Reviewing Bad Books

[BookGirlR]

I would like to discuss bad books.  Show us the worst books that you've reviewed.  How do you try to handle reviewing a horrible book on your blog?

Here's mine: Horrible Book 

Normally I would try to say a few good things about a book, along with the bad things, even if I didn't like it.  But every once in a while I read something so bad that I just can't find anything good to say!

BookGirlR

BookGirls BookNook

[ManOfLaBook.com]

LOL, great post.

I hated Eat, Pray, Love (http://manoflabook.com/wp/?p=13) and didn't care at all for This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald (http://manoflabook.com/wp/?p=87)

My Facebook classic book club is reading Jane Eyre this month.

[The Friande]

Thanks!

Oh man, I'm not touching Eat Pray Love with a ten foot pole, & I admire you for reading it. Mostly because I abhor those types of books, but also because I couldn't take anyone seriously that got paid in advance to going do soul-searching and writing about it.

A Facebook book club is a really good idea - I don't really live in a place where there are any good book clubs, so maybe I should look into it.

[Marian Perera]

Regarding Eat Pray Love...

I might pick that book up for the food, but the praying and the loving would probably turn me off.

[ManOfLaBook.com]

LOL, I couldn't finish Eat, Pray, Love - it was horrendous.

I really like the FB club. I'm actually in two one for contemporary books and one for classics. The discussions are really interesting.

[Marian Perera]

I'm usually able to find at least one positive thing about a book, even if it bores me or I disagree with whatever it's advocating.

With one exception. That was a book released by PublishAmerica (a notorious vanity press/author mill). There was nothing at all positive about this book, and the plot actually managed to be offensive when it wasn't dull. The editing was horrendous, e.g. "the pancake and beacon scents". The book was less than 200 pages, but cost $24.95, though fortunately I didn't have to pay for it since the author sent me a copy in exchange for a review.

After that and a few other self- or vanity-published books which were also problematic, I decided to stick with commercially published books.

[Irene Roth]

Hi Marian,

I'm the same way. I think most books have at least one or two good things about them. And I think it is a good exercise for book reviewers to do just that.

[Lisa Faber]

I liked it. I think honesty is the best way. I like that you gave two good recommendations instead. I just tried to read "Skeletons at the Feast". Not every book is for everyone. I just explained that I had a hard time with the violent depictions (describing the condition of bodies of children and women who were raped, etc) http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com

[Raven Corinn Carluk]

I review books more as a side hobby to my writing, so I don't have bad reviews to really post.

Most of the times, if I just didn't like something in a book, I'll state that it was purely personal taste. Like if babies are involved with a love story.

I did recently post a review for a bad book, because after paying for the book, I needed to say something. It was by an indie author, and I was trying to support her. So I purchased her book when she put it on sale.

There was nothing right about the book. And while I didn't rip everything to shreds, I couldn't really say anything nice. I tried to just be professional, state what was wrong without bashing the author herself, and go from there.

The author got upset, and posted on her blog wondering why no one else has pointed out the problems with her book ( using wondered instead of wandered, no variety in her adjectives, and not knowing how to capitalize proper nouns). I talked to her, and suggested the others were trying to be nice, and hoping she'd say something good about them or their works. I tried to give her some direct critiques on what she'd done wrong, and wished her well on learning from her mistakes.

And never once did I unleash the built up vitriol I had from forcing myself through her book.

I think the meanest thing I said was that her book was an example of why indie authors were looked on. I don't think one necessarily needs to hire an editor if you can learn it yourself, but you should at least have an elementary understanding of grammar and punctuation.

[Sarah W]

I was eager to read " Sunshine" by Robin McKinley, but totally disliked it in the end:( I just posted my 1/5 stars review on my blog, but I always try to say positive things about something I don't like and try to adress ppl who could like it... like: "Read this novel only if you are a huge fan of Robin McKinley or interested in very detailed and long-winded descriptions of sub-plots. "

Here's my review: http://misspageturnerscityofbooks.blogspot.com/2010/10/book-review-...

[Gareth Wilson]

It's always a tricky thing to deal with. Part of the problem is when you have to deal with the abuse of the author who demands that you rewrite it. One title that I remember was a "how to write" book. The guy basically had a go at successful authors and when I accused him of going the "those who can't... Teach" route he blew up. I was attacked verbally with him demanding that I acknowledged his writing skills due to x number of books that I'd never heard of or the publisher.

When that failed, he decided to attack my english and after that wrote a huge blog piece attacking my incompetence. (Which made me laugh when I read it as he misused a word. Instead of using the word as Altar, he used alter.) The best way to deal with people like this is to ignore them, you're entitled to your own opinion and if you didn't like a book, when you've paid for it either with your time and or money then you should damn well feel free to say what you think.

If the author can't take it, then perhaps they should either ignore reviews or get out of the game entirely.