Why Do You Read Book Reviews? // five reasons I still like book reviews

It appears the book blogging community has reached a general consensus that book reviews don’t gain as much views as other content.

I can attest to that, but it doesn’t stop me from writing them. I still find book reviews fun to create because it gives me a chance to form opinions on books I read and hopefully start discussions about them with others. I also find myself part of the audience that still reads and actively seeks book reviews. But, why?

Why do I continue to read book reviews?

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𝟷. ʙᴏᴏᴋ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡs ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴏʀᴏᴜɢʜ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏsᴛs.

As much as I love getting flash book recommendations from listicle posts, they often leave me wanting more. A good book requires investing time into and that means that I want to read about its nitty gritty. I want to know why or why not you liked the book. If I can see myself liking the book for the same reasons you did, then I’ll invest my time in it.

𝟸. ɪ ʟɪᴋᴇ sᴇᴇɪɴɢ ʜᴏᴡ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ sᴛʀᴜᴄᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡs.

My writing is… an ongoing project. One of the reasons I write book reviews is to incrementally improve it. Book reviews by bloggers who have honed their craft and writing skills are useful guides to pattern from.

𝟹. ʙᴏᴏᴋ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡs ɪɴsᴘɪʀᴇ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴘᴏsᴛs.

After reading a handful of book reviews, certain trends become apparent—maybe it’s a trope that everyone seems to enjoy or a book that multiple bloggers deem problematic. Maybe it’s not even a trend, but a singular sentence in a singular book review that ignites a spark in your brain. Whatever it is, book reviews offer another medium for bloggers to draw ideas from (and we all need more of those, right 😅).

𝟺. ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡs ʟᴇᴛs ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏᴛᴇ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ʙᴏᴏᴋs ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ.

This payoff of reading book reviews is pretty much an extension of actually writing them. I feel comfortable betting that a majority of bloggers who write book reviews do so with the intention of discussing them further with their readers. If I didn’t get a chance to fangirl over a book with someone after my review, at least I have the chance to do it in the comment section of someone else’s review!

𝟻. ɪ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴇɴᴄᴏᴜʀᴀɢɪɴɢ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ᴍᴀᴋɪɴɢ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡs.

As much personal satisfaction I get from writing book reviews, it can still be disheartening to see them get lost in the void that is the blogosphere. I know many bloggers can relate and have been moving away from creating book reviews as a result. But, if no one is writing book reviews, how will I read them 😦?

(I guess this point comes from my own self-interest and not empathy or pity 😂).

Hence, I read book reviews to show people that there’s still someone out there who cares for them.

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Thanks for reading! Do you agree that book reviews don’t do as well as other content? Why do you read book reviews? Let me know 😁!