Episode 10: Reading as a reader VS. Blogger
Some people might be like, oh there is no difference in reading as a reader than reading as a blogger.
OH BUT THERE IS!
At least I think there is and here is why:
Specific parts in a book:
Readers- Depending on the things that have happened in your life plots in a book might affect you differently than it does as the person next to you. For example, Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid, there are things towards the end of the book that I HATED to the ends of the earth and back because similar thing had happened in my real world that resembled thing in the book. The reason I hated it was because I wanted to be able to see different outcomes even if it was less realistic. If my life at the moment had been different, I would not have hated the book so much.
Blogger- You have to be able to kind of detach your own personal history and just focus on the atual feeling of the book. Again, Never Always Sometimes. As a reader, I hated it, when I went to write the review, it was just awful and full of rants. The next day I went back and re-read the review and well..
I knew that in reality, the book was not bad at all, the plot was solid and it had an unexpected ending which is good. So I deleted my whole original review and re-did the review with the point of view of blogger that had NOT gone through similar events and saw the book as it actually was. I admire Never Always Sometimes as a blogger, its a great book, well written, solid plot and good ending. As a reader (ME), I want to burn it.
Popular Books:
Reader- My example will be Illuminae by Amie Kaufman. Everyone was reading the book and I was just not into it.. At all, but I read it anyways. The way it was written annoyed me. I understood that it made it seem like it was a real thing, as if it was actual files being pulled together to form the story. But I simply hated it, it really bothered me.
Blogger- As a blogger, I thought the book was pure genius, the cover is SO beautiful, (y'all have to see it in person) , I was able to enjoy the content more than as a reader, to really pay attention to the story. You also try to look past the fat if it is your type of book or not, because you want to be able to review and see what everyone else it talking about.
ARC's:
Reader- I am excited as hell to be able to read a book before anyone else, if it is a story I am particularly fond of I will be even MORE excited to jump right into the story and continue the adventure. If I don't want to get into the story, I simply wait.
Blogger- I feel like there is a certain pressure to get the review out as fast as possible. Being able to get an ARC is precious, not everyone can get ARC's and they are supposed to create hype for the book and to remain on a publishers good side I feel like we have to be able to review the book before the release.
It might not actually be the way I see it, but it's the way I feel about ARC's
Writing:
Reader- You get into the story and look past the way a book is written. Mainly because you know that maybe you would do a worse job then the author did at writing the book. You think that it might be done on purpose. Who knows, who cares, as long as the story is decent
Blogger- You judge the writing worse thann an english teacher would. The writing is suddenly important and it does get in the way on whether the book is good our not. Sure the story is good and you will continue to read it but it sure as hell bothers you.
I wont say any titles
When I review a book, I try to add equal parts of reader and blogger in the review. I try to tell the review as I would tell it to a friend. Which is another reason I tend to write so informally in my review.
I want to be able to write something that people will relate to and want to read.
Even if it is just to make fun of the way I write xD
