Via Dewey:

1. When you dislike a book, do you say so in your blog? Why or why not?
Yes. Mostly because my blog is a record of all the things I’ve read, and if I didn’t like it, when I go back to see what I thought of something, I’d like to know if I hated it. I do try to give good, valid reasons for not liking something, and temper with an understanding of what my tastes and moods are. But, if I didn’t like it, I’m going to say it.

2. Do you temper your feelings about books you didn’t like, so as not to completely slam them? Why or why not?

Depends on my mood and the venue. I was more positive than I wanted to be about the reviews I did for The Edge of the Forest, but I realized that they wouldn’t really go for a sarcastic slam. They just don’t do that. And, if an author sent the book to me, I do try to find the positive things, even if I have some criticisms. They’re people with feelings, too. And just because I don’t like it, doesn’t mean that others will have the same reaction.

3. What do you think is the best way to respond when you see a negative review about a book you enjoyed?

I usually just smile and shrug. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. And just because you don’t like my favorite book doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. (BTW, I hate anonymous commentors who leave snitty comments on my blog. Drives me nuts.)

4. What is your own most common reaction when you see a negative review of a book you loved or a positive review of a book you hated?

Whatever. Their opinion. Though I have to admit when I see a positive review of a book I disliked, I wonder (on some level) what was wrong with me, and what I missed in reading that book. Especially if I seen more than one. (Case in point: Evil Genius. I hated it, many many other people love it. What did I miss?)

5. What is your own most common reaction when you get a comment that disagrees with your opinion of a book?

That happens a lot. Some people love what I love. Other people don’t. The biggest book I got slammed for (another comment showed up today) was for liking Caddie Woodlawn. But if I got in a snit every time somebody thought I was horrible for liking that book, I’d be a basket case. Other people have opinions. I can’t let them affect what I think/thought about that book.

6. What if you don’t like a book that was a free review copy? What then?

Depends on where it came from and where I’m writing it up. As I said before, if it’s for someplace else, I’ll probably find the positive as well as the negative. But if it’s for here, I have no qualms with saying it’s not all that great. (I do have to admit, that for my middle-grade and YA reviews, I take M’s opinion into consideration. If she liked it a whole lot more than I did, I take into consideration the “adult factor”, and write my review accordingly. I admit that this is “cheating”; not every reviewer has a bookworm child who’s willing to give her opinion on what she reads.)

7. What do you do if you don’t finish a book? Do you review it or not? If you review it, do you mention that you didn’t finish it?

If it’s for somewhere else, I finish it. I won’t review a book for an online ‘zine if I don’t finish it. But, since this blog is a record of every book that passes through my hands, I’ll write something up whether or not I finish it. I need to know — bad memory, remember? — if I couldn’t stomach a book, and why I didn’t finish it.