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Bookish Rants or Raves: My Love/Hate Relationship with Blurbs!
Filed in Bookish Rant or Raves , The Crazy Lover Posted on August 26, 2010 @ 2:00 pm
11 comments
I have this sort of ritual whenever I’m going to start reading a new book. I find the book on GoodReads and LibraryThing, read it’s blurb, mark as Currently Reading, add the image to my Blog Sidebar and start reading.
I have this obsession with book blurbs that cannot be healthy. Even during the book reading I tend to check back to the book’s Goodreads page and read and re-read it’s blurb.
The thing is, one of my biggest pet peeves are book blurbs that don’t match the book or have outright lies in them. I cannot stand that, it irritates me to no end and I can’t understand how publishers allow that to happen.
Sometimes it is pretty clear that whoever wrote the blurb did not read the book, and I find that a bit hard to swallow =/
On the other hand, blurbs can be really helpful if you read and follow as many book series as I do. It is impossible to not get stories and characters mixed up in your head sometimes, so book blurbs can help me get me on the right path of the series, before I start the newest installment.
What about you guys? What’s your relationship with book blurbs? Love or Hate them??
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LOL I don't think I am as OCD as you are, but I definitely love a blurb. I definitely rely on the blurb to tell me about the book, to give me the little hints so I know what the book is about (I can be a picky reader).
I twittered once….hmm let me find it, so I can get it right, crap can't find it.
So anyways, I was reading my Kobo, and I was getting confused about what the story line was, and I flipped my reader over to read the blurb….
I have officially discovered what I miss about Print books! lol
I hate when there is a HUGE plot device and it isn't mentioned in the blurb – like it's a paranormal, but there is no mention of it.
I really hate when blurbs are misleading. I have a few books where I wouldn't have actually bought them if the blurb had been truthful.
Most blurb are useful in finding out more about the book, but some get me annoyed.
Two examples:
1 – the cover blurb of Archangel by Sharon Shinn.
It gives away (and totally unneeded at that) the most important thing that makes the next book Jovah's Angel suspenseful!! I'm so glad I read Jovah's angel first I can tell you.
2 – the back blurb of The forest of Hands and Teeth (by …I want to say Carrie Ryan, is that correct?)
It took reading a review of the book to discover it had zombies in it!! When a book has zombies I think it should be clear from the blurb.
Lol! I have the tendency to do the EXACT same thing. Especially the pick the book, mark it as "currently reading" on Goodreads, adding the image to my sidebar, and start reading. I do that one every time!
I just read a book with a blurb that was totally misleading, I do hate those
I've been noticing that the blurbs are becoming increasingly wrong and/or misleading. I don't know what's going on with that. I suspect there are too many cooks in the kitchen and no one is paying enough attention. One person delegates the responsibility but doesn't actually check the accuracy. Like book cover art not having anything to do with the book…that happens a lot too…what's up with that??
@Autumn: I've noticed that too. It's gotten to the point where I don't really pay attention to the blurbs anymore….I either go to the store with a list, or if I see a cover/title that looks interesting, I randomly open it and read a few pages.
That trick has been most helpful in distinguishing the urban fantasy from the paranormal romance.
@Natasha
LOL yep, I am totally OCD hehe
Thats why I have to leave the books Goodreads page open LOL since I can look at the back cover of an ebook
@Lyndsay
Me too!!!
@Sullivan
I had not heard of your 1st example but the 2nd? OMG I totally agree! I only found out it was a bout zombies because of reviews LOL
@Natalie
YAY! I dont feel so alone and crazy anymore LMAO
Thanks hon!
@Blodeuedd
Yep!!!
@Autumm
I think you're right!! and it really bothers me! The cover this too =/
@draconismoi
I like that idea! but I do read mostly ebooks, so the blurb is usually all I got LOL though I do research the author and series before buying =P
LOL Larissa, I was just thinking about this topic this morning.
I've had experiences where I read a book with a certain expectation as the result of the cover blurb, and then I've gotten 2/3, 3/4, or in one case finished the book, and gone "Wait! what about X? The cover said…" Aggravating is putting it mildly. Grrrr
I had this 'problem' not 2 weeks ago…I read Catch of the Day by Kristan Higgins…the blurb talk about an 'adorable puppy', he is even 3 times on the pics on the cover.
I thought this book would 'star' the puppy, he appears in the LAST page of the book! AH! I felt cheated lol
@Bea
OMG i hate that!!! LOL
@Pattepoilue
LOL thats ridiculous hahahahaha