Booking Through Thursday - Peer Pressure
Woohoo! My question is up for this week’s Booking Through Thursday! How cool!
(So what if I get excited about these things…)
On to the question!
I was looking through books yesterday at the shops and saw all the Twilight books, which I know basically nothing about. What I do know is that I’m beginning to feel like I’m the *only* person who knows nothing about them.
Despite being almost broke and trying to save money, I almost bought the expensive book (Australian book prices are often completely nutty) just because I felt the need to be ‘up’ on what everyone else was reading.
Have you ever felt pressured to read something because ‘everyone else’ was reading it? Have you ever given in and read the book(s) in question or do you resist? If you are a reviewer, etc, do you feel it’s your duty to keep up on current trends?
There have been a few times in my life where I have felt pressured to read what ‘everyone else’ is reading. This Twilight incident was just one example. I remember feeling similar around the time the fourth and fifth Harry Potter books came out.
I gave in with the Harry Potter books and read the first two just because a friend of mine was into them so much. I didn’t buy it, though. I waited until it was available in the school library.
As for the reviewer side of things… I don’t think it’s necessary to keep up on all the popular books. They’ll get enough reviews from other people. I think my reviews will be more influential for lesser known authors.
September 4th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
I started the Harry Potter series right after I watched the movies. But as for Stephenie Meyer’s books, that’s a whole different story because I started reading it way before the hype.
As for reviewer copies, usually I’ll request books which sparks my interests.
September 5th, 2008 at 5:19 am
It’s definitely one thing to read a book before the hype and another to read a book because of the hype.
I have the same policy on review books. Unless it’s a favor for a friend.
September 5th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Hi JM, same thoughts here with Melody. I started the Twilight series way before I was blogging actively so I did’t know what was happening. I genuinely like the story and have been ‘chasing’ it then. As for Harry Potter, I stopped at Book 4 and didn’t continue. I read HP before the movies came out but didn’t watch them either. Looks like I do have a mind of my own. LOL.
September 5th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
I was tickled to see your question, JM. I even answered it this week!
September 6th, 2008 at 9:50 am
It is good to read all the different blogs and see what’s out there. I saw a man reading Breaking Dawn on the bus the other day and I wouldn’t have had the first clue about Stephanie Meyer if I hadn’t been seeing it all over the place.
September 6th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
I haven’t a clue what “Twilight” is all about, either, JM, so you are not alone.
Regarding your question, I do not read just because of pressure, although I used to be more swayed by pressure when I was younger. One nice thing about being a curmudgeon is that you can be snarky at will.
September 6th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
I appreciate the blogs that bring the lesser-known books to my attention, too. I like people who have a little more of a unique or personal taste in reading. That’s a nice thing
September 7th, 2008 at 6:55 am
Alice - I think there is something more enjoyable about ‘getting to’ a book before it becomes popular with the masses.
Susan - Woohoo! I must go nosing around your site.
Nicole - Same here. It was only through all the fuss that I even heard of her.
Maryann - You’re actually not the first person who has mentioned being ‘old enough to read what I like’.
Marie - I think that’s part of the whole point - introducing people to books they might not have read otherwise.