There’s an inherent egotism required by most creative pursuits that I’ve always struggled with. When you’re writing a story, you have to believe that you have something to say. When you’re critiquing a story, you have to believe that you can offer a viewpoint that other people might find informative.
For some people, this necessitates some level of self-reflection. An inner-argument over the merits of your abilities and what those abilities can produce. For others, it’s easier. I’ve seen fantastically talented individuals share their work with a smile, and I’ve wondered if they earned their self-confidence along with their hard-won skill. But I’ve also seen some people whose confidence is inversely proportional to their talent and brain-power. So, y’know, maybe it’s a dice roll.
I’m very much the type of person that needs to reflect. I’ve been reviewing books for over 3 years now, and trying to write my own for far longer. In that time, I’ve often come to the conclusion that I lack the confidence and conviction that creative people are supposed to need. I question myself too much. I’ve worn the shoes of too many people and butted heads with more. All it has earned me is a headache.
When you strip back the gimmicks, the jokes, and the online persona, I’m just… Me. An abrasive, anxious twenty-something who somehow stumbled into creating a blog with seven other people who have had to learn to put up with me over the past two years.
Who am I to decide that what I have to say is worth listening to? Who am I to take the product of someone else’s life’s work and then judge it? Who am I to write this rambling, self-pitying article and think anyone would want to read it?
There is nothing that makes my opinion any more valuable than anyone else’s. Absolutely nothing.
To put it bluntly: book blogging is bullshit.
Which is not to say that what we do isn’t valuable, it’s just that our opinions aren’t inherently more valuable than yours. The only real differences are the experience in expressing that opinion, and the size of our platform.
But if I dislike a book, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it was a “bad” book. If I love a book, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you will too.
There are too many variables. Too many things that could impact how you or I could perceive the same book in different ways. We’ve all lived different lives and been dealt different damages. None of us are the same, and few of us are special.
And that’s… That’s pretty great, actually.
There’s a wonderful sort of freedom in realizing that you don’t have to contort yourself to fit a mould. That you don’t have to try to be unique in order to be unique.
There are no “best” books. There is only what’s best for you. You can only like what you like. If you’ve seen a negative review of a book, it isn’t “wrong” for you to like it. Or the opposite. Your tastes are your own.
What I’m trying to get at with this article is that, behind the platforms and the essays, every reviewer is just another enthusiastic reader. We put a lot of time and effort into our hobby, but at the end of the day our opinions are just that — opinions. We’re just as human as anybody else. We review books one day and then have completely different opinions on them six months later. We post reviews and then wish we’d added something, or get frustrated that we couldn’t quite communicate exactly how we felt. We have doubts over whether or not we’re qualified or talented or creative enough to write certain things.
And some of us feel anxious that our opinions aren’t the “correct” ones. We’re not immune to that either. I personally do it all of the time. So hey, if I’m not always sure of my own opinions, there’s no reason for you to take them as objective judgements.
At the end of the day, the only opinion that matters is your own. It’s not so much that book blogging is bullshit. That’s just my own frustrations manifesting in a clickbaity headline. There are so many wonderful, talented, hard-working people out there who put out great content, put up with a lot of shit, and deserve far more plaudits than they get. These people fill important niches that the publishing industry requires.
…But this idea that any one review has drilled down into the “objective truth” of a book? That one person’s opinions and tastes are any more valid than your own? That is bullshit.
Whether the book that you love has been critically panned or critically acclaimed, it doesn’t matter. The important thing is that you love it. As Disney as that sounds, it’s true. Read what you love, and fuck anyone who tries to make you feel “lesser” for that.
No truer words were ever spoken 🔨 (get it? hammering the truth?)
I think when it comes down to it book blogging is about sharing, not stating. That is why we write our reviews and why we connect.
Very well put!
Blogging is essential to me, an author. It is the independence of the blogger, the uniqueness of the blogger, the authenticity of the blogger who is not affiliated with or beholden to anything other than their own consciousness that make h/h reviews so valuable. All I EVER want is a fair, honest review, Friends are kind before they are candid. Professionals have jobs to keep and reputations to maintain. It is the blogger who I trust.
Relatable. I sometimes wonder what non-bloggers think of our reviews. Do they think we’re an authority and on what ground? I think it might come from the time when reviewers were actually hired people for papers and magazines and had to have certain degrees and whatnot. But reviewing now is so different.
The way I think of reviewing myself though, it’s that it’s not about the opinion, but rather the fact that I’m willing to write a review, whatever that is. Because the common user may have scores of opinions, but most of them will be kept to oneself, and authors and publishers still need reviews. The only difference between my opinion and the opinion of any other reader is that I’m willing to post it to the retailers that the publishers think are important.
Blogging for me anyway has always been about having an outlet to express my feelings about the books I’ve read. I’ve never seen myself as an “influencer” or someone who should even be listened to when it comes to whether readers should read a book or not. I’m just a guy with a blog talking about books and if someone wants to read a book based on my opinion of it, hey that’s great. And I appreciate that there are people out there who read things based on my reviews. But in the end it has always been an outlet pure and simple where I can talk about something that is an absolute passion in my life and always will be – reading.
I’m in largely the same boat as you. It’s just that while I love when people pick up books on my reputation, it makes me somewhat uncomfortable when I’m treated as some ultimate authority on good and bad books, y’know? I can give an opinion, and maybe an informed one, but tastes can differ. And like you say, I’m just a guy with a blog.
It definitely makes me uncomfortable at times as well. I mean, how do you know you’re going to like a book just because I did? We could have totally different opinions on what makes a great read. It’s most certainly a weird feeling and position that we put ourselves in. That’s why I always try to preface my final opinions about a book with “hey, I didn’t like this book but maybe you will because of these reasons….” or something to that effect. But yeah, I totally get you Hiu.