I do not buy into the celebrity book clubs and author mills like others may do. Just like the fact that I do not enjoy other peoples reviews, I do not like that some books and authors get the extra attention and the book itself is not that great. There are far more titles out there to read that are better yet never make the bookclub by Oprah or get placed on an automatically yours list on publishers websites. Don't get me wrong, I try to keep up with what others are saying are popular from a Reader's Advisory stand point, but for my personal reading I tend to dislike what's popular and enjoy the book I found lost in a used book store someplace. I have read several titles that are popular just to be able to relate and talk with patrons about them. Titles such as 50 shades of Grey and Gone Girl were not on my reading list but got so much attention I felt like it was my obligation to read them just to be able to relate with what others were saying. I would like to find out about publishers or websites that offer some of the less known authors and titles and give these books some of the spotlight equal to big names.
Monday, March 2, 2015
This week's prompt-For our prompt this week, I want you to think about fake memoirs, author mills, and celebrity inspired book clubs. Basically write a readers' response to one of the articles you are reading for this week - or talk about a time when a book or author that made headlines affected you personally or your work.
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Cindy, I totally agree with you on this. I sometimes read things to "keep up" - I can't tell you how many gasps I got this summer when I told people that I hadn't yet read Gone Girl! I sometimes am irritated by things like Oprah's Book Club - I think the choices can be good, but I think that people sometimes follow the recommendations without evaluating if they would normally put some of those books on their reading lists. I think that's where our job has a fun intersection - leading people who ask for those books to other gems that they may not have otherwise discovered!
ReplyDeleteI've only read one book from Oprah's list and I hated it! Several other books on her list actually are books I might choose to read, but I hesitate, because of the one I hated. Crazy, but true! Maybe I'm not the only one who feels this way, so the influence of her book club selections might not always be positive. I generally know what appeals to me, and enjoy reading most if I keep that in mind!
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