This Week's Top Ten Tuesday topic:
Books I Loved But Never Reviewed
As soon as I saw this week's topic, I knew I wouldn't have a problem with it. Because I have a big issue with not reviewing books that I love. Actually there are two reasons why a book I've read is not reviewed. One is pretty basic and I'm sure everyone can relate: I have every intention of reviewing it but it just hasn't happened yet. I mean, that's pretty universal, right? But then there's reason number two: the books I loved but have never reviewed. There are those books that I loved so much, that made such an impact on me, or were just generally that good, that I feel completely inadequate when it comes to writing a review. Sometimes I attempt it, but I freeze up and can't find the words. I feel unable to do the book justice. It's almost as if I'd be doing such a special book a disservice by not delivering a stellar review.
Five Books I Loved But Haven't Reviewed... Just Because I'm Super Busy Lazy
Boyfriend Material - Alexis Hall
The Family Upstairs - Lisa Jewell
Regretting You - Colleen Hoover
Five Books I Loved But Haven't Reviewed... and Possibly Never Will (because I loved them immensely and cannot speak coherently about them)
Some Kind of Perfect - Krista & Becca Ritchie
It Ends With Us - Colleen Hoover
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things - Bryn Greenwood
Have you read any of these books?
Great list! I try to review everything I read, but sometimes those books come along that you love so much it's so hard to write a review without writing a circle of praise that doesn't actually tell someone anything useful about the book so I feel your pain! As a reader I often find negative reviews more helpful than positive ones when I'm trying to decide if I want to pick up a book or not.
ReplyDeleteExactly. I mean, I could flail and gush and spew my feelings all over a review but that's hardly helpful. LOL
DeleteI totally agree with this statement - "I feel unable to do the book justice." I could never write reviews for some of my favorite books because I wouldn't be able to put the right words together to describe why I love them so much!
ReplyDeleteYes! I feel like no matter what the review would somehow be lacking and just not do the book, or my feeling for it, justice.
DeleteI've heard good things about All the Wonderful and Ugly Things.
ReplyDeleteMy TTT .
It seemed to be quite divisive at the time but I thought it was incredibly powerful and thought-provoking. It became an instant favorite.
DeleteI also really loved Boyfriend Material but never reviewed it because I'd just be a raving mess haha :)
ReplyDeleteRight? :) I would probably just keep repeating "And Luc... and Oliver... gah!" LOL
DeleteI have felt that my review would be wholly inadequate many times, so I get that. I do try to write something with my rating on Goodreads. Those notes are more for me than for anyone else, but could give someone some inkling as to how I felt about the book.
ReplyDeleteI always admire how quickly you seem to review your books. I get so behind. You are my reviewing rock star! :)
DeleteI so agree with the sentiment of sometimes not being able to review those books that you absolutely loved. It's HARD. It always takes me a long time to sit down and review them for sure. I am looking forward to seeing some of your thoughts on these books, especially Kingmaker and Boyfriend Material! ;)
ReplyDeleteSo glad you agree, Nick! It's hard to write a review that captures a book you truly loved! Hopefully I'll get to reviewing The Kingmaker and Boyfriend Material sooner rather than later. :)
DeleteI also had absolutely no trouble coming up with a list for this week's prompt 😂 I find it funny that it's always harder to write reviews for books that you loved instead of books that were just alright or that you hated. Why is it so difficult?! LOL I really can't wait to read some of these! Good luck if you ever get around to finding time to write the reviews 😉
ReplyDeleteIsn't that crazy? It's like, you loved the book, so it should be so easy so whip out a perfect review. Nope, doesn't happen! LOL
DeleteI've been wanting to read a Lisa Jewell book for quite awhile, but feel overwhelmed with the selection. Maybe I should start with this one!
ReplyDeleteLisa Jewell has been a longtime favorite of mine. From back in the very early 2000's when she was writing chick lit so her more current domestic dramas/mysteries. The Family Upstairs was very good as was Then She Was Gone and Watching You.
DeleteI've read most of these, and I can understand how even if you loved them it might be hard to write a review. A lot of them carry heavy emotions. All the Ugly and Wonderful things was a hard one for me. I hated some of the content, and yet the writing was captivating.
ReplyDeleteI read some interviews with Bryn Greenwood that really had me examining ATUAWT in different ways. Questions about personal agency, and power over our own bodies and lives. That book was so thought-provoking.
DeleteSeveral people have talked today about not reviewing books because they feel like they can't do it justice. I get that. Sometimes it feels like you have nothing to add, although I always love getting people's personal takes on books. It's what makes reading book blogs so fun!
ReplyDeleteHappy TTT!
Somehow I can ramble on for ages about books that I really liked and enjoyed. But when it's a book I loved... way harder!
DeleteI'm mostly of the lazy reasoning right now but definitely suffer from nto reviewing because it wouldn't be coherent.
ReplyDeleteI also don't always like to review books I'm crazy about because then I have to start disecting them and pointing out flaws.
Karen @ For What It's Worth
I get it. Sometimes I love a book so much that I don't want to nitpick its flaws. I just want to bask in all the goodness and not ruin it for myself. LOL
DeleteSometimes I struggle with just putting a book down long enough to review a different book. I generally finish books late at night, and then by morning, I'm usually already engrossed in a different book.
ReplyDeleteSame! I move on so quickly that I don't take time in between to write a review.
DeleteInteresting list! I also find it challenging to write reviews for books I liked, for some reason.
ReplyDeleteHere is my Top Ten Tuesday list this week.
It's tough for me when I feel like I'm not able to articulate how special the book was.
DeleteCoHo, Mia and Bryn left me speechless too!!!
ReplyDeleteAll three of those know how to write some powerful stories!
DeleteI loved Regretting You and Archer's Voice. I wrote a review for Regretting You because I had to. It was an ARC, but it was hard because I didn't want to spoil anything. I didn't for Archer's Voice because it wasn't an ARC. It's hard for me to write a review so if I didn't get it as an ARC I'm probably not going to write one. Or if I do it'll be a short little thing on Goodreads. I need to get to All the Ugly and Wonderful Things after loving her last book.
ReplyDeleteI can how reviewing Regretting You would be tough. There's so much that happens right at the very beginning so it's hard to talk about anything after that without spoilers.
DeleteAll the Ugly and Wonderful Things proved to be so divisive but I loved it. I read some reviews with Greenwood and she spoke a lot about the themes of agency and self-possession that ran through the book.
I can definitely relate to this, not feeling like I can do justice to a book with my review. I've had that happen a few times for sure. And that Lisa Jewell book catches my eye- that must be her newest one? I'll need to take a look at that. I've been liking her stuff!
ReplyDeleteI think The Family Upstairs came out last fall if I remember right. November, maybe? And she has another coming out in a couple months (October) called Invisible Girl.
DeleteI can totally relate to both these reasons for not reviewing because that’s what I do all the damn time. Usually it’s just I haven’t got to it yet and I have draft posts ready and waiting to be edited and refined but yes to them just being too good for me to review. The books I like best I always struggle to put into words why because you want to do them justice and convince everyone else to read it too but it’s so difficult to explain why. Bad reviews are so much easier, I can easily find words for things I didn’t like.
ReplyDeleteSame here, Becky! I so agree with your comment "I can easily find words for things I didn’t like." I wonder why that is? I can manage those reviews just fine and speak coherently about what didn't work for me. But when it comes to the books I love, I just can't seem to articulate that as well.
DeleteYep, I'm familiar with #2. I do my best to finish reviews for all books read by the end of the year*, but I've got a February read still hanging on the WRITE ABOUT ME list. Not to mention the one I put on my list this week.
ReplyDelete*on more than one occasion I have spent up to 3 hours working on a review (which doesn't necessarily make it better so much as verbose). My favorite starting point for books you love too much to review is just writing out a list of bullet points featuring ALL THE FEELINGS, published or not, with as many spoilers as you want in the rough draft.
Bullet points are a good way to go. And I have one blogger friend who often reflects Pros and Cons in her reviews. I guess it's just a matter of finding what works best for you.
DeleteYour second reason for not reviewing really resonates with me. Sometimes when I completely fall in love with a book, I find it impossible to actually put my thoughts into words and am sure my words will never do the book justice.
ReplyDeleteI wish I felt capable of using the right words for those reviews but sometimes I just know I'll never be able to express my feelings.
DeleteAll The Ugly and Wonderful Things has been on my TBR for quite some time now, yet I still haven't picked it up for some reason...
ReplyDeleteThat one ended up being quite divisive but I loved it.
Delete