Wednesday 13 January 2016

Closed to Book Review Requests - Again

I've closed my site to new book review requests a few times in the past when I've had a lot of review copies to get through, etc.  Last summer I closed for a few months to start clearing out the huge backlog of books I've acquired over the years.  It felt good.

I saw a post on twitter a while back - unfortunately I can't find it again or I'd post it here - that showed a graphic representation of how much X this person had left in their life.  How many summers (assuming they'd live to be a certain age), how many BOOKS TO READ.

I recently did my blog stats, showing that I read just under 50 books last year.  Sounds pretty good, right?  But if I read 50 books a year, and I live to 81 (that's the average Canadian life expectancy for women), that gives me 2200 books left or, in visual form:

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That seems like a lot, in a way, but it's really not.  And that's making a lot of assumptions.  So I've decided that it's time to prioritize a few things.  I've wanted to read more of my history books for years, but they keep getting pushed aside for review books.  I've also wanted to read more of my husband's SF classics, again, I only read one of them last year.

The piles of backlogged books weigh on me and I'm finally going to tackle them and clean up my shelves.  2016 is my year of doing things I keep saying I will and then reneging on.

I may not have as many reviews up this year - though I'll still try for one a week.  I'm giving these older books 50 pages to wow me before I move on, which means I may go a few books before finishing one.  I've already considered I may do a 'your mileage may vary' post with a few unfinished titles, saying why they didn't grab me but also why you might like them.  I'll have to see.

I may open to requests later in the year, depending on how much of my backlog I can get through. I've got two outstanding requests that I accepted last year and I may request a few books through NetGalley if I spot something I'd love to read.  But for the most part, this year's all about reviewing older titles I've been waiting to read for years that I just haven't had time for.  Because sometimes you've got to make the time for things that matter to you.

1 comment:

ediFanoB said...

As long as you are not a professional book reviewer, tow write reviews should be the way to share with others your opinion about books.
If review requests have a serious impact on your own reading then something is wrong. It takes a while to accept. When I started my book blog I was keen to get books in return for a review. Nowadays I buy copies of the books I want to read and some of them I review. I still receive review requests but I only accept a few in case I really want to read the book.

Of course authors and publisher are keen to get reviews but the requests should not hinder you to read what you what.

To be honest if you really love a book you will write the review the book really deserve review and it is this review which the book needed to get into the mind of a greater audience.

To read the books which you wanted to read for years is a great experience because it mostly ends up in either a like or a dislike because your taste changed.

Enjoy Reading!