topic Re: Goodreads reviews in Book Club

Goodreads reviews

Lilysmom1 — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 18:32:37 GMT

Hello readers. I just finished reading a book that was rated 4.25/5* on Goodreads and I surely did not agree with that rating. I would have begrudgingly given it a 3/5*. This seems to be happening more and more. Is it just me experiencing this? Anyone else?

Where do you go for your book reviews (besides here)? I stocked up on some books as I am on vacation and the one I just finished was a real let down.

TIA for your feedback. LM

Re: Goodreads reviews

cindyNC — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 19:07:04 GMT

I usually look on Amazon or Barnes & Noble at book reviews.

Re: Goodreads reviews

smoky22 — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 19:24:59 GMT

@Lilysmom1 wrote:
Hello readers. I just finished reading a book that was rated 4.25/5* on Goodreads and I surely did not agree with that rating. I would have begrudgingly given it a 3/5*. This seems to be happening more and more. Is it just me experiencing this? Anyone else?

Where do you go for your book reviews (besides here)? I stocked up on some books as I am on vacation and the one I just finished was a real let down.

TIA for your feedback. LM

@Lilysmom1 I'm curious what book you read.

I always think I'm an outlier because I do see books rated higher than I would rate them. But some of it has to do with the genre. In general, I must not be a thriller person because I find a lot of them to be very contrived and yet they are fairly highly rated.

I usually only look at Goodreads and Amazon for reviews. I believe Amazon now owns Goodreads, anyway.

Re: Goodreads reviews

Janey2 — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 19:32:30 GMT

I, too, look at Amazon and Barnes and noble, but I do not read reviews. I just look at the synopsis of the story to see if it appeals to me. Then I look at the % of how many liked the book. I might read the title of the review, but not the review. I know, weird, biut that's what I do.

Re: Goodreads reviews

LindaSal — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 19:38:48 GMT

I don't always read reviews, just sometimes. I just read what I think I will like and most times I do alright.

Years ago I used to follow Oprah's book recommendations. I didn't like any of them and they were actually painful to get through so I am my own best reviewer I guess.

Re: Goodreads reviews

icezeus — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 03:53:55 GMT

I actually do not pay attention to reviews. Sometimes if I am feeling torn about a book I may read a few just to see what people have to say but it's rare. I pretty much know what type of books I enjoy and I tend to stick to that Genre. Someone else mentioned not enjoying thrillers and I have to agree for the most part I do not care for them.

I do pick up book ideas from this forum, that sometimes takes me outside of what I would normally read and I have to say that sometimes I am pleasantly surprised.

Re: Goodreads reviews

Lilysmom1 — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 09:22:33 GMT

@cindyNC @smoky22 @Janey2 @LindaSal @icezeus I used to rely completely on Goodreads and have pretty good luck with sorting out books I like. I have found recently that the reviews are far too generous.

@smoky22 , I deleted the book I just finished and I can't recall the title.. it was something i thought I would enjoy but turned out not to be. I skimmed the last half and it did disappoint.

I rely on our book forum and usually enjoy recommendations but this is one I chose from elsewhere. Had no idea Amazon bought Goodreads @smoky22 .

I have The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson up next as a second read in waiting for the new release The Kind Worth Saving. I don't usually read a book twice but it has been awhile. We will see how that goes.

Thanks all for your feedback. LM

Re: Goodreads reviews

Lochan — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 18:27:24 GMT

I'm a frequent commenter and reviewer on Goodreads.

Many of the readers receive ARC's from publishers with the expectation of a review for a free book. Those receiving advanced copies are usually more positive with ratings and praise because of the connection between authors and publishing houses and don't want to be harsh if they don't like a book.

They soften a review as to not hurt the author's feelings or steer anyone away from a book just becaue of personal taste.

Re: Goodreads reviews

lmt — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 04:20:02 GMT

Reviews are very subjective.

I know what type of books I like, but I do read the reviews on Goodreads. If I see a lot of one or two star reviews for a book that I'm interested in, I usually rethink my purchase. But these are usually books that I was 'iffy' about reading anyway.

Re: Goodreads reviews

Lilysmom1 — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 11:07:58 GMT

@Lochan That might explain it. Thanks.

Re: Goodreads reviews

songbird — Sat, 18 Mar 2023 14:40:23 GMT

I read all reviews and synopsis of the book. Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.

Good thing I do. I was going to read the novel version of News of The World. One reviewer commented that quotes for dialogue were not in the book! I couldn't read a book like that! Other people commented about that too.

Re: Goodreads reviews

Lilysmom1 — Sat, 18 Mar 2023 21:26:37 GMT

@songbird , it is probably a good idea to check several sources for reviews. The ones on Goodreadsnhave always been so reliable for me that I have gotten lazy. Great to know people's sources. LM

Re: Goodreads reviews

CANDLEQUEEN — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 13:13:42 GMT

I belong to Goodreads, and I do read reviews of books on their site, a well as Barnes and Noble, but I also know what I like and so I don't put too much stock in reviews.....If it sounds like something I would like, then I will read it.

I must say though that I have found a lot of new good authors that I wouldn't have found otherwise if it wouldn't have been for reviews on Goodreads!!!!

Re: Goodreads reviews

gardenman — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 12:34:56 GMT

It pays to read the written reviews rather than just rely on the star ratings. Authors can buy book reviews (Google "buying book reviews" to see how easy it is.) If you see a lot of five star reviews but the written reviews don't match up, or if the written reviews feel 'cut and pasted', odds are the reviews were bought. I've never bought a review, but many writers do. Often spending thousands of dollars to get thousands of reviews.

In general, about one in a hundred book readers will leave a review, so if you see a newly published book with hundreds of reviews, they're probably bought. In total, I've sold/given away about ten thousand books and have 117 reviews. I could buy that many (or more) five star reviews for a few hundred dollars, but they wouldn't be real. Star reviews with no written content are relatively cheap to buy. Written reviews cost a bit more, but are largely copy and paste reviews where just the author's name and book title are inserted into premade reviews. Once you know what to look for they're not too hard to identify.

Amazon tries to sort out the bought reviews but it's a never-ending battle. There are a lot of review sellers out there and they're a moving target.