Comments on: BTT: Peer Pressure

By: Joanne

Joanne — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:29:28 +0000

I totally agree with your comments about bloggers. Since I’ve started into the blogging world I have found so many great books to read. I think this comes down to trusting the opinion of an actual person rather than the lists you find in newspapers and magazines.
I don’t trust hype about books, and even though Oprah has chosen some good books (which I read prior to her featuring them) she also chooses books that I hate which take the world by storm. But are these necessarily good books to begin with or has Oprah’s name given them their bestseller status?

This reminds me of my childhood when my mother constantly said “if everyone jumped off a bridge, would you?” I hated that phrase as a child, but now I see it’s relevance to just about all mainstream culture

By: Amy @ The Friendly Book Nook

Amy @ The Friendly Book Nook — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:51:42 +0000

Congratulations……..

By: Sally

Sally — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:39:27 +0000

I did not like Harry Potter.

By: Melody

Melody — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:54:00 +0000

The author of Eat, Pray, Love was on Oprah (for the 2nd time!) the other day (Eric was channel surfing). You know, I sort of had wanting to read that book in the back of my head, but after seeing Oprah, I don’t think I’d really enjoy it. Way too many weepy women talking about their journey; I have a therapist, I don’t need to read that book

By: fyrefly

fyrefly — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:33:07 +0000

I think bloggers have a great power to introduce readers to books other than those they see constantly on the bestsellers lists, gems that they might have otherwise missed.

I think that’s a great way to look at it, and it makes me feel much less guilty about skipping out on most ARCs in favor of my own giant personal TBR pile.

By: Bree

Bree — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:11:35 +0000

Bloggers’ reviews have given me so many new titles/authors to read that my TBR and Wish List is enormous now. However, some books that are just loved by some bloggers, I have tried and just did not care for such as The Historian and Water for Elephants. I tried both but just could not force myself to finish. On the other hand, there are books that I wouldn’t pick up normally but have loved such as The 19th Wife and Driving Sideways.

By: Rebecca @ The Book Lady's Blog

Rebecca @ The Book Lady's Blog — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:56:22 +0000

Like you, I tend to avoid books that are getting tons of attention or appear on bestseller lists. Sales does not always equal quality (case in point: James Patterson), but you’re right that sometimes we miss out on good books when we avoid them for this reason.

I read The Historian before it got really big, and I’m glad, because I think I would have been skeptical otherwise. I also almost missed out on Water for Elephants because it was on the bestseller list, but I read it when I ran out of books at my in-laws’ home and my MIL gave it to me, and I ended up loving it.

By: JLS Hall

JLS Hall — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:38:01 +0000

I had a similar reaction to Harry Potter – avoided it for years, mostly because of all the uproar. Then when I finally read it, I enjoyed it much more than I expected to. I’ve also resisted reading “The Historian,” but mainly just because it’s so darn long.