Every few months an article comes along about book blogs: about the influence blogs and bloggers can exert over internet-addicted book lovers, about the ways in which book blogs can’t meet up to the standards of ever-dwindling newspaper books pages, about the relationships between bloggers and authors and publishers. Attempts to fit book blogs into some standard narrative of bookish publicity never works, though, because book blogs are so different from (so much better than, I’d say) “traditional” venues for book publicity.
More often than there are articles and attempts to somehow chart book blogs, what they mean and what they’ll be for readers in the future, there are articles about the decline of reading: men don’t read, children don’t read, no one reads “good” books, ebooks are destroying books as we know and love them.
What book blogs show, in this age of cancelled book review sections in newspaper after newspaper, is that people do read, and that readers are increasingly passionate about sharing their reading with others. Sure, there are book clubs and there are literature courses, but only the luckiest reader has a group of friends he or she can discuss literature with on a regular basis. Book blogs, though, give a voice to the reader who before responded to books more privately, giving your average reader of literary fiction or science fiction the chance to expound on the qualities of a novel, how it fits into genre conventions or the conventions of their own reading habits (if not both).
By giving readers the opportunity to engage in significant and regular conversation about literature and reading, book blogs are fundamentally changing the reading landscape. Reviews and criticism no longer come just from above, but from all around us; readers of every age and race, male and female, from pretty much any place you can find on a map, are contributing to the literary conversation. Readers are allowed, even encouraged by other bloggers, to explore any section of the bookstore to which their interests or curiosity lead them. We may not all be interested in reading blogs about high fantasy, steam punk, young adult romance, historical fiction, romance, literary fiction, crime fiction, legal thrillers, self-published ebooks, graphic novels, short stories, military history, young adult fantasy…but there is something wonderful, something exhilarating, in the fact that you can find blogs (and a good number of blogs) on any of these types of literature, that you as a reader can develop a relationship with other readers whose tastes align with (and often expand) your own.
Some people may criticize book blogs because their authors aren’t professional. Some may criticize them because bloggers aren’t well-versed in literary theory or history. Some may criticize the quality of reviews, or the focus on a blogger’s personal life, or the exclusion of a blogger’s personal life from reviews. These, in my mind, are some of the best things about book blogs: that while some of us have studied literature, or work in an industry that keeps us around books for eight hours a day, we AREN’T professional; we are nothing more, nothing less, than average readers. It is remarkable that so many people devote their time to writing about books, and there are few better responses to those who fear a decline in reading than the number of readers who every day record the things they value and seek in the books they read.
You can find Ellen at Fatbooks.org
Similar posts:
Aloha, Amy! Mahalo for an excellent post. I heard several authors at the RWA National Convention in NYC claim that book bloggers are the “new independent book stores”. They acknowledge that book bloggers create buzz through grass roots movement.
Knowledge is power. Reading is enlightening. Practice makes perfect. I’d rather “unschooled” bloggers read books and blog about them than the alternative – no knowledge. No enlightenment. No way to improve our minds.
One of the things I love about book blogs is all this evidence that you don’t need a degree in literature (let alone a masters or a doctorate) to discuss books intelligently. It’s not just the reading interests of book bloggers that are diverse, but where we come from. I’ll never understand critics of book blogs who point to, as you phrase it, the “unschooled” nature of book bloggers; if you criticize bloggers for not having enough education to read and discuss books, you’re criticizing READERS – the very people books are reaching out to.
I live in a small town and finding other readers to chat with is difficult. In fact some of my first friends when I moved here were the librarians because they were the only bookish people I could find. Imagine my delight when I discovered the book blogging community, and then discovered another book blogger who lived just a 30 minute drive from me. Now we belong to the same book club (in which I met several other lovely bookish ladies).
It’s also wonderful to know that if we ever move far from here I have a community to link up to in any region.
I love that too. I’ve been living abroad for the past two years and haven’t had the chance to discuss books with anyone in real life, let alone visit a bookstore or a library. The book blogging community has been such a fantastic resource, giving me the chance to stay more connected and updated on book news & releases than I was before I started my blog.
As a book blogger may I thank you for this article!
Great post, thank you. I am in no shape or form a professional, just a reader that loves to share my passion for books with others. I’m in my early thirties and currently obsessed with the YA genre. My IRL friends are coming around to realizing how wonderful YA is… but I’m grateful and ecstatic to have the community of my YA book blogging/readers online to gush with over our favorite books/characters/authors.
I’ve been worrying recently, as a book blogger, that I am not “professional” enough. I write my reviews more like a blogger/reader than a pro literary critic. My motto is “write what I love.”
I am glad the article highlights blogger’s differences. Blogs are our journals. I’d certainly much rather read a blog review than be forced to see a commercial on TV or other form of advertising that feels fake.
I’ve also met new authors and read their books because of my book blog. I’d hate to miss out on such great novels and friends. Plus, I like helping them gain recognition. It’s a win-win situation. I get great books to read and new/unknown authors get reviews.
Right, I’d much rather learn about a new book from a blog rather than an advertisement. Maybe not many of us write like pro lit critics, but the great thing is the sense of community and ability to discuss books. Whatever types of reviews we’re writing, the ability to start (or participate in) a discussion is a powerful thing.
Great post, Ellen. I’ve had to face the fact that I just do not meet too many people in the real world who share such a passion for reading. Book blogging is like a fountain of youth for reading. The constant new outlooks and opinions on a diverse range of books and genres are going to be instrumental in keeping reading alive and well in the world. I truly believe this!
Reviews and criticism no longer come just from above, but from all around us; readers of every age and race, male and female, from pretty much any place you can find on a map, are contributing to the literary conversation.
I couldn’t agree more. Well said. And the fact that everyone can now become part of the conversation, rather than just those with specialized degrees, brings a level of passion, enthusiasm and excitement out that may reach reluctant readers where traditional reviews haven’t.
And as was the topic yesterday, it brings people together, giving them a sense of community where there never had been one before.
I have always been an avid reader. But I’ve never discovered nearly as many authors or their books until I started reading blogs.
Well said! Book blogs are like getting recommendations from friends, and I prefer that any day over advertisements and “professional” reviews. I have an English degree and took literary theory and all that, and while I do enjoy in-depth, critical reviews (from bloggers, of course), I prefer reviews where readers simply say what worked or didn’t work for them and whether a book was enjoyable or not. And the passion that book bloggers share for the written word is simply awesome!
I don’t understand the logic in criticizing book blogs because they “aren’t professional.” Isn’t that what makes us great? We aren’t paid, we aren’t trained, and we’re doing it anyway. We’re learning through books, diving in elbow-deep. That’s why writers write, I would think. To be read and discussed. Good for the professionals, certainly. But writers wouldn’t have jobs if the only people who cared were the ones that get paid to.