before you say anything, I know I’ve been really checked out from blogging lately. I’ve still been reading, but there has just been so much going on in my personal life it’s been hard to focus on anything else. Forgive me! <3
Today I wanted to talk about something I try to do as much as possible, picking up a book and just going in blind.
What I mean by going in blind is just picking up a book, knowing almost only what’s shared in the synopsis of the book, and just reading.
When I first really fell in love with reading just for fun, roughly around seventh grade, my favorite thing to do was just wander the stacks and pull out a book, read the back, and check it out. I never knew what to expect, which was almost the best part. Every book felt like an adventure, maybe it wouldn’t be my favorite, but it was one of the reasons I loved reading so much.
Lately I’ve noticed that the more reviews I read before diving into a book, the more discouraged from reading or disappointed at the end I end up being. I’ve been letting so many opinions influence my enjoyment of the book before even giving them a chance!
The same can be said about books everyone is loving, sometimes I will put off reading books for so long because I want to enter them with a fresh perspectives, in order to have an uninfluenced experience while reading.
An example of this is The Magicians by Lev Grossman. When I first picked it up awhile ago, everyone was talking about it. I heard time and time again that it was an “adult Harry Potter.” Some people loved loved loved it, some not so much. I had such different expectations going in, and I was wildly disappointed, and DNFed it. Recently, though, I picked it up again with no expectations, and ended up LOVING it.
don’t get me wrong, I love blogging and reviewing books, but I think I prefer reading reviews after I’ve read the book too.
Lately, after becoming so involved in this amazing community of book lovers, I’ve noticed the impact. I’ve been trying to find a balance between reading and commenting on other people’s reviews, and maintaining an open mind when starting a new book.
To what extent can widespread praise or criticism impact my reading experiences? I’d say significantly- which can be good! But lately, I’ve been leaning towards just gauging interest or enjoyment levels through the average rating on goodreads, and then going back and engaging with other bloggers and reading their reviews once I’ve read the book. I have felt like this is the most meaningful way for me to keep my mind open when reading/reviewing, and also the most meaningful way to engage with others in this community.
Let’s gab about this.
Do you prefer to read full reviews before reading a book? Does hype or widespread dislike of a book influence your opinions while reading it yourself? Do you like going in blind or prefer to have a good sense of the successes and fall backs of each book?
I’d love to hear your perspectives!
I totally agree with you. I find that I just have to go for it. Picking a book by the title, or maybe by the cover, LOL! It works I can truthfully say it works. Having grandchildren who love sharing books with me. The happiest moment when they say “you are going to love this book”. They also have the ability to tell me “this is not for you, you will not like it.
Haha yeah, we know you well for sure! The titles and covers can say a lot about a book, in my opinion! 🙂
I need to do this more often! When I go to the library or bookstore, I almost always have Goodreads open on my phone to check the ratings and reviews.
And I miss just going in blind! I used to just walk in and pick books based on the cover and summary. I should do this again. Great discussion Gabi 🙂
Right?! I noticed myself doing the same thing, walking around with goodreads open instead of just browsing without worrying about it’s average rating on goodreads haha.
I would definitely recommend doing it at least every once in awhile, it’s been fun to do that again. 🙂
Thanks Carlisa! <3
Sometimes I unintentionally go into books blind. For example, some books are so hyped so, although I already knew what the synopsis was, when I remember the book all I remember are the praised reviews. I don’t actually remember what it’s about. However, it usually works out for me! But, with some fantasies, I get a bit confused at first with the world-building because I forgot what I was even getting into, LOL.
That’s interesting, it’s basically going in blind too! I didn’t think about that. I feel like that happens a lot though, and it’s good to have a positive impression without specifics going in to a book 🙂 That’s hilarious about the fantasies, they really can be so confusing! Maybe we should jump into those blind hahah.
I do this sometimes too. I stopped wanted to read the synopsis of a book before reading it. I like not knowing a lot! Being surprised is worth it. I’ll usually just read reviews if I’m contemplating buying a book to justify my purchase and know that I’m not wasting money. Great post!
It really is! The surprise is so fun. I can definitely see the reasoning for not wanting to waste money on books, so makes sense! I guess that’s what makes libraries so great 🙂
Thanks Mariam!
I do this too!! Sometimes it doesn’t work out all too well but I’ve found some of my favourite books/authors by reading them blindly. I think that when you have no expectations on a book then it helps your overall opinion on it become more honest. Eleanor and Park is so highly praised and when I read it I expected some incomparable novel and I just found it to be underwhelming. It was still great, but I was being told it was the best I’d ever read and I didn’t think that at all. Your blog is gorgeous by the way!! I’ve nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award and if you want to check it out, it’s here: https://latenightreviewer.wordpress.com/2016/05/12/the-versatile-blogger-award/!