But when there is a mention that the writing itself is good, but the book just seemed to push some buttons, I do want to read it just to see if it really is that offensive.

Exactly, Meljean. If a book is giving a failing grade as simply a horrendous read all the way around, unless there is discussion about it otherwise, I will likely pass it by. But when AAR reviews Pam Rosenthal’s Slightest Provocation, for example, and characterized it as boring, etc., there were contrary opinions by readers whose tastes on books are often closer to mine, and so I picked up the book anyway. And I loved it. That’s one of the reasons I love that people do take the time — when they can, of course — to review the books they disliked, because sometimes those books are the most polarizing. And heck, I’ve read a few A graded books I hated with a burning passion, so it works backwards, too.

Me three. Honestly, there are a lot of books that I dump early and don’t review for Dear Author. If I don’t want to read more than 20 pages, then there’s not much point in writing even a DNF review. I can’t give our readers much information about those books.

But hey, I scored winners in both Pam Rosenthal’s Slightest Provocation and Smoke Thief, both of which got D- reviews on AAR and A-range grades here.

Glad these worked out for you, Robin. Most people had read The Smoke Thief by the time I reviewed it, but I hope I got some folks to pick up The Slightest Provocation. Funny you should mention it, I was just at Pam Rosenthal’s website not long ago, and I saw that the publication date for her next book has been rescheduled to sometime in 2008. I’m sad that she won’t have anything out in 2007, but would rather that authors take their time and produce high quality books. If her next one is as good as TSP, I’m more than willing to wait. Not that I won’t be jonesing for it in the meantime…

FWIW, sometimes a reviewer not liking a book has been a better indicator of whether I’ll like it or not than a reviewer liking a book.

That I start to contemplate reading some of the D and F books is probably where things get really weird.

I do, too — when I first found AAR, I went through and read a bunch of D/F reviews because they were so entertaining (I’ll never forget the castrated horse, or the hero who threatened to scrub the heroine down with a corncob), and the one-heart reviews at TRR. But when there is a mention that the writing itself is good, but the book just seemed to push some buttons, I do want to read it just to see if it really is that offensive.

The two you mention, though, I bought more because of *good* reviews at other blogs and sites than out of curiosity created by the negative reviews at AAR. In both circumstances, the buzz got me to pick it up.

I’m buying the Campbell book, too — partly to see what Avon considers a new direction in historical, and now because of the widely varying opinions I’ve seen on it. That D is quite provocative.

Where are you posting your Campbell review?

In my fantasy review blog, ha! Seriously, if I have strong feelings about the book, it may end up as part of a column at RG (we’re not really supposed to review), but probably I’ll simply post my comments on the book at AAR, since the book isn’t out yet and already there’s a threat about it over there. I get so excited about reading those books! I already have it pre-ordered from Amazon (do the Avon books get released right away as ebooks?).

But I’m with Jane, if a book looks like it’s going to make me hurl, I usually stop before that happens. Life’s just too short and my book pile too huge.

Oh, yeah, I’m sure I’m an anomaly in this. I have a friend who adores reading the 1 heart reviews on TRR, but I don’t know if she ever actually contemplates reading the books. That I start to contemplate reading some of the D and F books is probably where things get really weird. But hey, I scored winners in both Pam Rosenthal’s Slightest Provocation and Smoke Thief, both of which got D- reviews on AAR and A-range grades here. Next I’m taking on Claiming the Courtesan, by Anne Campbell, which AAR’s Sandy Coleman despised.

But he did it with wild products like Cayce Pollard’s Black Buzz Rickson MA-1 Bomber Jacket or her friends Apple PowerMac G4 Cube or the Curta mechanical calculator.

Then again the book was about Catce Pollard a furturistic market-research consultant with the ability to see consumer buying patterns.

Your review, Jane, just means that I’ll be buying this book when hell freezes over.

And, yes, you are sick.

And yet, it doesn’t bother me. Thinking about it, I think there’s often a passion in lower grade reviews that isn’t there in B and C reviews. And I’m talking generally, not about Dear Author, per se. Even a lot of A reviews I read in various places seem to lack that passion, and I’ve always sort of wondered about that. Because I love emphatic reviews. I wonder if that’s why I’m tempted more often to read a book that’s gotten a bad review than I am to read a book that’s gotten a not so bad review. Hmm, I’ll have to think about that.

And, yes, you are sick.