April 23: First Ten Books I Reviewed
Have you read any of these? What did you think of them?
It’s so strange to read these back — some of my opinions have massively changed: either as I’ve read more books or listened to other bloggers more, or just due to time and reflection. My review style has definitely changed in the past couple of years too. These are shorter than I’d generally write now and I didn’t make the effort to provide trigger warnings, representation or purchase links.
How has your review style evolved?
A Court of Thorns and Roses
Sarah J. Maas
Goodreads // Book Depository // Wordery
Cinder
Marissa Meyer
Goodreads // Book Depository // Wordery
Splintered
A. G. Howard
Goodreads // Book Depository // Wordery
City of Bones
Cassandra Clare
Goodreads // Wordery // Book Depository
The Time Paradox
Eoin Colfer
Goodreads // Book Depository // Wordery
Nevernight
Jay Kristoff
Goodreads // Book Depository // Wordery
The Night Circus
Erin Morgenstern
Goodreads // Book Depository // Wordery
They Mostly Come Out At Night
Benedict Patrick
Ruby Red
Kerstin Gier
Goodreads // Book Depository // Wordery
Carry On
Rainbow Rowell
Goodreads // Book Depository // Wordery
Foxes and Fairy Tales 
Great list! Cinder was one of the very first books I reviewed on my blog, too. 😀 Carry On and Nevernight are two I still want to get to!
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I’m seeing Cinder a lot this week! XD
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I’ve reviewed Cinder, ACOTAR and The Night Circus but all of those were later reviews for me, 2015 & 2016, I started blogging in 2014.
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2019/04/23/top-ten-tuesday-208/
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That was a fun look into your past. When did you start providing trigger warnings? Do you remember?
My TTT.
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I’m not sure to be honest. I used to mention it within the review itself at one point but putting them up at the top is relatively recent. This year perhaps?
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It is fun to see how review styles and reading tastes have changed, isn’t it?
I have thought about adding trigger warnings, but decided against it for the most part. I think partly because I don’t always consider myself a good judge of triggers — I can be completely unaware of whether something is likely to be a trigger, or I can be over-triggered myself, all based on my mood. So at this point I will only include warnings for blatantly obvious things. Sometimes I want to go back and re-do my older reviews so that I can re-format my current ones, but I guess I can change up my reviews however I want whenever I want without re-doing the old ones, too.
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Triggers are tricky. I tend to note things I thing might upset someone, but I have a pretty high tolerance for violence etc. so sometimes it slips past me. Plus, there’s no way we can cover every eventuality. Hopefully from a sample of reviews a reader can get a rough idea if it’s something they want to avoid. And, of course, I’m always happy to give more details if someone asks.
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That’s a very good point! I have been trying to write in the review if there was something that I found problematic, but that’s not the same as adding an actual trigger warning. Still, hopefully it helps.
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It’s so interesting to go back and read earlier reviews, isn’t it? I mostly focus on kids books now, but I was surprised looking back to see how many adult books I used to review – I was in a book club, so I reviewed all the books I had to read for that. Funny how things change over time!
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My reviews definitely have tends and changes too! I think as our reading changes it makes sense our reviews do too.
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I liked Cinder, too.
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday.
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Cinder was on mine as well, as you know. You have a lot of big ones here from the YA community – that is so cool that they were some of your first. ACOTAR is life ❤
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Ooh Splintered- I still need to read those. And wow right? My reviewing style has changed soooo much!
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I just realized that I almost reviewed Cinder for my first review but then I think I just never got around to finishing the draft and trashed it lol.
I can’t remember when I started adding TWs and what representation is in books but I’m glad that I do now. I definitely enjoy seeing those things when I read other people’s reviews.
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Sometimes I forget to note things down, but I think it makes a big difference when I’m looking for what to read next if bloggers have that extra info.
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It was a fun walk down memory lane this week even though my reviews were cringe-worthy in the beginning. My TTT list
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Hah! I think we all think we have that in common XD
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I’ve actually read a couple of these! I read ACOTAR this year and City of Bones last. I still have to read Cinder and the rest of The Lunar Chronicles though. They Mostly Come Out at Night has an interesting cover.
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I’ve noticed that his second book has an equally cool cover, but I’ve not read it yet.
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Have to admit that I have 0 background in fantasy, but I’ve read Fangirl so I enjoyed your Carry On review, which makes me curious to know if that’s one where your opinion has changed or if it holds up.
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Carry On was such an odd one, cause it took me a while to get into it, but then I really enjoyed it! I don’t think I’d pick up the sequel though, I think Carry On was a fun spinoff but I feel like one book was enough. I haven’t actually read Fangirl though (still 😂) so I can’t say how well they work compared to each other.
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I’ve heard SO many good things about “The Night Circus” on the booktube circuit, but don’t really know what it’s all about. Perhaps someday I’ll figure out what all the fuss is about and give it a chance. 🙂
Thanks so much for the Finding Wonderland visit.
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