This monthly blog hop is open to blogs that primarily feature book reviews of literary fiction, classic literature, and general literary discussion.
Here's the explanation of the hop:
How do I know if my blog qualifies as "literary"? Literature has many definitions, but for our purposes your blog qualifies as "literary" if it focuses primarily on texts with aesthetic merit. In other words, texts that show quality not only in narrative but also in the effect of their language and structure. YA literature may fit into this category, but if your blog focuses primarily on non-literary YA, fantasy, romance, paranormal romance, or chick lit, you may prefer to join the blog hop at Crazy-for-books that is open to book blogs of all kinds.
Instructions for entering the Literary Blog Hop:
1. Grab the code for the Button.
2. Answer the following prompt on your blog.
(Suggestions for future prompts? Email them to thebluebookcase@gmail.com)
Here's the question this week:
Do you like to supplement your reading with outside sources, like Sparknotes, academic articles, or other bloggers' reviews? Why or why not?
My wishy-washy answer is -- sometimes. Sometimes I've been inspired to read a literary work by an outside source -- a review or discussion article. Other times I'll read a book from "the canon" that is on my list of books I must read before I die. And then what happens depends on the book. If I'm moved to go beyond and learn more, I'll dig deeper, either because I loved it so much and wanted to be part of the community of people who appreciated it. Or, because I just didn't get it and wanted to see what I had missed. But with some books I just enjoy the story and the writing and then move on to the next.
I like what you said about becoming part of a community of people that appreciated a certain work. I hadn't thought of that, but it's totally true. If I review something a little more obscure then I'll always check out other blogs that reviewed the book and leave a comment. It's a great way to find other readers like me but also a way to slip a little deeper into the community.
ReplyDeleteI rarely read reviews before reading a book, which means I've got a good chance of avoiding hype. With nonfiction I tend to use secondary sources for further reading--almost always online.
ReplyDeleteYou - I agree. It depends on the book. :)
ReplyDeleteSorry - "you" should say "yes." I really can't explain that typo, lol. But it's mighty take-charge! :P
ReplyDeleteHi there, thanks for stopping by my blog. I completely agree with you about reading all this supplementary stuff that is about books can take away from actually reading the books! Look at what I'm doing now. I could be reading! I also agree with your becoming part of a community. New follower :)
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