Musing Mondays

What do you think of books that receive a lot of hype? (think of the “Twilight” saga, or “Harry Potter”, or “The Da Vinci Code”). Do you read them? Why, or why not?

I'll probably contradict myself but, oh well, here goes... I generally stay away from books that have a lot of "mainstream" hype.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with well-deserved hype... Harry Potter is a prime example. It is extremely well-written with an imaginative story and captivating chacters. When it was published, it, almost, became its own genre. Because J and M were so young at that time, I would read it to them. As they grew older, it transitioned to them reading it to us. Eventually, it became an independent reading book. We even went to a few midnight release parties.

I have found that the hype surrounding women's fiction or book club books is usually just that... hype. Apparently, these authors have great PR machines. These books are lacking in something that I find completely necessary for me to consider a novel a great read... IT HAS TO BE WELL-WRITTEN!! So many of these books... DaVinci Code, Twilight, The Shack, Eat Pray Love, etc... aren't well-written. I don't mind reading books like that... everyone needs "mind candy" every once in a while. Just don't try to pass it off as great literature. It's not!! It's, more often than not, a semi-interesting story that has just been well publicized.

Since I've been part of the book blogosphere, I've seen a lot of hype about a lot of books. I have been part of virtual book tours and have, very luckily, only chosen great books to review here. I have read blogs where I know the author is just reviewing to get get the free book. I find that kind of sad. Yes, getting free books is wonderful. I don't have to tell you how exciting it is to see the UPS truck stop and drop off a package that you know has a book in it :D That said, though, I think bloggers who review and create hype for these undeserving novels are doing themselves and their readers a disservice. I have stopped reading their blogs as I'll bet other have, too. Yes, I know we all like different books but when all their reviews are wonderful, five stars and glowing, I start questioning their integrity.

On the flip side, some of the hype created on book blogs is completely deserved! I have discovered books and authors that I would have never read. I love that!