Booking Through Thursday: Blogs

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Booking Through Thursday offers a plethora of book-related prompts to get blognauts chatting, posting, and sharing. So far, I've tackled a age-old reader's dilemma (Writing vs. Riveting) and I've also compiled a list of five books I would happily re-read for the rest of eternity (at the expense of all other books).

This week, we're asked to navel-gaze a touch and reflect on our reading preferences when it comes to fellow reader-bloggers:

What do you look for when reading a book blog? Does the blogger have to read the same genre? Do you like reviews? Personal posts? Memes? Giveaways? What attracts you to a book blog?

I like bloggers who are honest when it comes to rating books, regardless of their connections with publishers, authors, or other industry professionals. I've seen this debate pop up a number of times across the blogosphere—should a blogger post a negative review or should that opinion be withheld? For me, I want to know the details. I want to know why someone questioned certain plot points, or hated a particular character, or bailed after slogging through dismal prose. 

I want to know what makes a reader discard a book. I want to know what inspires a lukewarm reaction. And I want to know what makes a reader obsess over and treasure certain books. A violent reaction against a title can pique my interest as much as a gushing review, but I get suspicious of reviewers who mark everything as a five- or four-star read…

I admit, I do connect with bloggers who have a similar taste in books. For instance, I follow Manga Maniac Cafe for its focus on manga and light novels; I follow Amy Reads for her academic tastes and her focus on writing diversity; and I follow A Striped Armchair due to her voracious and varied reading appetite. Also, thanks to BTT, I connected with Megan at Love, Literature, Art, and Reason, and we found our reading tastes are almost identical. I know what books I like, and if I can find bloggers with similar tastes, then I know I can uncover new authors and new work specific to my own interests.

Last, I do love memes, surveys, and mixed content. While I do appreciate reviews, I like to get a glimpse of the reviewer behind the blog. Surveys are an excellent ice-breaker and offer a fun venue to reflect on reading preferences and other bookish activities. Also, I love pictorial memes that point out hilarious book-related discoveries. For instance:

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Love it, and likely need more of it. I especially love the Advice from Peeta meme (i.e. the pictures featuring Peeta and the yellow and grey background). Some absolute gems in that series…

In conclusion: 

Honest book reviews + Similar tastes + Entertaining photo memes =

Awesome book blog.