Do you read other people's reviews before you buy or decide to read something? Or are you wary of spoilers? Do you just read the blurb and go off that (or the cover)? I tend to look at 1 or 2 reviews usually if it's an author i don't know but often can't remember them by the time i get around to reading or listening. Like for the current book i'm audio'ing, i went back and read the blurb after i'm about 25% through, thinking this is gonna drag for the next 3/4 and the blurb went and told me something that i had no idea was coming and was a significant spoiler! (shakes head, not cool)
I typically go off the back cover... I don't find myself using goodreads to pick a book. I don't really write reviews at the end, I just mark the stars. If I really can't decide on one of the kindle first free books, I might sometimes go to goodreads for reviews to help me decide. Only once or twice have I done that.
I always read reviews but I tend to pick my "to read" books way in advance of actually reading them. I will research a bunch (e.g., lists of best books of 2016) and keep them on my "to read" list at my digital library or on Goodreads. By the time I get around to reading them, I've usually forgotten what they are about or any spoilers I might have seen.
I try to read as little as possible. I do pay attention to star ratings, but don't want to read comments because loads of peeps do include spoilers, but don't tell you to stop reading if you don't want a spoiler! Sorry that happened to you!
This last year I started reading reviews at Goodreads for books. I also go to Goodreads to check the order of a book series which I really find helpful and also to see what stand-alone titles there are for the author. I also like to check Kobo and Chapters/Indigo for book recommendations and reviews.
Hmm. Sometimes I read reviews (I bought a few Kindle books last night--they've had some great ones on sale lately!), but I don't read the whole review. Like, I'll read the review's title and the first 3 sentences that you see without having to click "read more." That way I don't see spoilers but I get a get-and-dirty sense of the reviewer's feelings about the book. If someone hated the book, you can usually tell not only by the 1 star rating, but also by a title that's like "OMG horrible book! Stupid ending" or something like that. I tend to get my book info from book magazines, like the free one at my library, or just from reviews from magazines (O mag, Real Simple) or newspapers. That way, no spoilers. But those are usually big publishing house books, not the freebie ones from Kindle First.
Sometimes. I only read books that will entertain me, not bore me to tears. I don't have a lot of time to read, so when I do I want to make sure I'm not wasting my time! I'll read reviews on Amazon, mostly checking the star rating as well. If a book is consistently getting one star, then I'll skip it, no matter how intriguing it seems! I just learned about Goodreads! It's a great app. I also found the reviews on there were good, nothing to "way out there".
I usually pick my books from Goodreads based on the stars. Sometimes I read the book blurb and sometimes I just start reading. AFTER I've finished a book I love to go back and read other people's reviews. I really try to write a review and not just do a star rating, mostly because it two years I'll forget what a book is about and I can go back and read my own review to remind myself! Ha ha!
I don't really read full reviews, I look on the star rating on amazon for books and choose books to add to my 'to read' list from other book bloggers recommendations. I do write a book blog myself, but not updated it for a while as my been having computer issues. I find I have a never ending 'to read' list so trying to get through some of those books before start anymore lol.
I like to read reviews both before and after reading a book. But sometimes I just go by what it says on the cover. And I don't worry about spoilers. If the story is interesting enough, I want to know how it happened even if I know what happened.
Almost every month, I read a magazine called Book Pages that is distributed at our local library. It includes professional reviews of titles I might not otherwise have heard of. That's where I get my list of items to place on hold. I don't typically go searching for any reviews above and beyond that. I am grateful, though, when people I know personally recommend books that they think I would particularly like. I trust the recommendations of people who know me well. Those are the most useful kind, imo.
Yes if it's a book on sale on kindle by an author I haven't heard of. Otherwise no. I know that sounds ridiculous but 1.99 and 99 cent books make me wonder if the book is worth 5 cents- and review help me make that assessment. I have bought some wonderful bargain priced kindle books though!
I get emails from Book Riot, guides me to new authors etc - my tbr list always gets that little bit longer after reading their articles as well... I also look at the star rating, not so much reviews, although I do read all reviews when friends post on Goodreads.
LOL that's pretty much why i do it too (i already have 'yeah i read that...hang on, did i actually read that or it was just something i added to my TBR pile at some stage' moments, i can't imagine how i'll be in another few years, let alone a decade!)
i struggle with this - if someone recommends something to me, especially IRL friends, it's usually because they loved it like insanely loved it and want me to share in that love- and for some reason, i think that expectation makes me enjoy the book less or maybe i just never would have loved the book as much as them to begin with, but i'll never know i guess - is that a terrible thing to say? does it happen to other people the expectation thing!?
totally not ridiculous - know what you mean - sometimes i read a book that was an ebook freebie and i think 'there's a reason you weren't seeing sales and this became a give away'
I will at least look at star ratings. On goodreads I'll also see other books it suggests if I luke a particular book. That will sometimes help me see if the general scope of the book would be something I like or not.
I'm a big fan of reading reviews before I buy books (which is hilarious because I am so bad at writing reviews) unless of course it is an author that I love and then I just buy their next book. I have been put off buying a book because off bad reviews
I don't really read the reviews. I usually go by the description in bookbub, or the cover/brief description in write up.
I don't read other people's reviews prior to reading a book unless, it's been rated a 2 or less. I don't want to run the risk of spoilers...not cool is right.
