Ugh,
book hype
book hype
We've all experienced it...
It starts out innocently enough with a few Waiting on Wednesday posts, a lucky few In My Mailbox mentions, and maybe even an early review or two.
You start to feel that communal giddiness of OMGGOODBOOKGIVEME!! and it feels great.
Like one big happy love fest of anticipation. We're all sitting in front of our computers looking like this:
You start to feel that communal giddiness of OMGGOODBOOKGIVEME!! and it feels great.
Like one big happy love fest of anticipation. We're all sitting in front of our computers looking like this:
Ok, maybe we look like that internally
Ha! Who are we kidding? We probably look pretty much like that externally, too.
The more time goes by, the more you hear about the book and it's always filled with massive amounts of win! The joy keeps rolling in and the community feeling is wonderful.
The anticipation grows and grows until you want the book so badly that you're practically drooling on yourself.
You might even begin to contemplate selling off a limb or a younger sibling just to get your hands on a copy. Those spasms you experience every time you open your favorite blogs and see the book? Totally normal.
But then...
THAT MARVELOUS DAY ARRIVES AND YOU CAN READ THE BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!
Except
erm,
maybe you don't want to read it anymore?
erm,
maybe you don't want to read it anymore?
I don't know about you, but whenever I find myself in this position my brain starts churning out all kinds of worry.
What if I don't like the book?
Oh my gosh, everyone is going to hate me!
I'll be all alone.
The loser who didn't get it
Everyone on Amazon is going to rate my review "Not Helpful"
HOW WILL I FACE THE WORLD???
Oh my gosh, everyone is going to hate me!
I'll be all alone.
The loser who didn't get it
Everyone on Amazon is going to rate my review "Not Helpful"
HOW WILL I FACE THE WORLD???
It would be like being invited to a sleepover party held by all these awesome popular girls and getting really excited because you're invited to a popular girl sleepover party! And then you go expecting it to be THE most awesome night ever that will totally define your status as cool and make the rest of your life filled with awesome.
But then you show up and realize that everyone knows each other and they have all these cool and funny stories to talk about that they all know because they were all there but you weren't there so you have NO IDEA what they're talking about.
So you have to sit there awkwardly feeling totally left out when all you really wanted was to be a part of the fun group. But no, you're alone. And the more you sit there the more you realize how totally left out you are and how you'll NEVER be a part of their crowd and they're all laughing and telling secrets and sharing inside jokes and you're just sitting there trying not to cry as you realize that you're that loser in the after school specials about cliques and
*breathe*
What I mean is, that would suck and I'd feel all left out and sad.
What I mean is, that would suck and I'd feel all left out and sad.
The other part of it is the disappointment. I mean, look at it like this: I've been sitting here for months--maybe even years--pining away for this book. First I get a blurb, then a title appears, then a cover! Each step is even more magnificent than the last.
Everything is shaping up to make this book THAT book!
And then I hate it? Nooooooo! Talk about crushing disappointment.
But!
If I don't actually read the book, then I can continue to bask in the joy of AWESOMEBOOK! I can keep feeling that happiness without any of the stress and sadness of being let down by a book everyone else loves.
So maybe this is why I still haven't read:
If I don't actually read the book, then I can continue to bask in the joy of AWESOMEBOOK! I can keep feeling that happiness without any of the stress and sadness of being let down by a book everyone else loves.
So maybe this is why I still haven't read:
This is just one reaction I have to book hype, but I'll talk about those other (totally reasonable and not at all emotionally weird) reactions to book hype another time.
In the meantime, what are some of your reactions to book hype?
In the meantime, what are some of your reactions to book hype?
Do any of you feel like I do here, or am I ALL ALONE there too?
Don't worry, I won't cry (much) if the answer is yes, I am alone!
Nope your not alone!! I've had my fair share of not liking a hyped up book and feeling alone!! Nice to know I'm not alone after all. Great post, luv the pictures, lol!
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, I've definitely had that. Like Anna and the French Kiss. Everyone I know LOVES it but it was just... okay. A crushing disappointment for me actually. And then I feel like the only one who doesn't like it and I must be crazy and I develop some sort of resentment every time I see the book. LoL.
ReplyDeleteBut! Blood Red Road, The Hunger Games, and Wildwood Dancing are all very fabulous. I haven't read Outlander and Alanna. You can skip Divergent though. Not a great addition to the dystopia genre.
Definitely you are not alone! I struggle with hyped books. ~whispers~ I still haven't read Harry Potter!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I love those pics :)
I totalllllllllllllly understand what you mean! I would have sold multiple organs to get my hands on Mara Dyer, and then when it was finally in my hot little hands I got all excited but also nervous because I'd been hand-selling the book to people at BEA all week and Michelle Hodkin is the most amazingly sweet awesome person ever, and OMGTHEPRESSURE. But I dove in because otherwise my brain would explode -- and you know what, it was TOTALLY AWESOME *whew*
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I completely understand what you mean, but you're never going to be the only one who didn't like a book -- go peruse Goodreads reviews and you're sure to find a friend. And I don't think anyone in the blogosphere will hang you out to dry if you don't like a book! At least I can promise you that I'd never do that.
Unless it's The Hunger Games, because that is for real the greatest book of all time.
=P
Hahaha great post. I hear you! I feel the same way sometimes, and I actually just felt that way on a book that I just bought I thought that was going to be as good as the first one but nah, my expectation fell from 20 feet above to the ground, hard. So ouch. But I have to say this, Hunger Games and Divergent was awesome, atleast for me. Anywya, dont worry about the pressure, just relax and feel the book when you read and youll be fine :) unless it really is that bad, then just go pick another one :)
ReplyDeleteLALAINE'S FICBOOKREVIEWS
Haha! I totally cracked up at the pictures. They were awesome! And I think most of us book bloggers have had this happen to us at one time or another. It feels like the saddest thing in the world when a book you expected to be amazing ends up being...well...not amazing. What helps me is finding those bloggers who tend to have an extremely similar taste in books as I do (not necessarily which books we read, but how we rate them). If he or she gave the book a good rating, then chances are I'll enjoy it as well. But it can be SO easy to give into the communal hype and get excited!
ReplyDeleteGreat discussion idea!
I read the post from my email before I saw the pictures and you had me rolling with laughter. I had to come by and say Hey Soulsister! You got me pegged. I am glad I am not alone. I received a book from an author I love, she is a wonderful person and I knew I had to read the book and leave a review, but I was sore afraid of the what ifs? Fortunately for me I loved it, but I really tortured myself over it when I could have just been enjoying the ride LOL
ReplyDeleteThis happens to me ALL tried time. I try not to buy into the hype, but it happens from time to time at the time. Most recently I read a bunch of great reviews for Saving June a book which was really difficult for me to track down. But I wanted to read it so, so, so bad after reading all those great reviews. I eventually bought an e-copy from the Australian publishers site. And guess what, the book was pretty much forgettable for me. It really didn't work for me at all. Raw Blue is another one that's been so hyped that I'm almost afraid to read it.
ReplyDeleteRemember when Across the Universe was hyped as THE most amazing book ever? That one didn't work for me either. Same with The Goddess Test. Oftentimes I think that pretty covers lead to major hype too!
You are hilarious! I love this post and all the fabulous visual aids:) I have to say I started Outlander because of all the hype and was told I was going LOVE IT and LOVE JAMIE and OH MY GOD JAMIE and then I couldn't finish it. *hangs head in shame* It's still sitting up in my room and I'm about 100 pages from the end and just didn't care to make it all the way to the back cover which is huge for me since I almost always finish a book. Loser, party of one:)
ReplyDeleteI'm with you. I'm definitely leery about reading popular books. I've read a few recently (Bumped and The Graveyard Book specifically) and was pretty disappointed in them! I try not to feel bad. Everyone has different tastes, you know?
ReplyDeleteAlison at The Cheap Reader
Book hype is tough. I actually prefer when a book has mixed reviews.
ReplyDeleteI'm right there with you on this. There are plenty of books that I haven't even gone near because there was so much hype around them. Makes me nervous! And some of them I finally decided to read were so great I was glad I read them, but others not so much and nobody wants to be the unpopular kid :0) Hype is definitely a double edged sword!
ReplyDeleteSarah @ The Book Life
I never believe book hype (this is what I tell myself). When I hear all the hype, I roll my eyes and I'm like whatever. What can I say, I can be so difficult sometimes. When I finally read the book, I'm usually expecting it to let me down (but really hoping it will live up to the hype).
ReplyDeleteSo that's how I feel about book hype... essentially I'm in denial.
Haha you always make me laugh! =)
ReplyDeleteI hate the feeling of being disappointed by a book!
I loved this post and the visual pictures, Small! I try to avoid book hype as much as I can, but it's a lot easier said than done. Out of the books you listed, I thought "Divergent" was just ok. (It seems Linds from bibliophile brouhaha and I are in that minority). I also thought was "Hunger Games" was good but not the best book ever written. Same goes for "Delirium". The worst is when the hype is so great and then you end up hating/not caring for the book. It's just SO anticlimactic! So yeah, you're totally NOT alone. :)
ReplyDeleteYou're not alone!!!
ReplyDeleteI kind of like hype sometimes but I HATE excessive hype. When a book just sounds too perfect because history says that I'll probably don't like it.
And you're right too, about how if you don't read it you can keep enjoying the possibility of awesome.
With some books that's even half the fun, being part of the wait.
:) Oh, I LOVED the piccies you used for this post, you always find the best ones.
Thank you for such a perfect post!!
ReplyDeleteI am part way through the Outlander books (I'm halfway through number 2, Dragonfly in Amber, and have been for nearly a year. I'll pick it up ever few months, read a few pages, put it down. I just can't dig it. )
I try to avoid the hype; and judge for myself... (Although in the book blog world, that's tough to avoid.)
You are "da bom" when it comes to finding great pictures to express your feelings. I LOVED them.
ReplyDeleteAs for book hype, ya, the more hype the more I'm scared away. I tend to tuck tail and run if all I hear is you should read this, this book was so awesome, yata, yata, because then I feel odd if I don't like the book.
I still haven't read: The Hunger Games Series or The Twilight Series. I've heard great things about the Uglies, Pretties etc. but again - not even started one book.
I'm a rouge, I like to discover the book before the masses. I really like reading Debut Authors beause I'm always curious if his/her book will be the next great thing. Then I will have read it BEFORE the hype and won't have to worry about it if I don't like it.
Literary Cravings, haha whew! Glad you liked it! I always look for other people who didn't like the book.
ReplyDeleteNeed-tea, Oh good, I am SO glad to hear you didn't love Anna. I don't even want to read it. I don't like the idea that he's basically cheating the whole book. YOU haven't read Alanna yet? Ok, now I really feel a lot better :P
Nic, haha wow, talk about the most hyped series ever! I'm glad I already read Harry Potter or I think I would have been in a panic over all the move 7 hype. :P
Casey, Oh yes, the pressure of when you actually know the author!!!! Aaaaha that's THE WORST! It's such a relief when I end up actually liking their book. You're right, I won't be the only one (and I stalk Goodreads for that very reason, though they're letting me down on my latest Did Not Like). You're so sweet :) The funny thing is, I get so nervous but I wouldn't hang anyone out to try either :P
Lalaine, Thank you! Oh ouch! Second book disappointment is almost worse than just regular book disappointment.
Natalie, Yes! It's awful when you get disappointed by a book you had hoped to love. The saddest thing in the world, yes, exactly!
Denise, :) I'm happy to deliver the laughs! Ah, you are so right about the torturing worry. I wish I could time travel and tell myself "Don't worry, you'll love it!" so that way I could just relax and read.
Leanna, I try not to get sucked into the hype too, but sometimes I'll catch myself getting excited for a book everyone else is excited for...when I don't even like that genre! So silly. Raw Blue is a great example. I feel like I should love it, but it's not really my kind of book.
I'm sorry Saving June was a disappointment for you. Especially after all those lengths you went to to get a copy! You and I are totally on the same page about The Goddess Test :) And, yes, the pretty covers make me get sucked into the hype badly :(
Jenny, haha thank you! I'm just warning you now--if I ever do read Outlander and I don't like it, I'm using you as a human shield for when Logan comes after me :)
Alison, You're right! I love that we all have different tastes (but I kinda want a group of people to at least share mine :P) I liked The Graveyard Book, but I didn't love it nearly as much as I was hoping I would.
ReplyDeleteJuju, Me too! Once I start seeing a few moderate to negative reviews to add into the mix I feel a lot more comfortable reading the book.
Sarah, ha, yes, no one wants to be the unpopular kid. Makes me nervous too!
Alexis, haha oh yes, I tell myself I don't believe book hype :) Sometimes I try to reverse-hype myself. Like, "Oh, everyone loves it so I'll probably hate it. I don't even know why I'm reading this, but whatever, I'll try to get through it" so that maybe if I make my expectations so low I'll end up being pleasantly surprised :P Denial, reverse-hype, oh the head games we play with ourselves!
Books For Company, I'm glad I do! I hate the feeling of book disappointment too. So sad :)
Rummanah Aasi, Thank you! I'm with you on Delirium. I actually didn't like it at all, but luckily I read it long before I saw any hype. I'm so happy to see I'm (very much) not alone!
Alex, Thank you! A little hype can be a nice thing. It gets me excited in a manageable way. But excessive hype is intimidating. I wish I had been a Harry Potter reader while the books were still being published. Being part of the wait for those books seems like a lot of fun.
Jac, A perfect post! Thank you! :D Whew, I can't tell you how relieved I am to hear you and Jenny say you're not totally head over heels in love with the Outlander series. I feel much safer giving them a try now :P
Gina, haha thank you!! I liked the Twilight series, but...they're FAR from perfect. I wouldn't go into them with high expectations, but if you approach them as ok stories (with LOTS of blah blah pacing problems) then you'll probably at least enjoy them, if not love them.
I didn't like the Uglies books that much (DNF-ed halfway through Pretties), but mostly that was because they felt very unoriginal to me. If you haven't seen the Twilight Zone episode with the similar plot and you haven't read a lot of books in that genre, then I can see the appeal. Otherwise, eh, I think they're good but not groundbreaking.
I agree! I want to be a rogue too! (Plus, it just sounds cool!) I love discovering books I had never heard about before that don't have a lot of reviews. So little pressure!
I totally feel the way you feel sometimes and a lot of the time for me it's with sequels. The first book is amazing and then I wonder if the second book will be as good or better or if I'll just end up disappointed. I think you'll love Alanna, Divergent and The Hunger Games - I've still got to read the other two in that trilogy - though. I read a bit of Blood Red Road but the way it was written was annoying me so I put it away. I'm hoping to give it a real shot again later.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely not alone. Kristan, for example, can't even read books that are hyped, b/c her expectations get all out of whack. She prefers to wait until everyone has forgotten about them and moved on to the next thing. Like, when she tried to read Harry Potter at the peak of its hype? She hated it. When she went back 10 years later? Loved! So you know. It's all about timing and expectations.
ReplyDeleteYou are not alone! The Wolves of Mercy Falls...I didn't even get Forever and gave my Shiver and Linger away. Some books get so built up there just isn't any way for them to live up to the hype! I was afraid Divergent wouldn't, but as I'm reading it, I'm pleasantly surprised especially as I don't like dystopians. Outlander is great! I think you'd love it. It's epic. If you don't love men in kilts now, you will after that one!
ReplyDeleteIt's historical, time travel, romance, war, a little of everything. I didn't know much about Scotland, but learned a lot of history and Culloden, that tragedy, that was horrible.
Haven't read the Hunger Games yet and don't have any interest in Blood Red Road. Haven't heard of Wildwood Dancing. But you know just take your chances. Live dangerously. I know your library has some of these books. Just pick the right book for the right mood. And go for it! I'd say Outlander is a definite Fallish kind of book.
Heather
ROFL. You are hilarious! Those pictures kill me. I know exactly what you mean... when you are waiting for a book and getting more and more excited - and then when you read it, it's only "meh"
ReplyDeleteI'm not such a fan of hype. I usually go in hesitant too. I ended up not liking Anna and the French Kiss as much everyone else and I was a tad nervous about it. But, I lived :-)
ReplyDeleteFirst time visitor! I totally know what you mean. Book hype is not my thing. It makes me run screaming in the other direction. Not literally of course. :) I do worry about writing unpopular reviews, but then I just do it anyway... ya know to be honest and stuff. Like Melissa, I wasn't crazy about Anna and the French Kiss. I wanted to LOVE it and GUSH endlessly, but it just wasn't there. Oh well, I'll move on. :) Great post!!!
ReplyDeleteNo, you are definitely not alone as everyone above mentioned. There are some books that seem overly hyped. I can't wait to get my grubby little hands on them...but then I'm let down because the book didn't live up to the hype. I tend to read books with buzz after the hype has died down. That way I can form my own opinion. Sometimes I just can't wait. But there have been several books I've read lately that I was dying to read...now not so much. I was like meh. It's sad really. But then when I read something that's so outstanding I want to read something just like it but can't find anything that gave me that "omg!" feeling. But I do think The Hunger Games is totally worth the hype. I read HG way after it had been released. Blood Red Road and Divergent are still in my TBR piles.
ReplyDeleteWhen series are hyped, I generally wait until all of the books are released. Then, if I like them, I gobble them up all at once, but if I don't I can still skim the rest of the books to see what happened. I'm somewhat shameless.
ReplyDeleteSomeday I too will read Alanna! And I do find it comforting that there are lots of books out there that I still want to read--it's only when they move in, and start taking too much time in the bathroom, as it were, that they begin to make me nervous....
ReplyDeleteA Canadian Girl, Oooh yes, sequels are almost scary to read when I adored the first book so much! The writing style of Blood Red Road turns me off, too. I don't do well with phonetic spelling.
ReplyDeleteWe Heart YA, I agree with Kristan. If I can, I like to wait until the hype has died down.
Heather, I've heard such wonderful things about Outlander, but I have yet to meet a Scotland/Ireland book that I fall in love with. I have no idea why (maybe because they often use phonetic dialog??) Wildwood Dancing sounds like a book you might like. It's a 12 Dancing Princesses retelling.
Madigan, :D Yup, exactly like that!
Melissa, Haha, yes, it's funny how much I cringe over the thought of not liking a book when, really, the consequences aren't so bad :)
Bailey, Happy to meet you Bailey! You're totally right, we have to be honest and, see, here's two people right here (and there have been others in the comments) who didn't love Anna and the French Kiss. We are not alone! :)
Julie, I like the idea of waiting until the hype has died down. Sometimes I can do that (review books), but when I can I almost always try to wait a while.
Melanie, I like doing that too! Especially because I don't like waiting. I prefer to read series when all the books have been published so I can, just like you said, gobble them up all at once :)
YIKES! Does Logan know you haven't read Outlander yet? *whipsers* I only just started it earlier this month but put it down.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, book hype really ruins me. That is why I have had any interest in picking up Divergent or Anna and the FK. :(
That how will I face the world question is rather frightening, eh?!
Awesome post with lots of great food for thought! Thanks, Smalls.
The only overhyped book that I've been avoiding is DIVERGENT. IDK. I don't want to touch it yet... Maybe in a few months. There's just so much pressure to like it...
ReplyDeleteDude, Wildwood Dancing is winging your way, so you're going to read it and love it or else (no pressure).
ReplyDeleteI don't get worried about not liking a book that other people like because I kind of figure that everyone has that book. The thing that I get worried about is when a highly anticipated title by an author I LOVE finally makes its way into my hands. Take, for example, Kiss of Snow. I'd been anticipating Hawk and Sienna's book for decades (practically) so that, when I finally had a copy in my hands I found myself too scared to crack the spine. Expectations are a b@%$h.
Sorry to say, but I can't really relate to your feelings. You see, I am a lemming. So I tend to immediately pounce on any overly hyped up book and I am rarely disappointed (and if I am, then only very slightly). Perhaps subconsciously the hype affects me making it impossible for me to dislike it. I am feeble minded, tis true.
ReplyDeleteNot only is the build up involving the title, cover, and synopsis reveal, but by the time I've read 15 reviews I sometimes feel like I've already read the darn thing before it even comes out.
ReplyDeleteLately I've been avoiding reviews and hype for books that I know I really want to read just so I avoid this phenomenon. It ruins the book for me, or at least makes me not care about actually reading it.
That said, you really should read The Hunger Games. I'm going to do a read-along in January with Emma at girl loves books if you want to save it for then. :)
I totally agree with you on the hype, the whole time it's being talked up and the teasers and the covers and the blurbs even some of the book trailers. I'm like I must have that when it comes out like seriously, and then it's out. Then I'm like I'm not so sure. (My one exception is anything Vampire academy related).
ReplyDeleteI think a few of mine that I was like I want those now were Wolfsbane, Wildefire, Original Sin,The near witch, Matched, AtU, and I have yet to read the last two which are on my shelf and then the first 4 which I haven't even bought yet. -sigh-
I requested the audiobook of "The Hunger Games" so I figure I would be more likely to give it a chance while driving to work than seeing if it can compete for my attention with the books on my shelves.
ReplyDeleteMy reaction to discovering a much hyped about book isn't all it's cracked up to be is generally, "Are these people crazy to like this?" Due to space and finances, it's the repeated disappointment of over-hyped books that usually stays my hand from making impulse purchases for unfamiliar books anymore. Thank the gods for libraries and swapping book lovers!
I know exactly what you mean. So often the potential of a book is so much greater than the actual experience of reading it, and when I actually get the book I've been so excited about reading, I don't want to actually read it. Miss Peregrine (I see you've reviewed it and had the same response) and Delirium were two such books I was really excited by, but disappointed when I actually read them, and will probably not read the sequels.
ReplyDeleteThis post made me laugh so much, especially the pictures! Yes, we've all been there. I think I lean towards liking book hype though, because it's just nice to have something to get excited about in an otherwise dreary world. But some things are so built up that you can't help but be disappointed. Few books can live up to the task, when you approach them with the attitude of "OK, book. Amaze me!" I'm another person who thought Divergent was just OK. Maybe I would have liked it better if I wasn't expecting the best book ever.
ReplyDeleteFunnily enough, I am reading the Alanna books next. Fingers crossed that they don't disappoint!
Missie, hahaa ooooooh yes, Logan is WELL aware! The how will I face the world question is very frightening. This is serious business!
ReplyDeleteT.B., I will read The Hunger Games and Divergent soon-ish. I promise! I even own both of them, so really I have to read them. I really want to read The Hunger Games before the movie comes out. You got it on Blood Red Road! I read Delirium but I was in the minority who didn’t like it (I wrote that review from my super secret bunker!)
Cialina, I feel a little more ok at the idea of reading Divergent now that I’ve seen more mixed reviews. My expectations are a little more normal.
Rubita, oh no pressure at all :P Ooooh yes, I know what you mean. That’s the worst because I feel super guilty if I don’t like their book. It’s like if someone you love makes you cookies…but they suck. I feel so bad!
Aylee, ahahah I just got the funniest visual of a lemming Aylee jumping off a cliff with a book in your hands (of course you look like a Potterpuff in my mental image).
Logan, I do the same thing. If it’s a book I know I really really really want to read then I avoid all reviews until after I’ve read it. And then if I LOVE the book, I don’t read any reviews that are less than 4 stars :P I am SO joining that read-along!
Ashley, I feel the same way. I can’t even count how many books I’ve been dying for only to finally get them through inter-library loan and then meh, I return them unread.
Bookish hobbit, See, The Hunger Games IS a book on my shelves :P Along with the two sequels. I don’t usually buy books I haven’t already read (for exactly the reason you said) but I caved to a good sale.
Katie Edwards, Yes, exactly! Delirium disappointed me a lot too. It was one of my very first review books, too, so I REALLY wanted to like it, but I ended up struggling to finish it.
T.G., Thank you! I love the way you talk about book hype giving us something to get excited over in a dreary world. I think that’s part of the reason I don’t want to read hyped books. As long as I don’t read them, I can still be happy and excited over them. Good luck with the Alanna books!
OMG you have been inside my brain! That is EXACTLY me lol, and I have a tbr pile quite similar to that great pile of lovely shiney 'hyped' books too. It just happened recently actually with Eight Keys ...
ReplyDeleteSo...I just finished reading the Princess Curse. I LITERALLY GASPED because I wasn't expecting it to end so...suddenly!!! There HAS to be another book, just HAS to! It ended well, I'll grant you that, but I need to know more about the RELATIONSHIP!!!! So much potential! *sigh* so long to wait....
ReplyDeleteanywho, I'm posting this here because Wildwood dancing, while not as easily relatable as Reveka, is a retelling of two stories combined that I wouldn't have thought would work either. It's different from the Princess Curse, but close enough that I think you would enjoy it, so don't worry about the hype. haha, good post though!
I love this post! So funny. I agree, if a book is super hyped it tends to make me avoid it more - or at least avoid reviews of it.
ReplyDelete2 Types of Book hype that drive me crazy:
ReplyDeleteA. THE OMG EVERYOONE IS READING THIS IT'S THE BEST THING EVERS!!! WHY ARE YOU NOT READING THIS?!?! THIS iS GOD"S MANNA FROM HEAVEN!!! *patron throws Twilight/Harry Potter/The Help/ Random Nick sparks book*
B. the book hype you create yourself. Like the fact I just finished Ben-Hur, and I adore it to pieces... and now the sequel published nearly 100 years later on my nightstand.... *stares at book*
It's like setting up to fail :D
Haha! I know the feeling of wanting to get a book because of the hype surrounding it..but it's better to not let other views influence yours. And don't worry about people not liking your reviews cause at the end of the day it's your honest opinion. Let's be real. If a book sucks, it just sucks. Don't sugarcoat anything.
ReplyDelete~Shane
hehe Thank you! I agree, sugarcoating helps no one :)
DeleteI am proud to say I don't fall in this category (: I listen to book hype and remain just as eager to read the book as when I first heard about it. And when I do read it, I usually like it. I would even go so far as to say I always like it, if it's hyped enough. This may or not be because I will read just about everything and I like nearly everything I read. I also have a tendency to believe everything I read, which may not be good- 'If you believe everything you read, better not read' (Japanese proverb). Or maybe it's just because I hate not liking things. I don't want to be mean and say I hate the book, so I find something to like.
ReplyDeleteSo I have read (and liked) most of the books that the rest of the world loves. I am a huge fan of Harry Potter and the Hunger Games. The one thing I have to say doesn't rank with me is Lord of the Rings. It's good, of course. Just not the best.
But everyone's entitled to their own opinion!