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]

I'm doing a guest post soon, so I decided to do a post on why bloggers should publish bad reviews :)

Thank you all for the idea.

http://www.ManOfLaBook.com

[Irene Roth]

When I read a bad book and have to review it, I try to bring out as many positive things about the book, and minimize the negative things, although I do mention them. I sure hope they don't contact me either. But I always think that as a reviewer I have a responsibility to be honest.

Irene

[William Bentrim]

I think you nailed it Irene, you can be honest without being cruel.

[BookGirlR]

I agree Irene. A review should always be honest. That's why I review even books that I didn't like. I feel that if I didn't like it readers should know, I also try to say good things along with the bad.

[Irene Roth]

Hi Rebecca,

I find that I always learn something from everything I read. And when I read a bad book, I find that I learn how not to write a book or how not to create a character, and so on. I am also a writer, and am in the middle of writing my own NF book and novel.

[Maria Hesh]

I just kind of blog about books I happen to be be reading or that I've somehow come across, so in that I am probably quite far from typical. I think the last negative post I wrote was about a Jane Green novel, "Promises to Keep." It wasn't terrible by any means, but I found the overwhelming GOODNESS of all the "good" characters just nauseating after awhile. Perfection isn't reality. Please.

Hmmm, I'm getting annoyed all over again! That said, the book had some tantalizing recipes in it! I am going to have to get it out of the library again, just to try a few of them.

[Alayne]

Haha this is fun! Here's my best review of a bad book.

Also, speaking of things that make us go Hmm... I'm starting a new meme tomorrow Thursday, October 21, 2010 called What Were They Thinking? It's all about bad (looking, sounding, anything) books. Check it out at The Crowded Leaf!

[Marja McGraw]

I haven't reviewed a lot of books, but I've been fortunate with the ones I have reviewed. I have, however, had people ask me to read their book, not asking for a review. A couple of those were real klunkers. I think if someone asked me to review a book that turned out to be terrible I'd have to simply tell them that, like someone else commented, it just wasn't my type of book and I couldn't do it justice.

As far as self-published books, I'd have to take them on a case by case basis. I have read some very good self-pubbed books.

[Lindsay]

I find all the responses to this subject fascinating, although I disagree with some. I love writing negative reviews, and find them much easier to write than reviews for mediocre, middle-of-the-road work. Especially after struggling through bad prose, I find it therapeutic to share which books I hate as well as which books I love.

Even in a negative review, I'll probably highlight whatever I liked, or expected to like, that led me to read the book in the first place, but I will not censor my opinion. Of course, I also don't review many modern releases. My reading habit is mostly supported by the library, and I doubt that, say, Louisa May Alcott is going to come be angry on my blog for my complaints about Little Women.

About self-published books: I give self-published books a little leeway (have read a few, not reviewed any yet), but only a little. If you are going to put yourself out there, your book should be done, it should be well-formatted, and it should be as polished as possible. I say that both as a reader and vocabulary nerd, and as someone who has done formatting for POD books.

Besides which, a negative review can be very useful for readers. Just this morning I read a really well done, thoughtful negative review on The Book Smugglers.

Lindsay

[La Coccinelle]

I feel the same way, Lindsay. Sometimes a book is so bad that you just have to vent. If I went to all the trouble of finishing the stinker, I should at least get to rant about it!

One of the worst books I've ever read (and the subject of one of my most scathing reviews) was a self-published book. I can overlook a few typos... but when the same mistake is repeated on pretty much every page, I get really annoyed.

[Brooke]

I just read a book "Wired" that I didn't not like very much... I usually try to keep bad reviews short and find at least one decent thing to say about it. "Wired" ended up to be quite a long review! (and a bit sarcastic...)

Thankfully, I don't typically dislike a book to the point of hating it very much.

[The Friande]

You know what? As much as I hate reading bad books, I absolutely adore writing the reviews for them. It's kind of like going on a bad holiday - sure, it sucks at the time, but when you get back you have these hilarious stories to tell your friends.

My most hated book was Jane Eyre. My review here: Jane Eyre. An Autobiography of the little novelist that could(n't)

I have no qualms about ranting about a book for the entirety of the post; if that's how I felt reading it, then why should I scrounge around for something nice to write about it? I'm certainly not going to lie on a blog created for my bookish opinions.

Also, I don't accept self-published books (but only because my blog is about the 100 Books You Must Read Before You Die).