the ask@AAR: How do you feel about multiple reviews?
An ongoing consideration at AAR is whether or not it’s worth doing more than one review per book. Typically, we have a list of books reviewers can choose from and one reviewer picks a book and reviews it. Sometimes, if there’s a lot of interest in a release, we do a Pandora’s Box where reviewers discuss a book. However, I’m interested in greenlighting more dual reviews for two reasons. One, I want reviewers to review books that they’re excited about. Two, as cultural critics have begun to look, openly, at books for how appropriate they are–a values’ based judgement–as well as the technical merits of a book, I want to make sure that our views on books are as expansive as our readership.
I, however, could be wrong.
What do you think? Do you like more than one review? Do you feel that AAR is covering books in a way that feels appropriate to you? Let us know.
My preference is not to have multiple people reviewing the same book. Although when that does occur, I am interested in the different points of view. But typically if I’m unsure about a book, I will go to another site and read another review. On the other hand, if more than one person wants to review a book, have at it.
It’s interesting that you’d go to another site–it’s FINE, really! Here at AAR, our reviewers all see books really differently so I tend to see each reviewer’s work as having nothing to do with another’s.
I understand what you say and it has a certain logic, but I’m not particularly interested in multiple reviews. I prefer more books reviewed in this site than different opinions for the same book, because those different opinions is somethng that I already have, by reading different blogs or webpages.
Nevertheless, it could be helpful whenever a book is graded with a C or a D, to see someone with a better experience about the book.
On the other hand, I think AAR reviews in a appropriate way. Each reviewer tells her or his experience with the book and explains it. The important thing is to state clearly if your grade is because of technical reasons or because of personal values and experiences.
That’s something I try to do whenever I write a review. I will give an example. I don’t like Sarah Morgan‘s books, not because of the style -she writes in a very competent way- but for the clichéd representation of Mediterranean or south european characters, and I say that’s the reason why I do not connect with her books. That’s what I expect from other reviewers.
If – big IF – this would not stretch the physical abilities of the reviewers it might be a good thing. But to add to their workload might take away from the total numbers of different books that you review on the site. Books might get dropped that don’t have as wide a bandwidth. There are always ways of double checking or digging deeper if a reader needs more info. So I don’t need a second reader since I’m fairly confident in the opinions of the reviewers whose sensibilities I share.
This is more because more than one reader wants to review a book rather than because we are assigning them. Reviewers at AAR only review what they want to–what is reviewed is completely up to them.
Sorry about that “add to their workload” inference….I know from all the “saw this on the list and grabbed it” from your reviewers that it is a choice by them. Didn’t mean to suggest you were a harsh taskmaster :-)
I didn’t think that!
I love multiple reviews.
Each reviewer picks up on something different, and I can better decide if the opinions resonate with me. One may mention one aspect I value, one another I find questionable, maybe covering characters more, or setting, or tone, or or…
For books or authors I now, reviews add nuance and pleasure to my reading, and reflecting – I enjoyed the different takes people here had on Ten Ways by Loretta Chase.
For authors I do not know, or genres I do not automatically like, having different views gives me more context to decide whether I want to invest my time.
I love a bit of research, and different opinions, so yes, give me more!
:-)
I agree