Bookish: Book Blogger Hop #25

The Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme with a prompt featuring a book related question. The hop begins on a Friday and ends on a Thursday and should hopefully give people the opportunity to learn something new about the blogger.

The Book Blogger Hop can be found on Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer and obviously my answers can be found here!

I don’t.

I really dislike writing reviews.

Until next week when I answer the question of – *sighs*

Fine. I’ll expand.

The hard truth that I can’t sugarcoat is that I don’t like writing book reviews. I realised this towards the end of last year when I would finish a book and then set about to review it. I would sit at my desk and just… stare at the blank page.

After this happened enough times (yet I would gleefully rush to write other blog posts) I realised that I didn’t enjoy writing reviews.

It got to the point that my stupid self imposed rule of ‘review every book you read’ actually put me off reading because reviewing the book made it feel like I was doing homework so instead of doing the homework I stopped doing the thing that would give me homework.

Hmmm.

It doesn’t take a genius to realise that it’s not a good thing if you stop doing something you actually enjoy because you follow it up with something you don’t. It’s even more ridiculous when you realise the follow up is something that you 100% don’t have to do but are doing it because of self prescribed pressure.

The whole ‘not liking writing reviews’ was further compounded by the plethora of ‘how to write a book review,’ ‘how not to write a book review,’ and ‘what you should be saying in your book reviews to make them interesting and show that you’re a critical reader’ blog posts that only served to make me feel like I was doing it all wrong.

Side note: I enjoy reading those types of blog posts because I find it interesting how people do things but they do make me panic when I apply them to myself.

Yes, it doesn’t take a genius but it took me long enough.

First of all I believe it doesn’t matter how you write a book review.

I’ve seen many different methods from ‘asdkjsdhfjlksdhfkjdshfkjsh this book gave me the hurt,’ to ‘Jeremiah Turtle was a complex and morally grey character and here is my in-depth psychoanalysis to explain my findings and also I have constructed an intricate breakdown of how the characters of Jeremiah and his sister Elspeth are metaphors for political change’ to bullet point lists of ‘Likes, Dislikes and Meh.’ 

I love reading all types.

Reading is subjective and while I love talking about books I find it difficult to construct what I have to say in an articulate and critical way that many people want and expect from a review.

Once I dropped the rule of ‘review every book’ it made me feel more excited to read again and it made me feel more relaxed to write about the ones I decided to review.

I’m also working on that feeling I have that I must be critical. Now, I’m not saying critical in that I won’t say if I don’t like something and why – because I will –  I mean I’m saying that I don’t have to come at reviews like I’m an English Literature student presenting my dissertation.

I still don’t like reviewing books but I keep in mind that someone may read my review and go, ‘I like the sound of this book, thank you for sharing your experience and I hope to feel the same way about it’ or even ‘oh my god, hilarious review – you totally hated that book and so did I!’

And that’s what keeps me able to continue writing reviews  – the shared experience with other readers and the chance to discuss openly with others how we feel about books.

I am back to blog hopping – yay!

I’m hoping life will stop kicking my ass and taking my name and although this week it didn’t I was determined to get back to looking at other epically wonderful blogs out there!

Bibi @ Bibi’s Book Blog has asked us to discuss What Do Bloggers Offer When Receiving a Free Author Copy of their Book? The relationship between author and blogger is often a harmonious one but it doesn’t always go to plan.

Jenn @ Jenniely gives us some helpful advice on How to Request ARCs From Publishers.

Krysti @ YA & Wine discusses How to Really Build a Platform in the Book Community

Ren @ Strangely Pop Cultured provides us with A Study of Neil Gaiman’s Writing Style. For those of you who follow my blog routinely you know how I feel about Neil Gaiman.

Aurora @ Aurora Librialis has treated us with a brand new awesome project and the first post on The Female Gaze Project is all about Mothers and Daughters.

Kaleena @ The Reader Voracious explains Why I’ve Done Away with Star Ratings for Reviews.

Sara @ The Bibliophagist talks about My Favourite Graphic Novels. The top one on the list is one that I absolutely must read.

Ally @ Ally Writes Things writes about Cancel Culture and the Book Community. It is such a riveting and well presented read. Go look!

Don’t forget to enter my Giveaway if you haven’t already done so and want to!

I am giving away a single MasterClass – remember that’s not one lesson it’s one single class which (depending on who you choose) can be up to 24 lessons of fun, fun, fun.

Rules (cos there some) can be found at the bottom of this here post and the place to enter can be found here.

You have until Sunday 5th May to enter and time is ticking so get on that asap because I want someone to win this prize!!

Winner will be announced on Wednesday 16th May.

Come on people, what are you waiting for?!

How do you go about getting yourself psyched for reviews?

Do you enjoy them? Do you not enjoy them?

Tell me more. Tell me all your secrets. I need all the tips.

Until next week when I avoid answering the question of what book I’d wish I’d written by telling you about the list of books that I’m currently trying (and failing) to write! Yay!