I won't be posting a HCL Confession every week, but I will be posting them when I find that I have something to share with the book blogosphere. They might be about blogging news, or even about a book that I might have disliked even though it's popular. Bottom line - anything and everything can be discussed. I encourage you to join in the conversations, and leave comments. You can even suggest topics for a HCL Confession. All I ask is that you be respectful if you disagree with my opinions.
HCL Confession on Disliking Popular Books:
I'm sure we've all been there because I've seen this topic discussed before. Everyone is talking about the same book, and it seems like just about everyone loves it. The problem? You don't. It's hard not to feel like the black sheep in the book world when you're in this situation. It seems like it's you against the world. What's a reader to do?
I've been in this situation more than a few times, and let me tell you... it's tough. For the longest time, I was even afraid to talk about my feelings on one particular book because I saw how brutal things got for people who disliked popular books on Goodreads. I still see bloggers saying that people have sent hateful comments because they have a different opinion. Why would I subject myself to that situation over one book? I quietly gave the book a one star rating, and quickly changed my Goodreads profile settings so people who weren't friends with me couldn't comment on the review.
But why live in fear? We're all entitled to our own opinions, right? Why should I fear that someone might call me out? Eventually, I posted the review for said book on my blog, and I felt like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. And the best part... not one person said anything terrible about me disliking the book!
Have you ever felt like an oddball because you hated a book that everyone else loved? Were you ever afraid of posting a review on your blog or on Goodreads because of it? Feel free to discuss with me or with other bloggers in the comments.
Oh, I feel like this all the time!! Especially when it's a series I used to love. I also think I tend to be that annoying person that criticises everyone else... Not in a mean way, I'm just shocked! I really better stop that. But I generally find there are other people who hate the book too. Like I've just recently read We Were Liars, and thought I was the only one who didn't like it, and got so many people agreeing with me! What was the popular book you didn't like?
ReplyDeleteOMG. I feel like such an oddball for We Were Liars because everyone was either giving it 5 stars or 1. I kind of fell in the middle, but I thought there were some more good parts than bad, and ending up giving 4 stars.
DeleteThe book... The Fault in Our Stars. I completely hated that book. I threw it against a wall.
I am so with you on We Were Liars. I was never bored while reading it, but I just could not stand the characters. I'm still confused as to why so many people LOVE it, but it's their prerogative, just like it's ours to not like it :) - Maggie @ macarons & paperbacks
DeleteSee? This is totally how it should be - people respecting the opinions of others. I like this. :)
DeleteI'm such a chicken when it comes to this! I've even rated books higher than I wanted to in the past because I didn't want anyone to be mad at me!
ReplyDeleteYou shouldn't have to be afraid of voicing your opinion, you're right, especially when it's not hurting anyone.
Vampire Academy was my first experience of disliking a book that everyone else loved. It was also a novel that people outside of the Goodreads and blogging world had recommended to me, so I felt terrible. I shouldn't have, I know, but I did.
I'm getting better at accepting how I feel about books now, whether it coheres to the norm or not, but it definitely helps when I see other people doing this too - I know it was great to see your honest review of The Fault in Our Stars. It reminded me that it's okay to dislike a book.
Great post!
When I first made my Goodreads account, I wouldn't even rate a book if I didn't like it. I just saw all kinds of nasty comments, so I wanted to protect myself. Now I rate them all the time because it's my opinion, and I'm entitled to it.
DeleteI've never read Vampire Academy, but I've heard that a lot of other people didn't enjoy them. You're not alone!
But someone once recommended a book to me on Goodreads, and I hated it, so this person actually took the time to call me names for posting a negative review and then unfriended me. It was my first negative experience on Goodreads, and I'm glad it hasn't happened again.
Awe, thank you. I was so afraid to post that on here for a while because it was way more public than my Goodreads review, but I'm glad that I did. It was like a huge weight was being lifted off my shoulders because people kept wanting me to read it, and I was holding in the secret that I had already read it and hated it. lol
I definitely has this feeling a lot! And I'll admit now that I used to be scared to even say I didn't like a book that everyone else loved, now it doesn't bother me as much. Although, I do sometimes wonder if something was wrong with me when a book is so hyped up and so loved and I DNF'd it lol. Most recently this happened with Red Queen, everyone one is loving it and here I am not able to get to the halfway mark :/
ReplyDeleteOMG. It's so funny that pretty much every single person who has commented feels this way. We should have never been afraid of our honest feelings, but I bet there's probably one hundred more people out there like us.
DeleteI've seen quite a few Red Queen DNFs, and I'll admit that it makes me scared to read it. I'm not huge on fantasy, so that might be one that I check out from the library first. I just DNFed Seeker, but it seems like a lot of people are DNFing that one or hating it.
I am on the opposite side of the hype quite often (and consistently when it comes to Sarah Maas, alas). I've very rarely gotten bad comments on my blog--particularly as I've tried to be more mindful of how I say things as well as what I say--more often the nasty comments come when I cross-post on Amazon and very rarely on goodreads. Recently I was really nervous when I posted critical review of Grasshopper Jungle and All the Bright Places but was pleasantly surprised at the good reception and the people willing to discuss my issues with both novels. It was a nice reminder that it's okay when a book isn't for everyone!
ReplyDeleteOMG. That's what makes me so angry about the blogging world. If you don't have anything nice to say about a review, you should sit on your fingers and not type a world. I don't get why people have to do that. I refuse to read the Throne of Glass series just because it looks completely stupid, but even if I liked it and saw a negative review, I'd never be so rude about it. Ugh.
DeleteI'm working on cross-posting, and I've been noticing that people have been rating my reviews down, but mostly for the popular books that I didn't like. It's not right.
I actually even saw an author make a post on her Facebook about Amazon reviews. She sent an ARC to someone, and they didn't like it. The author got so mad that she told all her friends, family, and fans to go and say that the review wasn't helpful. Stuff like that is pathetic.
I've also felt this way when I'm simply *not interested* in a book that everyone seems to be loving on hardcore (50 Shades, Twilight, whatever new YA thing is out this week). I tried to read Jonathan Safran Foer in college and thought he was a pretentious twit, but of course I couldn't say that because he's *brilliant* (barf). But in the end, we just have to remember that everyone has different tastes and preferences!
ReplyDeleteOMG. Not being interested in a book is the worst. I have no desire at all to read Cassandra Clare because I think she's a plagiarist, but people recommend her books to me all the time. I had to make a "never reading" shelf on Goodreads for her books, but I still get people recommending them to me.
DeleteI started off reading Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer for a college class, and I loved it. If I would have read any of his other books first, I probably would have hated him as an author, but Eating Animals just made me laugh the whole time. I wouldn't say he's brilliant like my professor did, but he's at least enjoyable to me.
Yes, I have felt this way before! I have disliked and written short reviews on goodreads about books that I didn't like, then quickly take them down for fear of what other people would say. It has also prevented some book reviews. I think for me, it's important to understand that I am entitled to my own opinion, and that other people don't have to follow it.
ReplyDeleteI've deleted them too, only to regret it like three seconds later.
DeleteI actually just went to my Amazon reviews, and noticed that I angered someone with my review of Mortal Danger by Ann Aguirre. But then I looked at the other negative reviews, and this person commented on all of them. It's ridiculous.
DOES/DID SOMEONE DO THAT TO YOU? I WILL HUNT THEM DOWN. Don't feel like you can't express your opinion because it's different from others!!!
ReplyDeleteThen again, I haven't gotten any hateful comments...yet. I mean everyone has been awesome! People love seeing my different opinions, and I myself like seeing different opinions even if they're negative! Though I have to say, I haven't posted any negative reviews on Amazon, so maybe that's why.......
Awesome confession/post :D
A few times on Twitter, and now once on Amazon. I did have a few on Goodreads, but I just deleted those. It's just so disrespectful to tell someone that they are wrong about a book that they read. Everyone will think something differently, and that's just the way it is.
DeleteI hope you never get any hateful comments. I've seen so many people get them, and it upsets me so much. It's just so rude.
I have definitely been there before! Its so horrible when people leave rude comments behind but at the same time it's something lots of bloggers have to deal with. I would agree with you - everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I would share it anyway. The best thing about the blogsphere is that there is usually someone out there who agrees with you - somewhere!
ReplyDeleteIt is horrible. I can't see why someone would think that it's okay to be so rude on someone else's blog or review, especially when so many other people can see it. Like what if a publisher noticed a rude comment from a blogger they love to work with? I can't see it ending well, so it's best not to say anything at all.
DeleteAnd yes... since I started blogging, I have found quite a few people who agree with me on some of the books that I don't like. :)