Christina at A Reader of Fictions talked in this blog post about the importance of responding to comments. I don't usually respond for a couple of reasons:
1. I never remember to check back at a blog post where I commented unless I leave a very specific question that I want an answer to so I figure some others are like me too.
2. I worry that it looks like I'm trying to inflate my comments as that automatically doubles my comment count.
3. Sometimes it is honestly lack of time.
However this past week I have set aside a few minutes each night to respond to comments from Tuesday onward so if you want to look at that, you can!
Oscars:
I adore award shows so I'm looking forward to watching the Academy Awards tonight. I love the dresses and am interested in how Seth McFarlane does as host.
Books Received (as stated last week, these were requested pre-Lent but I only now received notification about now):
How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by Sarah Strohmeyer
The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise
You Look Different in Real Life by Jennifer Castle
Transparent by Natalie Whipple
Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike
September Girls by Bennett Madison
The Mystery of Mercy Close by Marian Keyes
The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler
Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead
Wednesdays in the Tower by Jessica Day George
The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa
My Vine picks this week were Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers and Breath by Jackie Morse Kessler (yay!)
As usual, reviews will be posted no more than 30 days before publication date.
Week to Come:
Monday is adult focusing on the romantic historical comedy The Duke Diaries by Sophia Nash, book 3 of her Royal Entourage series.
Tuesday is Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell-did this historical (set in 1983!) tickle my buttons? (spoiler alert on goodreads-friend me!)
Wednesday is Legacy of the Clockwork Key by Kristin Bailey
Thursday is Lindsey Leavitt's Going Vintage; she's one of my favorite authors so this has been highly anticipated!
Then we end the week with Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality by Elizabeth Eulberg, another beloved author.
Saturday brings us the second day of a new month, which means my discussion post about the next section of War and Peace will go live (Have I finished the reading? Not as of this writing but that will be a priority for me.)
Awesome books this week. Gameboard of the Gods, OMG, I can't wait to read this book, Richelle Mead is awesome. The Boyfriend App looks like a fun read too, I'll be checking that one out too. Thanks for sharing and happy reading.
ReplyDeleteKatie ~ My Mailbox
I was so lucky (lots of happy dancing!) with the books I received this week. I think Gameboard of the Gods is still on Netgalley if you want to request it.
DeleteI have Transparent and The Book of Broken Hearts, which I am looking forward to. I couldn't get Dark Triumph because they ran out of copies. I don't mind as I really need to get caught up on the Vine ARCS I already have!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could watch The Oscars but I don't have cable and it isn't on the few local channels I can get. Instead I will be on Twitter and online to find out the winners and hopefully someone will post the funny and entertaining stuff on YouTube later.
Have a great week and have fun watching the Oscars. I hope Seth McFarlane will be funny and not annoying as a host...I miss the days of Billy Crystal...
I'm really hoping McFarlane is good too-I tend to not like his more raunchy bits but he'll have to tone that down so I'm hoping for something just funny and classy like Tina and Amy at the GGs.
DeleteI got DARK TRIUMPH via Vine, too!! I'm so darned excited that I'm almost afraid to start it! Woot! Happy reading. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm nervous about it because I've been hyping it in my mind for so long but I really do think it will be good.
DeleteOh my Dark Triumph!! I am so excited for that book but I feel too unworthy to even try requesting a copy. I can't wait to read your thoughts on it, especially Sybella and her romance. I hope you enjoy!
ReplyDeleteLol at being unworthy-you're awesome Smalls! I have high hopes for Sybella's romance and hope it lives up to them!
DeleteYay -- I also have:
ReplyDeleteDark Triumph
How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True
Transparent
Gameboard of the Gods
The Eternity Cure
Yeah, I went back and forth on the comment thing last year. I agree that most (99.9%?) of commenters never come back to check to see what I said, if anything. But then I decided that I just like the feel of conversation it gives on the blog. And that way readers and potential commenters know that I DO read what they said. I don't respond to every single one (especially if it's made days after the post goes up) and if I have something I MUST say to the commenter I tweet or email them.
For a while I thought of doing Disqus or something like that, but I wince every time I see a form to fill out....
Part of the reason I was swayed was knowing that you comment (I'm so glad I've returned to your blog a couple times like reading that tidbit about Thorne and Cress maybe). I also really like when you email-I've tried doing that a few times with people but have only had it return to me, which makes me less likely to do it.
DeleteGreat post by Christina. Commenting is so hard though. I usually don't have a lot to say, but I want to say something. I try to remember to respond to comments, but it doesn't happen for me all the time either.
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoy your books! I have Eternity Cure as well, and can't wait to read it.
Brandi @ Blkosiner’s Book Blog
I really struggle with commenting some times. One of the things I like about your reviews is how you end with a question-I usually have an opinion and can comment about that even if I don't have much to say about the book itself.
DeleteI would not say that it looks like you are trying for more comments, it just looks like you care what people has to say :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for this positive spin! I guess I can be kind of a downer sometimes so my mind went immediately negative.
DeleteI was thinking about this some more and realizing that I would never think so negatively about another blogger, just about myself, which I guess says something about me...
Deleteaaah I am so jealous I am dying to read Gameboard of the Gods but, the declined me. Great haul so many great books, I can't wait to read The Eternity Cure! Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteKristin @ Young Adult Book Haven
That stinks that you were declined-I was very surprised to be accepted. The Eternity Cure is definitely one I'm very excited about-I hope it's fantastic!
DeleteI'm currently waiting for the Oscars to start. I really hope Jennifer Lawrence wins! *fingers crosse* Eleanor and Park sounds fab, so I'm hoping that you agree and enjoyed it too. Guess I will have to see this week!!
ReplyDelete-Lauren
Yay for J.Law! I'm a little scared for her just because she's so young (only 22) and now she has all these expectations and pressures on her for being an Oscar winner already but I also have hopes for her to navigate her career with grace.
Deletei'm interested in your thoughts about sarah ockler's book. i really like the premise of that one.
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited about the Ockler. I also got my library to buy Bittersweet so once that comes in, I'll be able to review it too.
DeleteBreathe! Eternity Cure! So many awesome looking books :) Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteI know-I was very lucky this past week!
DeleteYou got awesome books this week!
ReplyDeleteAs for comments, I do try to reply to every comment, and never looked at it as inflating comment numbers...but more often I try to visit all the bloggers who commented on my blog.
And I'm looking forward to your review of Eleanor & Park!
I'm feeling so reassured by everyone's comments here and it is bolstering my desire to respond to comments. Even when I didn't respond to comments, I still tried to visit commenters' blogs to find out what was going on in their corner of the blogosphere.
DeleteHa, I have honestly wondered about the doubling comments thing, but I've never thought that of anyone else, so I doubt anyone would think it of you. I've only wondered it about myself, and dismissed it for that reason.
ReplyDeleteIt does take a lot of time, though.
So good to know I'm not the *only* one but now I feel content that I can discard that ridiculous idea. So far it's not taking too long but that's because you all write such amazing comments that it's pretty easy to respond :)
DeleteI'm with you on the commenting thing! I'm horrible at responding to comments for the most part, for mostly the same reasons as you. Then I see bloggers who feel really strongly about wanting us to respond, and I try harder again. :)
ReplyDeleteYou got several books I'm looking forward to seeing your thoughts about!
I was always pretty neutral about responding to comments but it is the people with strong opinions who are encouraging me to try this-I'm enjoying it so far but we'll see how long I can keep up.
DeleteI'm in the middle when it comes to responding to comments. I definitely don't check back all the time to see if someone responded to mine, and I sometimes don't end up responding to comments on my blog because I just run out of time. Usually if I don't have the time, I decide to visit their blog instead of responding on my own. But it really varies. One thing I know I dislike is when someone comments on a post of mine with nothing but a link to their blog...so I deliberately do not reward that behavior, lol.
ReplyDeleteI'm so obsessed with award shows too, I DVR those puppies so I can rewind to see the speeches or dresses I liked.
I always try to comment back if I can, knowing that comments on my blog make me the happiest so probably other people agree.
DeleteThat's a lot of great books this week! You are so lucky to get Gameboard of the Gods. I hope it's good! I'm interested in your reviews for a lot of these. Looking forward to them.
ReplyDeleteI know-I felt so spoiled!
DeleteLOL I just totally ditzed out here and forgot if I entered my comment or not.. I swear it was typed in and I hadn't pressed to publish yet, but I don't see it here or in the box to edit.. so.. LOL *going mental*
ReplyDeleteI'm really looking forward to reading Gameboard of the Gods and Eternity Cure as well! They look fantastic!
I'm trying to get better at commenting on people's blogs when they comment on mine. I've always thought it was a great practice, even though I do try to reply on every comment on my own blog too. I know people love comments as I do :D
I thought the Academy Awards were alright.. nothing fantastic. It was interesting to have so many musical pieces, it felt like the grammy's at some point haha
April @ My Shelf Confessions
I loved all the musical numbers at the Oscars especially Eddie Redmayne in the Les Mis sequence-so swoony! Those were my fave parts.
ReplyDelete