Discussion Time: Authors on Rewiews, To Comment or Not To Comment?

The Reading Romances Blog has featured a great question for this week for bloggers to weigh in on.  Here it is:

I have seen some discussions about this online and authors get really confused. Inspired by the 3 Stars Rating Event, I decided to create this as an opportunity for us, book bloggers and reviewers, to write our opinion and let the authors know what we expect from the authors when we post a review of their book(s). And don’t forget to answer the following question:

Should Authors Comment On Reviews?

I personally love it when authors comment on my reviews.  Now I admit I think of the authors when I write reviews and if I write something negative, I definitely give a reason to back it up.  I don't take pot shots at authors and I believe most if not all bloggers behave the same way, we are not vindictive and we are caring.  All of the blog reviews I have read from the 1 star to the 5 star have told what they liked and did not like and if they did not like something they gave a valid point.  I also usually caveat a "do not like" with this is my opinion.  One such review was one last year and it was a book a lot of people loved, and it did not click with me.   Did I hate the author?  Nope, in fact since others loved her so much I have her next book on my tbr pile.

So I think I got off of subject, but since I tend to be polite in my reviews, I expect authors to polite in their comments and so far all of the authors that have responded whether in comments or in emails have been wonderful, even when I didn't give them a 5-star review.  One thing I don't want to see is an author talking about me somewhere else.  We all know it does happen, thankfully never to me and like with bloggers I believe 99% of authors would never do this.  So authors if you have a problem with my review email me, let's talk.  If I missed the boat about what you were trying to get across let me know in email or in the comments, but do it in a nice way.  If you feel I have been "not nice" as my kids would say, let me know that too.  I don't want to be this way and trust me I wouldn't mean to be like that.

So authors, comments are appreciated and loved, I love hearing from you.  I have lovely fan-girl moments when I hear from one of you.  It makes me feel special and loved. If you asked me to review your book, it would be nice if you took a moment to at least acknowledge you saw the review.  And almost all of you do, so thank you wonderful authors, I love working with you!

Make sure you check out the other blogs participating by clicking on the banner above and let me know what you think as well.

Book Blogger Hop - 9/9 - 9/12

I haven't joined in on the Blog Hop in awhile, but it's time to join in again.  To join, hop on over to Crazy-for-Books, make your post and sign up.  Then hop around and get to know your fellow bloggers over the weekend.  It's a lot of fun and I have missed it.  This week's question is:

“Many of us primarily read one genre of books, with others sprinkled in. If authors stopped writing that genre, what genre would you start reading? Or would you give up reading completely if you couldn’t read that genre anymore?”

 

I read pretty much anything but I guess my primary genre would be suspense.  If suspense did not exist anymore, I would probably move onto romance and young adult with a sprinkling of historical fiction as well.  There is so much out there that I definitely would never give up reading.

 

How about you?

 

And if you are hopping  by - please check out my sidebar - I have two giveaways going on, one for the choice of 5 books that I have reviewed and one for a copy of County Line by Bill Cameron, both are easy to enter. 

 

Have a great weekend!

 

***I received this book from the publisher for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way except receiving the book for free.  I do not receive money for my amazon links since I live in NC (something about some law), so they are up purely for my readers to have a place to check out the book.***

Book Blogger Hop - Dec 3-6

I'm joining back in this week - after a month and a half hiatus from the hop.  I'm ready to hop around and find new blogs since my reading mojo is back!  Well I'll be hopping in-between cleaning and decorating this weekend, but everyone needs a few minutes of relaxation while decorating for Christmas. :)

To check out other answers and join the hop go and check out Crazy-For_Books.com for the Mr. Linky for the Blog Hop. 

This week's question:

 "What very popular and hyped book in the blogosphere did you NOT enjoy and how did you feel about posting your review?"

Most of the time I enjoy the hyped books I hear about online.  The only one I didn't enjoy recently was The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff.  I still am not sure why I didn't like it because I am definitely one of the few.  Most everyone loved this and I wanted to love it, but it fell short for me.  That said, I will try Ms. Yovanoff's next book, I wasn't that turned off.

As for posting my review - I almost felt bad - one it's the author's first book, and two everyone else loved it.  But I had to post it.  I did qualify it with the fact that the writing is good and the review was purely my subjective opinion.  I didn't care if other people didn't agree, that's everyone's right,  I just didn't want my thoughts to hurt the author in any way.

Book Blogger Hop - Oct 22-25

To check out other answers and join the hop go and check out Crazy-For_Books.com for the Mr. Linky for the Blog Hop. 

This week's question:

"Where is your favorite place to read? Curled up on the sofa, in bed, in the garden?"

I have several places.  When the weather is nice (meaning spring and fall) I sit on the front porch swing or out back in my special double adirondack chair set with table between them that my hubby got us (but I use more).  When the weather is not so nice or at night I read in my chair in the corner of the living room and have my laptop beside me.  I also love to read in bed, and I have been threatening to go upstairs and read in my kids room since they are never there except to sleep.  They are always in the living room and my chair is in there and our bedroom is right off the living room, so upstairs would be quieter.  :)

Book Blogger Hop - October 15-18, 2010

To check out other answers and join the hop go and check out Crazy-For_Books.com for the Mr. Linky for the Blog Hop. 

This week's question:

"When you read a book that you just can't get into, do you stick it out and keep reading or move to your next title?"

It depends, if it is one for review I will try and stick it out if I need to review it soon.  If not I will put it down until a time when it might appeal to me more.  Much more leeway with books that aren't for review.  I like to put in at least 150 pages if it is for review and if I still can't get into then that is how I review it.  It rarely happens, but sometimes I'm just not in the mood for the book, or it is just not for me.

I've been missing from the hop for a few months but decided to come back - I look forward to hopping and finding new blogs this weekend!

Book Blogger Hop - August 13-16

To check out other answers and join the hop go and check out Crazy-For_Books.com for the Mr. Linky for the Blog Hop. 

This week's question:

How many books do you have on your 'to be read shelf’?

My answer - I have absolutely no clue - I have a bookshelf full of my own books that I have collected through the years and haven't read.  I then have the piles of wonderful review books to get through as well.  I can't even imagine how many books I have.  But that makes me happy - I always have something to read!

I'm currently reading The Candidates by Inara Scott and hope to read that as well as Nightshade by Andrea Cremer this weekend.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Book Blogger Hop - August 6-9

To check out other answers and join the hop go and check out Crazy-For_Books.com for the Mr. Linky for the Blog Hop. 

This week's question:

Do you listen to music when you read? If so, what are your favorite reading tunes?

I'll be the first to admit, it use to have to be completely quiet when I read.  Now I can read amidst most distractions.  I listen to my mp3 player with just about anything on it while at the gym to tune out conversations.  I don't put music on at home though just to read.  I prefer the quiet.  If I did pick out specific music to read by it would be soft music, preferably with no lyrics to distract.  Music for yoga or nature sounds is what comes to mind.


I'm currently reading Spells by Aprilynne Pike and hope to get through that, Evermore by Alyson Noel and Firelight by Sophie Jordan this weekend.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Book Blogger Hop - July 30 - Aug 2

To check out other answers and join the hop go and check out Crazy-For_Books.com for the Mr. Linky for the Blog Hop. 

This week's question:

Who is your favorite new-to-you author so far this year?





Young adult author, Simone Elkeles - I loved Perfect Chemistry and have Rules of Attraction loaded onto my Kindle when I get a break in my reviewing schedule.

Book Blogger Hop - July 23-26

To check out other answers and join the hop go and check out Crazy-For_Books.com for the Mr. Linky for the Blog Hop. 

This week's question:

TELL US ABOUT THE BOOK YOU ARE CURRENTLY READING!

I'm currently reading Wings by Aprilynne Pike - I'm on page 100 and it has had me from the very beginning.  I really like Lauren and David so far and look forward to learning more about Laurel and the faerie world in this book.  It seems I started reading faerie books a few weeks ago and have read more and more of them.  I really enjoy them more than I thought I would.


I have Spells waiting to read after this and I can't wait.

Book Blogger Hop: July 16-19

To check out other answers and join the hop go and check out Crazy-For_Books.com for the Mr. Linky for the Blog Hop. 

This week's question:

RIGHT THIS INSTANT, WHAT BOOK ARE YOU DYING TO GET YOUR HANDS ON (PAST, PRESENT, OR FUTURE)?

 

I'll have to go with the same answer as Crazy-For-Books on this one:  Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins is at the top of  my list.

 

Second up wound be the next book in the Sophie Turner series by Samantha Hunter - do you hear me Sam - I really want another book, the first book in the series is Past Tense and you can see the review here.

 

Also I'm patiently (or not so patiently) waiting on my copy of Linger by Maggie Stiefvater - it should arrive any day now. 

 

Thanks for stopping by on the hop - I'll be hopping around all weekend.  Be sure and check out my sidebar - I have several great giveaways going right now.

Book Blogger Hop: July 9-12

To check out other answers and join the hop go and check out Crazy-For_Books.com for the Mr. Linky for the Blog Hop. 

This week's question:  Tell us about some of your favorite authors and why they are your favorites!

My go to author is Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb - I always enjoy her books.  I also enjoy Nicholas Sparks since he is a local author and writes about the area I live in.  Other favorites are J.P. O'Donnell - I love his Gallagher series, Simone Elkeles is my new favorite YA author, I always read James Patterson and enjoy Susan Mallery's romance books.  I think I could go on and on, but that is a pretty good representation of some of my favorites.

I can't wait to hop around this weekend and see everyone else's answers.

Book Blogger Hop - July 2-5

The Hop is going to start having a CRAZY twist each week, to get to know each other a little better!  

To check out other answers and join the hop go and check out Crazy-For_Books.com for the Mr. Linky for the Blog Hop. 

Tell us your NAME and WHY YOU STARTED BLOGGING 

My name is Crystal Fulcher and I started blogging because I thought it would be a great way to keep up with the books I read and how I felt about them.  I also wanted to join in the wonderful world of other bloggers and how friendly they all seemed.  I have really enjoyed my year of blogging and it has turned into so much more than I thought it would.  I have met wonderful bloggers and authors and blogging has opened up a wonderful world of other readers like me.  I love it and look forward to continue reading your blogs.  I may not always comment, but I am reading a lot of your blogs.

Book Blogger Hop and What I'm Reading Friday

Wow - has it really been a week - I thought I just signed up for this yesterday, but no, it really has been a week.  I've been busy busy since last Friday, but able to accomplish posts.  I actually think this Book Blogger Hop really inspires me to post.  So do you want to join or visit blogs that have signed up?  It's simple, go and check out Crazy-For_Books.com for the Mr. Linky for the Blog Hop.  



ABOUT THE HOP:

In the spirit of the Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and find new blogs that we may be missing out on!  This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books!  It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed!  So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky list below!!

The Hop lasts Friday-Monday every week, so if you don't have time to Hop today, come back later and join the fun!  This is a weekly event!

Your blog should have content related to books, including, but not limited to book reviews.

What I'm Reading on Friday Edition:

Kindle: Dangerous by Diana Palmer

I can't seem to get to this for the print books I have for review, but I'm going to try and read this over the weekend.

Audio in the Car:  Don't Look Twice by Andrew Gross 

I started the 6th Disc today, very interesting.

Review Book:  Strange Neighbors by Ashlyn Chase

I am loving this one - so fun and cute.  I'm about 1/3 of the way through and should finish it quickly.  Review will be coming next week.

Library Book:  Burned by P.C. and Kristen Cast

Only a few pages into this but it seems interesting so far.  Hope to work on this one this weekend as well.

    

Book Reviews:
My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares
Welcome to Harmony by Jodi Thomas

*****Check out my sidebar for giveaways going on right now and there are more to come very soon!*****

Other notes for today - It's Friday and I'm tired.  I did go to Buffalo Wild Wings with my hubby for lunch and that was good (ours just opened).  We had fun playing the trivia game and DH even won.  Plans to go workout after work and then do some reading when I get home and then a few episodes of Lost with the family.

Book Blogger Hop Mixed With What I'm Reading on Friday

I'm joining in the Book Blogger Hop this week.  I did forget to put how long I've been blogging in my link, so if you're visiting my blog from the hop - I have been blogging for a little over 1 year and love it.  I'm looking forward to visiting a bunch of blogs over the weekend and adding more to my google reader.  So go and check out Crazy-For_Books.com for the Mr. Linky for the Blog Hop.  


What I'm Reading on Friday Edition:

Kindle: Dangerous by Diana Palmer
For review and I'll be having a giveaway for this sometime next week (a print copy).  I only started the first few pages at lunch today and Mitch and I are without the boys tonight so we are going to enjoy a date night so I don't think I'll get much more reading on it today.  I am intrigued and a little lost with the beginning, but will withhold judgment until I read more.

Audio in the Car:  Don't Look Twice by Andrew Gross 
I started the 4th Disc today, the plot is twisting away :)

Review Book:  Never Let You Go by Erin Healy
I read some of this before bed last night and it is so good - even in the first few chapters.  I can't wait to read more.  This will be my main read until it's done.


   

Book Reviews:
Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

*****Check out my sidebar for two giveaways going on right now and there are more to come very soon!*****

Other notes for today - I worked on my blog and it has a new look, what do you think.  On the personal tv watching front, we watched 3 more episodes of Lost last night (I think we are on season 2 episode 21), but there won't be any tonight as Logan, the son who watches with us will be with Jacob at his grandparents' house.  Even our little one watches from time-to-time when he wanders in (though most of the time he is off playing in his room) and was confused last night when they called Locke, John.  He had always heard that was Locke and did not understand that wasn't his first name.  I love 5-year-olds.



ABOUT THE HOP:

In the spirit of the Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and find new blogs that we may be missing out on!  This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books!  It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed!  So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky list below!!

The Hop lasts Friday-Monday every week, so if you don't have time to Hop today, come back later and join the fun!  This is a weekly event!

Your blog should have content related to books, including, but not limited to book reviews.