Sunday Salon : on Books and the Influence of blogging
Happy Sunday fellow Saloners!
How has your week been?
Mine has been pretty good on the reading side :
Books I read this Week :
- Extras, by Scott Westerfeld
- Liar, by Justine Larbalestier
- Living Dead Girl, by Elizabeth Scott
Books I reviewed this Week :
- My Soul to Take, by Rachel Vincent
- Living Dead Girl, by Elizabeth Scott
I still read more than I review, and this is why I created The Review Challenge! If like me you have a pile of books on your desk, waiting to be reviewed, come and join! The rules are very simple, too. I have created it for myself first, and I didn’t want to put too much pressure either. Hopefully I’ll be able to start 2010 with no books left to be reviewed!
Also, you know that comic thing I do once in while? Well, I did it again! And I want to thank you all, because it’s amazing to read your comments on them! Thank you! 😀
Today I’ll be reading Life as We Knew It and The Pshysick Book of Deliverance Dane. Both are really great reads! I’ve been kind of lucky with my reading lately – or maybe it’s because I listen to your many amazing reviews.
When I look back on this year’s reading, I can see that I have read a lot less “bad” books than in the previous years (and by bad, I mean books that I didn’t personally appreciated). I could brag about my incredible ability to select the right book at the right time, but the truth is, a lot of it comes from the influence of other readers and bloggers.
Since I started following blogs and communities like Goodreads, I have taken the habit to “investigate” a book before deciding whether I should read it or not. It helps to read reviews and comments, to know whether a book is for me or not. Sometimes a great review will push me to read a book I wouldn’t have read otherwise; sometimes, even a negative review will have the same effect!
And I’m not even gonna start talking about the influence this has had on my TBR pile!
What about you guys? Has blogging influenced what you read? Do you find it easier to pick the right books for you?
11 responses to “Sunday Salon : on Books and the Influence of blogging”
Leave a reply to gautami tripathy Cancel reply
Reading now
You said it!
Best of 2012!
infiniteshelf.wordpress.com 
Blogging’s definitely influenced what I read. I never thought I’d read any fantasy fiction, or YA fiction, but now my wishlist’s full of them thanks to the blogs I’ve discovered.
When you first mentioned the Review Challenge I thought I was on top of my reviews – I spoke too soon, and now I’m not. :-S I should join.
The Physick book is one great book. I loved it. And I did some good reading this past week.
TSS: The past week in retrospect and on to the next one…
TSS: The Locked Room by Paul Auster
I think blogging has certainly influenced my reading for the better. A lot of the books I read pre-blogging were sort of random, flailing choices, and this year I’ve had far more good choices than bad.
Without a doubt, blogging has influenced what I read. In fact, I’d say that the majority of what I read now is either a book that was recommended to me by another blogger or a book that somehow got on my radar because a blogger told something that led me to find it. Every now and then I’ll still pick up the odd book because I like the cover though :p
Glad to hear you’re enjoying Life as We Knew It!! I loved that book! It’s sequel (or companion) is great too and the third book is coming out in 2010!!
And I’ve kind of been away from blogland with my move this past week so I missed your comic, but I just saw it and OMG I love it!!! You have serious talent!
My blogging buddies totally help me pick books. I love it.
I find myself having alot of good luck with my reading these days. Rarely do begin reading a book only to end up putting it aside. Because of the book blog community, most of the books in my TBR pile are recommendations of book bloggers with similar interests to mine. I’ve found so many great books this way!
I listen to the buzz before I dive into a book. The buzz is generally on spot.
Oh blogs definitely influence what I read. I also find that I’m much more in the know about current books because of blogs.
The blogging world has made me read more and increased my tbr to monstrous levels. I don’t think I’d discover some books if it hadn’t been for bloggers.
I too believe that blogging has helped me find some of the coolest books! I am so grateful that I found “Replacement Child: A Memoir
“ by Judy L. Mandel, which I found by going onto someone’s blog post. I found the book to be incredibly entertaining, and it also taught me some very valuable lessons that I needed at this very point in time. I blog hop around now whenever I am trying to find a new book to read- it is the best source!
Has blogging influenced me? Ha! I can’t even remember the last time I bought a book because it looked good rather than because someone gushed about it on the blogosphere (except book club books). Oh ok, and whim purchases from Half Price Books clearance section. But let’s face it, even a lot of those I heard about through blogging. I love it.
And love your comics–keep them coming!!