like to do a sort-of-buddy-read with me? I'd create a thread for the book I want to read and whoever wants to join could just comment. :)

That might be fun. Do you have a particular book in mind?

I kind of want to do it with Earth to Matthew, honestly, because I'm already reading it. However, I'm not even sure if it's in print.

And I should add--it would not be with any one group. I tried one here--https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... --
and I guess it will be my example thread.

Well, I'd need time to plan ahead to get the given book from the library. But having it as a general discussion instead of group-based is a good idea.

Thanks (I say that a lot, don't I? But it's true). :)

Cheryl in CC NV wrote: "Well, I'd need time to plan ahead to get the given book from the library. But having it as a general discussion instead of group-based is a good idea."

I have a book in mind now: . :)

It looks interesting, but I'd have to order it from a different library in the system, so it'd be at least a week, probably significantly longer, before I could get a copy. :(

I'm about to start Liar & Spy, but it you want, I'll wait until you can pick up a copy.
by Rebecca Stead.

Cheryl in CC NV wrote: "It looks interesting, but I'd have to order it from a different library in the system, so it'd be at least a week, probably significantly longer, before I could get a copy. :("

That's okay. I have some other books on hand that I can read in the meantime. :)

Cheryl in CC NV wrote: "I'm about to start Liar & Spy, but it you want, I'll wait until you can pick up a copy.
by Rebecca Stead."

It looks good, but I don't get to my library that much, so I don't think I could. Thank you for offering. :)

Ok, I've ordered Ron Roy's book. I'll let you know when I get it. :)

All right. :)

I now have August Acrobat. I won't read it until you say so, though, as it's so short I'll finish it in one sitting.

I'm sorry I didn't see this sooner! I'm not sure where my copy *is* right now, so you can read it any time as long as you use spoiler tags. :)

Ok, here's the discussion topic: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Thanks.

Btw, an update on me. I now post all my reviews on leafmarks.com. I crosspost a few to here, but I don't like how commercial GR has gotten and am not nearly as active here as I used to be.

Here are a couple of reviews I'd like feedback on:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Sword of Summer needs proofreading (decreased, quits, and not sure what you mean about candour being third...). Otherwise it's witty, thorough, engaging, and helpful!

Uglies was a little confusing, especially the phrase 'excited all the time' and the paragraph it is in. However, you did engage me enough to want to read the book sooner than later, and entertain me, too.

However, I wouldn't admit that you read so many books in 40 minutes while at the library, unless they were Boxcar Mysteries or other early readers. Someone reading your review will think you read too fast, not carefully enough, and not think your opinion valid, or your review worth reading. Imo.

City of Bones... Well, you told us how you feel, but not so much why you feel that way. I think, maybe, if you want to write a review as if you're not responding to thousands others, and *then* add in your response, it might be stronger. As is, you share more emotion than substance. But I do like your analogies. :)

Just, edit the sentence w/ 'provide a prove' cuz I don't understand what you're saying there....

You got a little carried away with your praise for To Kill a Mockingbird, imo. I think you wanted to use beautiful language to express strong feelings, and you almost succeeded.... But I'm left a little unsettled, wondering, for example, what 'shadow of tangibility' really means....

And there's a couple of tiny mistakes that careful proofreading would catch, too. My favorite way to proofread is to read aloud. Some people also like to read from the end back to the beginning, sentence by sentence.

Divergent is probably your best review. You get very specific about exactly what you like, and what the author does to make you like it that way. It's clear, engaging, and helpful. I didn't even notice any typos. :)

Thanks, Cheryl. I'll edit them :) I generally write on my phone, so I don't proofread.

I think I went too far for To Kill a Mockingbird. I love the book so much, that I ended up writing like that.

I wrote Uglies in a hurry. I've no idea what I wrote whatsoever.

I should have made City of Bones the way you said. I was just so mad after reading

:smiles:

I didn't write any review recently, but I'd love to hear something about this one: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I appreciate that your review is thorough and give lots examples.

You are showing off your vocabulary a bit too much, I think. I'm not sure you know exactly how to best use every fancy word you use. Otoh, it's fun to read your review because those words are interesting. I guess I'm reminding you to be careful not to go crazy with the big words.

I have no idea what this bit means:

" It screams that life is much more than the monotonous routine some mistake. There dialogues sometimes teach what to do, how to do, when to do, where to go, whom to trust."

Overall I do like the review, but not quite enough to hit the like button on it.

My two cents, since you asked. :)

Thanks, Cheryl! :) Autocorrect often messes up common words, so I use them instead.

I was supposed to delete that line before posting. I guess I forgot.

Hey, that's a neat idea. I have a tablet, but I've never gotten the hang of 'writing' on it... too slow for me.

It's fast for me, but it messes up most of the words. I try to replace them after several tries.

//pokes

Is this thread still on?

Oh absolutely.

YAY. Because I would like review critique thank you so much. Only ones you're interested in and only if you have the time though. :) I've tried to sort them by genre and stars and age of review? If it helps narrow down options at all.

1. Seas of Crimson Silk (Fantasy, Historical, Romance) (2*)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

2. Nullitas (Webtoon, Romance, Historical-esque) (2*)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

3. If Walls Could Talk (Modern day, Paranormal, Mystery) (3*)\
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

4. To Be Taught, If Fortunate (Sci-Fi, lots of spoiler tags, Older review) (5*)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

5. I gave Birth to A Murderer's Child (Webtoon, Romance-ish, Historical-esque) (4*)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

6. The Duchess Deal (Historical Romance, Older Review) (4*)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

4. I still like, and still appreciate your rec's in the comment section. I like that you 'wore your heart on your sleeve' there and got passionate & honest... like the book, like the author.

1. Yea, even if I were interested in that genre, I'd choose a better book. Surely there are better ones. This doesn't look like it even deserves two stars... maybe an improvement in your review would be to justify why you're not giving it one. Anyway, I really appreciate how specific your examples are of what is racist, what is misogynist, what is cliched... why it's a dnf. Oh, and in P. 3 there's a typo of whi for who.

6. I don't read a lot of romance, but as it happens I did read this, and I also gave it four stars... and your review makes me remember how much I smiled while reading the book. I particularly liked your paragraph about how the sex scenes were worth reading, even though you generally don't bother with them.

3. "I'm almost definitely going to pick up another book by this author eventually."
LOL! Yes, that is a perfect last line for a three star book. And thank you for the content warning in the spoiler tag... I was almost considering reading the book myself until I hit that.

I'll pass on the other two. I don't know anything about Webtoons and don't feel qualified.

4. Oh I should have checked. I know I am friends with you and follow your reviews but I'd forgotten you'd already commented on that one. It was just one of the most rambling and heartfelt reviews I ever wrote so I keep wanting to share it. ^_^ I smile whenever I re-read the review because it's a bit like reading the book and all that.

1. I Typos are indeed the bane of my existence. I always have a couple even if I proofread the review and then I catch it on a later read and want to facepalm.

There's this whole deluge of tropey new adult fantasy fiction I'm a sucker for because of the shiny covers. I can't help it. no matter how many of them I read I keep coming back to the shiny covers, like a moth to a flame.

And as for why it was 2 stars- I think it's because I divide 1/2 stars by feeling? If I read a book and leave it with nothing but rage and frustration, it gets 1 star. If I read a book and I leave with bemused dissatisfaction or a feeling of "this is just so amateurish" it gets two stars? It's still a shaky, undefined line. Can you tell me how you decide if a book is 1 star or 2 stars?

Cheryl is busier irl atm. wrote: "6. I don't read a lot of romance, but as it happens I did read this, and I also gave it four stars... and your review makes me remember how much I smiled while reading the book. I particularly like..."

6. Romances tend to have sooo many sex scenes. There's a book I'm reading right now (well, half reading) which is really very nice and sweet except suddenly the character had these lurid bdsm-flavored sex fantasies out of nowhere and it is really cutting into my enjoyment.

I used to read a lot of Genre Historical Romance when I was in college (I didn't actually keep track of them alas) but I've cooled my passion (heh) for the genre over the past 6-ish years or so? Sometimes I read a book and sadly think "younger me would have loved this, but older me is just really judgemental about it." And that's kinda sad, you know. There are so many scifi classics I would have genuinely loved reading as a kid but which I can't pick up and enjoy now because I'm crankier and more cynical.

3. I used to think 3 star books were the hardest to review but I think my rating mechanics have changed a bit so now that honor goes to the 4 star books.

Do you give content warnings in your reviews? How much of something needs to be there for it to qualify for a warning, in your opinion.

Also, thank you for the feedback. :) I really appreciate it.

Come to think of it, I'm actually more likely to go easy on books which start off badly and continue badly than with books which start out well and continue badly. (I checked which books I'd actually rated as one star books.) I think wasted potential bothers me more than amateurish writing does. Huh. Good to know.

Sha wrote: "Come to think of it, I'm actually more likely to go easy on books which start off badly and continue badly ... I think wasted potential bothers me more than amateurish writing does. Huh. Good to know."

That is quite an insight! I have trouble deciding whether to give one or two stars myself, because usually I dnf bad books, and I do not give star ratings to books that I don't finish because there's always a chance they get better later. So, um, yeah, your strategy makes sense to me... kinda like... reserve the one star for books not worth reading or recommending to anyone at all, two stars isn't too much if some people would like it as a way to pass the time... something like that?

I seldom remember to give content warnings but I wish that I did more often. Otoh, if I can get through a book, squeamish as I am, probably most people can. If I give up on a book because of yucky content, I'll probably note that in my review.

Triggers can be sensitive. Some reviewers give warnings for just a mention of rape or whatever, because that might be enough to cause a reader trauma. I'm most sensitive to child abuse, and if it's just an excuse for shock value or for the author to get a good backstory or is otherwise exploitive, I won't put up with much before slamming the book shut. So, I'd say, if you notice it and remember, please do add the warning.

6. Yes, books that don't hold up, esp. genre romance or sf, make me sad. Whether it's because I've grown up, and can't just let go and have fun with a story... or whether it's because the world has grown up and the sexism & racism are more apparent and less appreciated... whatever the reason, it is a sad feeling when we realize that we're fussier now.

I had no idea this thread existed until I saw Cheryl's post go through. I'm not an author and would love to have more friends, especially ones who write reviews that are more substantial than "Yay, best book ever, I loved the characters" etc.

I reread my own reviews pretty often, partially to remind myself of plot points in ongoing series, partially to give them a scan and pare out overly repeated words, which happens more often than I'd like to admit. A little bit of time between myself and the first composition makes it easier to take care of minor things like that.

There are quite a few reviews I'm particularly fond of, that (imo) express really well my relationship with the book. Of course, at the moment none are coming to mind. But I'll come back and link some.

Cheryl is busier irl atm. wrote: "Whether it's because I've grown up, and can't just let go and have fun with a story... or whether it's because the world has grown up and the sexism & racism are more apparent and less appreciated..."

Books that stand up to scrutiny the worst--"junk reading"--are the ones I scrutinize the hardest. It almost feels like a sickness sometimes.

Cheryl is busier irl atm. wrote: "Sha wrote: "Come to think of it, I'm actually more likely to go easy on books which start off badly and continue badly ... I think wasted potential bothers me more than amateurish writing does. Huh..."

I went through a LOT of phases of redefining what each star rating meant for a while before settling mostly on the goodreads definition for stars 3-5. It was very hard to train myself to give 3 stars to books I actually did enjoy but which were imo nothing special. There was a bit of cognitive dissonance there because "60%is a bad grade" which I think plagues a lot of people. At least from what I see on the internet, anyway.

"So, I'd say, if you notice it and remember, please do add the warning."
//nodnod
This is mostly what I do because trying to actively look for content warnings in the text would take up too much of my limited mental space. I get twitchy about it a little because that means some books have CWs and others don't but I've decided it's the lesser evil. Because I really don't need more excuses to not read. :D

Also, if you're squeamish, never read Hench. Ever. I usually classify myself as pretty non-squickable and also kinda fond of graphic violence (too much Animorphs as a child is my excuse) but that was upsettingly horrific. Yikes.

Cheryl is busier irl atm. wrote: "Whether it's because I've grown up, and can't just let go and have fun with a story... or whether it's because the world has grown up and the sexism & racism are more apparent and less appreciated... whatever the reason, it is a sad feeling when we realize that we're fussier now. "

Yes, this. Being a critical reader is not something you can turn off (and also, not something I want to turn off) but it gets in the way of just enjoying stuff a lot of the time. A pity.

Beth wrote: "I had no idea this thread existed until I saw Cheryl's post go through. I'm not an author and would love to have more friends, especially ones who write reviews that are more substantial than "Yay,..."

I started getting interested in reviews when I realized I was reading far too many books to actually remember all of them and that I was re-reading books I'd already read without knowing I was re-reading them. It's also why I joined Goodreads. I mean, I'd prefer a less commercialized platform, but I feel like I'm too entrenched in it to easily move now. And also, there are a lot of people who want to discuss things like books and reviews here and I don't get nearly enough of that irl.

Reviews which tell you feelings about he book are wonderful. I look forward to seeing yours. :D

Took a few minutes to skim through some reviews, and here are some favorites. Is it narcissistic to laugh at or be affected by my own writing? I hope not. :D

Mostly Harmless: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This book made me interested in reading more books featuring mentally ill characters. I saw myself in a book more strongly than has happened in many, many years. I hope the review expresses that even slightly.

People Who Eat Darkness: The True Story of a Young Woman Who Vanished from the Streets of Tokyo--and the Evil That Swallowed Her Up: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
"But that's much of the point of this book. The death of a family member gouged a huge hole in the lives of these flawed people, just as it would anyone else."

Gardens of the Moon: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
"Gardens of the Moon was murderous. It was dry and slippery, defying my mind to not wander every few paragraphs."

Katanagatari 1: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
"Enough of these janky turnarounds, enough incidences of the author smirking at me from behind the curtain, and I start feeling like the whole thing's just an elaborate troll. I'm reading a book, so I know it has an author. Just tell the darn story, already!"

Sorcerer to the Crown:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
One of the more painful reviews I wrote, though it may not come across that way. I wanted to love this book, but it fell with a sad wet thud.
"Scenes that could have, or even should have, been exciting or momentous fizzle out without any climactic or emotional drive. Action sequences feel kind of docile and indolently chatty."

I will be looking at several of these, Beth, I love your synopses of your reviews!

Your complaint against Katanagatari 1 is something I complain about, too. I'm not fond of being taken along detours & dead ends, unless it's a mystery, and I avoid mysteries....

@Beth

I really liked those reviews. //likes and follows reviews

I remember trying to read Gardens of the Moon. About five times. I got lesser and lesser into the book each time before giving up.

Thanks, Sha. :) Deadhouse Gates was much better for me, as you can see in my review of Gardens, though depending on what you bounced off of in Erikson's style you might not like DG much either. I'm going to try reading Memories of Ice sometime this year.