As much as I'm enjoying doing what I'm doing (no plans to stop anytime soon!) I find myself wondering if the blog would benefit from new content. Y'know, make things a little fresher... The only thing is that I'm not sure what form this new content should take, I've been racking my brains only to find that there's not an original idea in there right now! Give me a break though, work is a constant drain on inspiration... ;o)
And then it occurred to me... You guys must sit there sometimes and think, 'this is all well and good but why doesn't Graeme try writing about... sometimes...?'
Well, here's your chance to tell me what you would like to see more of on the blog :o) I want to keep the focus on genre books/graphic novels etc (with a few films here and there) but there's still a lot of room there to do some new stuff around this.
Would you like to see me interview more authors? (Would you like to be the ones asking the questions?) Would you like to see me step back from the new/recent releases, every now and then, and read stuff that's a bit older? Would you like to see me step outside my comfort zone altogether and read genre fiction that I would never normally read (please God, no para-normal romance though as that almost killed me last time!)? Would you like to see more news from the world of publishing?
Or is there something else entirely that you would like to see more of here...?
As I said, what I'm doing here isn't going to change all that much but I can always make gaps where new (and hopefully interesting) things have the potential to happen.
Leave a comment below the post and let me know what you think... ;o)
Have a good weekend!
19 comments:
I like your idea of working in some non-new release books into the mix. I suffer from poor college student syndrome, so a decent number of the reviews are for books I can't afford until they come out in paperback a year or two from now. My two cents.
I think a little more about series would be most helpful. Seems to me that many sci-fi/fantasy books these days are part of a trilogy at least. I end up putting in a lot of thought at the bookshop wondering if it's worth investing my time and money (sometimes a lot of both) getting started with a story that runs through multiple books.
You needn't be too deep or insightful. Just your overall feelings and a plot summary and whether it starts strong or gets better as it goes on or whatever.
Thanks and keep up the good work.
The one thing I don't want is long extracts from new books - I don't like them in Pat's Blog either. I'm not averse to extracts per se, but would prefer them as a downloadable PDF to a long blog posting.
Yes to more reviews - SF and Fantasy books and comics, films (excited about Star Trek?), author interviews, older "classic" books, and things like the recent UK reissues of Space Operas with great covers...
Great blog - love it.
I really love your blog the way it is! : D
But Graeme - the Para-romance books you read were SO NOT the best that the genre can offer. I could suggest a couple that are so good. *ninja*
I just went back to read your reviews of the Para-Romance you read and seriously? I am a fan of the genre but I wouldn't read them - they sound stupid.
I can suggest other books that have incredible plot (like REAL plot, not,"let's have sex now plot") and of course, good romance.
For example? Demon Angel by Meljean Brook. Don't pay attention to the cover because inside? Wonderful story, wonderful writing - and she is inspired by Milton, Bram Stoker, etc. REALLY good stuff.
I should DARE you to read it. *wink*
More YA fantasy. And I like the idea of more older stuff too.
That question of questions which you find more or less on every blog once a while :>)
To be honest I don't mean it disrespectful.
It is really polite to ask your readers.
I like some of the ideas mentioned before.
- It is not necessary to post excerpts. A link or a pdf download would fit
- I missed a lot of fantasy from the 80s and 90s because at this time I read only books translated to German and there are a lot of books which haven't been translated. So reviews of "older" books would be welcomed.
Beside this I appreciate your blog and please keep up the good work.
I thin you are doing great. I've bought some books that you recommend. Or I have many books you've read.
If you could once a week or something like that you could go track those old books and but a review or thoughts.. That would be great. Like those Yellow cover Daw's books from the 70's and 80's.
Btw, I would like your opinion on the british science fiction author noawadays... Like Ken MacLeod, Neal Asher, Alastair Reynolds, Ian M Bains and Peter Hamilton.
I think you are doing a good job. I wouldn't mind seeing some more horror, that is what originally grabbed me. We all tend to pick books we are going to enjoy, but sometimes I think you give high marks to everything.
I think you should keep having mostly reviews. That's why this is one of my favorite book blogs. I don't want to read previews, interviews or extracts. I want to read interesting reviews and I get a lot of them here.
I agree with the previous poster, I think you should keep doing book reviews whatever else you do, and I actually really like, more than anything else, that you focus on new books. There aren't that many places on the net where you can find consistent reviews of arc's, of books yet to appear, and I find it very interesting to find a blog that reviews books yet to come out.
I would not mind if you read and posted reviews of books long since released, but not to the detriment of reviews of new or yet to be released books. For older books there are already loads and loads of reviews on the net and the Added Value you could give there would be lower than with your reviews of books yet to come.
Other than that, what interests me is the occasional interview with an author I'm interested and reading samples of work that is yet to come out. Again, most of the time Amazon or some other venue will aready have samples up of books that have been released, but not with books that are yet to come out, so there is more value in seeing an extract of those.
Mostly I think you should keep going as you are, I like the blog fine as it is. And I like seeing your comments on your job from time to time as you seem to be like me, a 20's or 30's something Fantasy fan who has a rather dreary but very necessary office job.
It's your blog and no-one else's, so I'd say do what you enjoy doing on it :-) For me, I like to revisit old and classic works, and it's nice to be able to finish a really positive review with, "Here it is, go and read it right now, and the sequels as well," rather than, "And the finished book will be out in six months," which I've had complaints about. It also means I have to remember to go back remind people when that great ARC I raved about half a year ago is actually hitting the shops for real. So classic reviews is definitely a good thing.
As others have said, more reviews of less recent books would be nice (I've begun to do that myself lately, and I've noticed that participation is higher and that I like quite a bit). But what I'd really like to see you do is to explore the books in more depth, but what else would you expect me to do? :P
Oh, and this is totally up to you, but I'd suggest you make occasional (not necessarily on a regular or even weekly basis, but every once in a while) on something that you feel strongly about and which might interest others as well. Also, ever thought of doing more "social" interaction with others? I'm hoping to get back into regular participation in such things in the next few weeks, after the school year ends and I won't be as tired and unsocialable :P It might be a good, refreshing change for you as well, if you think you have the time/energy for it.
Got to disagree with the YA suggestion - YA books are of no interest to me except in rare cases of adult authors who I like writing a kids book (Gaiman, Mieville). Similarly I don't have much interest in paranormal romance (although I did enjoy the True Blood tv series - I hear its much better than the books...), but the key thing is for you to review what you like reading. If you want to read and review some YA-vampire-loves-werewolf-loves-mermaid saga, then ignore us all, and do it anyway. We'll still read...
I agree with Adam Whitehead.
One of the joys of a blog is that is can say whatever you want it to. The blogs I enjoy reading, this amongst them, are clearly written by people with a passion for their blog subject. Only add extra features or content if it is something you'll enjoy. Otherwise, why bother? Will you still enjoy blogging if generating the next post is a chore?
Keep up the great blogging!
Thanks for your comments everyone! :o) The plan was never to stop doing the stuff that I enjoy but to see if there was other stuff I could post that I would enjoy as well ;o)
I'll definitely be adding more non-new release books to the blog (although not at the expense of new releases altogether) and I'm liking Tim's suggestion about series, something I have gone into a little bit already.
Ana - I'm not scared of your dares, bring it on! ;o)
Nicola/Jonathan - I'm not a huge fan of YA stuff but maybe that's a reason to have a little more of it on the blog, so I can look at why it isn't for me? There will be a little more of this (maybe) but the focus will stay adult genre related.
RedSoxTodd - I felt a little burnt out, with it all, recently so made a decision to go with stuff that I knew I'd enjoy (hence the higher marks), I'm looking to go back to stuff I wouldn't normally read so the scores will vary again! ;o)
Larry - I keep reaching for the more in depth review, I'll get there one day! ;o)
Time is a real premium right now so I can't do the social thing as much as I would like, it's definitely on the agenda though...
full RSS feed - I'd read your blog a lot more often if it had a full RSS feed
Just a short note, I have very recently (earlier today) set up a blog reviewing books, and its focus will be on the not-so-brand new books. It is in the very first stages, but I am trying to do a quick set-up and have written four reviews so far today, with one more planned before calling it a night. I hope this helps a bit for those who, like me, would like to see more books that aren't brand new or not out yet.
I love the blog Graeme. I don't see how you get through so much reading and still have a job!
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