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Sep
04
BTT: What's Hot?
2008 at 8am Posted by Rebecca Joines Schinsky
Today’s topic from JM: I was looking through books yesterday at the shops and saw all the Twilight books, which I know basically nothing about. What I do know is that I’m beginning to feel like I’m the *only* person who knows nothing about them.
Despite being almost broke and trying to save money, I almost bought the expensive book (Australian book prices are often completely nutty) just because I felt the need to be ‘up’ on what everyone else was reading.
Have you ever felt pressured to read something because ‘everyone else’ was reading it? Have you ever given in and read the book(s) in question or do you resist? If you are a reviewer, etc, do you feel it’s your duty to keep up on current trends?
I think I generally do a pretty good job of staying away from books if my only motivation for reading them is to know what’s hot or to keep up with what “everyone else” is reading. After all sales numbers do not necessarily imply anything about the quality of a book (case in point: James Patterson sells millions of books, but he doesn’t even write them by himself). My personal TBR list is far too long to waste time reading books I don’t enjoy, but since I work as a bookseller, I do feel obligated to know what the popular books are and what’s coming out soon. I keep on top of everything by reading industry publications (Shelf Awareness, Publishers Lunch, newsletters from the publishers we work with, and internal company publications), talking to our customers, and asking my coworkers about what they’re reading. There are enough of us here, and we have varied enough reading preferences, that I can get a good idea of what a book is about and be able to talk to customers and clients about it without having read it.
As a reviewer, I do like to keep up on current trends, and there are usually enough good books coming out that I can read ARCs and write reviews about books I’m genuinely interested rather than picking something up just because it is soon to be released. I only request ARCs and review copies of books that I really want to read and review because again, life is too short, and there are too many good books in the world, to read something I don’t enjoy. However, I do think it’s important to step outside my comfort zone occasionally and read something that will expand my horizons. After the Fire and American Wife are recent example of that (click titles for my review). It’s all about balance and being well-rounded.
Regarding the Twilight series: I would NEVER have read those books if not for my job, which entailed planning and promoting a midnight release party for Breaking Dawn and hosting a monthly teen readers/Twilight book group. Am I glad I read them? Not really. Sure, I was conversant in teen-speak and could chat with the twelve-year-old who sat next to me on the plane last week, and now I can answer parents’ questions about whether the books are appropriate for the kids, but I wasted many hours of my life reading books that are poorly written and that I had very little interest in, and I hate doing that. I can’t say I’m too sad that she’s suspending work on the next book, Midnight Sun, since a partial draft was leaked online last week. (Click here for details in the August 28th entry).
Click here to read my review of Eclipse and my thoughts on the first 3 books and here to read my spoilerific review of Breaking Dawn.
Want to expand your horizons? Enter to win an ARC of After the Fire: A True Story of Friendship and Survival, which was recently released on August 25th.
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I would hate to have to read a series (not just one book! Yikes!) that I didn’t like. You have my condolences.
Like you, I can “get a good idea of what a book is about” by looking at the cover.
I just checked out your earlier post on Eclipse, which I hadn’t seen, and everything keeps confirming how much I won’t like these books.
And somehow I still almost want to pick them up.
I think it’s a sort of train wreck fascination, I want to read them to see (a) how bad they really are and (b) if I can understand how anyone else could possibly like them.
But for my own mental health I will continue to stay away.
That was a great answer – and its different than most because you do work as a book seller. I guess you would have to be ‘up’ on the current trends. You reminded me that I can keep up with them without having to actually read them, thanks to the publications you mentioned. I agree with you that life is too short to waste time reading something you don’t really care about.
I never really thought about it but after this post, I have to say that I do try to stay away from what is considered “hot”. At least, as far as the bestsellers list goes. I never understand how some books get to the top of those lists. I like to read books based on what close friends have said or by hearing about them on the book blogs I frequent. People that basically love books are a good resource for me.
I still, to this day, will not read Eat, Pray, Love.
I completely agree about being well-rounded – not just reading what popular!
I agree it’s good to step out of your comfort zone – but I can’t think I’d ever read the Twilight series as it just doesn’t appeal to me and as you say life is too short to read books you’re not interested in.
Hey thats the first I read about James P not writing his books. That is so sad. I just read Sam’s letters to Jennifer by him and though it was a typical mushy, romantic story, I loved it.
And planning a midnight release party for Breaking Dawn? It must have been hectic and total madness.
having to read books you don’t like is one downside of being in the book biz. as a librarian i read in my speciality and there are some things i would bypass if it were up to me. i haven’t had to read anything horrible (yet) but it can be a chore sometimes.
I can imagine how you feel about working in a bookstore and having to read some books which aren’t your interests… I suppose every job has it down side. But hey, I’d want to work in a bookstore anytime!!
I feel very similar. I am a children’s librarian and although many of our patrons are checking out this series, I don’t feel the need to read them, either. I also talk about the books, read reviews, and get feedback from people who have read them in order to be able to answer general questions as well. Sometimes, this is enough, I think. Do I feel guilty about it? Sometimes. But I also feel like I have to be true to myself and not waste my precious reading time on something that I won’t enjoy.
However, I’ve been thinking maybe I should read the first book, just to see what it’s like. Maybe just a quick flip through………
Oh, the guilt!
Thanks for the interesting viewpoint on a common problem.