thanks.

I am new here and new to weblogs in general. So far, I’m really enjoying reading them.

Before I state my problems with book reviews, whether in blog format or in print, let me state my issues with books. Then it will be clear that I don’t care whether it’s print or weblog, as long as the review is good.

my problems with books are as follows: excessively topical to the exclusion of putting the issues in context, or having much to say (for fiction). This applies to “important” subjects such as politics and hard news as much as “less important” subjects such as genre fiction and “women’s issues.” These books are a flash in the pan. They lose a lot of relevance within a year or two; often much sooner.

my other problems are poor editing, books that look like they’ve been slapped together in a hurry without much effort by the author or editor, and milking a controversy for all its worth instead of fairly characterizing your opponent’s position.

finally, I want to know what makes the book stand out? Is it the type of book that comes out over and over again with just slightly different slant and a new “name” for the author? or does it really have something original to say? would I be better off buying that book that came out 6 months ago that’s now selling for fewer than 5.00 US on amazon?

I don’t want to sound like all books are garbage these days. I think there are many *excellent* books being written and published. but how do I find them? there are a lot of books, the kind that get put on the display tables, that don’t look very impressive. how do I find the good ones?

It seems to me that I have a better chance to find good books in weblogs b/c more books are reviewed, and b/c money is less of an issue.

for fiction, I want to know if the book is good enough to be read in 10 years. I realize it really can’t be predicted (most of the time?) whether a book will last but I want to know if this is another cookie-cutter chick-lit or “literary” book that is worth a quick read, but nothing stellar – or if it is good enough to be read for quite a while.

I don’t see book reviewers in print doing this. I’ve read many more in print than on weblogs. this is all hard to do and it doesn’t pay. but if you’re not going to do it, say so. such as “this book is really topical and it may or may not be worth reading next year. I can’t tell.” to me that’s valuable information.

my other frustration is with the confusion of fact and opinion. I find print reviewers mess up here all the time. to avoid offense I’ll give a musical example. the musician Paul Simon was asked to come up with a list of the top 10 albums that everyone must listen to. his list was heavy on 50’s doo-wop music, which he loves.

Now I know those lists are hype but I’ve heard Simon talk a lot about that music. to call it “the best” is an opinion. my list would have a lot of classical music on it. the specific composers and performances I would pick would reflect my opinion.

I personally don’t see enough differentiation between “this book, or aspects of it, is objectively bad” versus “this book is not to my taste, but it is a good book anyway.”

I read my local paper’s book section every Sunday. I think that doing a really comprehensive review is such hard work that a less elitist attitude is a good thing. whether in print or on the Web.

thanks.

I then thought of Wendy Lesser, who, in “The Amateur,” refers to herself as “an eighteenth century man of letters.” (I am at my day job–the one that pays the rent–and don’t have the book here for the exact quote.) Ah, I thought. That’s me. A 21st century female book lover with the good fortune of knowing a few fellow travelers. Life could be worse.

Print, online, braille, crumpled little notes–just give me the damned stuff to read. Who needs the fucking television?

BK