Today’s Booking Through Thursday question:
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?
It depends. If I’m interested in the book, popularity may cause it to loom larger in my book radar and I’ll read it faster than a different, less popular book. Sometimes I do read books to see what all the fuss is about – namely The Da Vinci Code, which I have to say, I didn’t like very much and I still don’t really get why it became so popular. I’ve read all the Harry Potter books and I’m not ashamed to say that I love them, but I was extremely resistant to hop on that bandwagon in the beginning. I only read the first one because I needed to read a new book for a school assignment and I’d read all my books, so I had to resort to my mom’s collection, and there it was.
I haven’t read the Twilight series. I don’t plan to unless I can find them for extremely cheap. I don’t mind vampires and paranormal stuff, but I do mind irritating heroines and completely unrealistic love, which I’ve heard this book has. The varying reports on the final book didn’t really persuade me that the series was a must read, either.
As a reviewer, I do like to read the books that everyone else is talking about and newer books, so that my reviews are more relevant. That doesn’t stop me from reviewing the books that I’ve had for a while, though, or that no one seems to have read but me. They are just as interesting and if I’m reading them, I might as well tell other people how they are while I’m at it.
My views are pretty similar. In fact, I like reviewing books that aren’t as well known — I feel as though I am bringing a hidden treasure to light for people who wouldn’t otherwise know of it. I think I might just go add that thought to my answer.
I read what interests me.
True. It depends. I love the Twilight series as well as the Da vinci code and I would like to state that I am thankful I read them in spite of the hype they were surrounded by
The heroine wasn’t too annoying in the first book of Twilight, so I’m willing to read further (at least until she gets really annoying). However, I’m not spending more on a copy of those books than a BookMooch point or two, or possibly whatever they cost at Half Price Books.
Overall, though, I agree with what you said. My answer was very similar.
I also got sucked into the madness around The DaVinci Code and regretted it. People got all riled up because of controversial content, but the writing is crap. Granted, Brown knows how to move a story along, but so much of it is impossible to believe. I ran out of books on a trip last year and had to borrow my hubby’s copy of Angels and Demons (also out of character for him to read it, but that’s beside the point) and couldn’t handle it.
I think American Wife is a good current example of a book that’s getting much more attention than it deserves simply because its contents are controversial and flashy.
I do read some popular books, but sometimes I’m let down because the hype was greater than the book.
yeah, i love reviewing and blogging because it’s like belonging to one big book club. i love seeing what other people thought of the books I’m reading, have read, want to read, etc. etc. So fun. But then- so many books!
Dan Brown is about the only thing I got pressured into reading, and I still don’t get the fuss. Yes the stories are interesting, but the actual writing is what I couldn’t bear. Great ideas, bad presentation.
Yes, I guess a lot of us read The DaVinci Code to see what all the fuss was about. And I’m still not quite sure – even though I liked the book well enough. I like to keep an eye on what’s being published and what’s selling, but I don’t always feel the need to read the latest craze. I guess I think of myself as a blogger who does occasional book reviews, rather than as a real reviewer – and that gives me the freedom to read just what I like.