Created by Dewey, picked up at Becky’s Book Reviews:

1. When you dislike a book, do you say so in your blog? Why or why not?

Oh, yes–absolutely. I even have tags about it (see my tag list below). I do try to be fair, in that I like to analyze why I didn’t like a book, figure out what went wrong, instead of just ranting. I believe that I am able to discern when something just isn’t my taste versus when it’s not good, probably because in my reading job I had to set my own personal taste aside. I also like to stretch myself and read things in genres that don’t ordinarily appeal to me because I’m genuinely curious about how books work.

2. Do you temper your feelings about books you didn’t like, so as not to completely slam them? Why or why not?

I believe in being honest, and I’ve certainly given out my fair share of harsh criticism, but again I really try to make sure I’m acting in the best interests of reading, if that makes sense.

3. What do you think is the best way to respond when you see a negative review about a book you enjoyed?

I don’t do anything about it. Life’s too short to leave comments on all the blogs that could possibly commented on. I’d much rather use my time to talk with people who agree with me. And I get enough dissenting opinions in my comments to keep me on my toes.

4. What is your own most common reaction when you see a negative review of a book you loved or a positive review of a book you hated?

As I said before, I don’t do anything about it. I just don’t have time.

5. What is your own most common reaction when you get a comment that disagrees with your opinion of a book?

I try to understand where the person is coming from, and find away to have a fruitful conversation. Reading taste is so subjective, and I don’t really need to be “right” as much as I want to engage with my blog readers.

6. What if you don’t like a book that was a free review copy? What then?

If I really, really don’t like something I will not review it in advance. I just don’t think the author needs that kind of energy prior to the release of the book. I always offer to send the book back as well. And ultimately it comes down to time. I don’t have much of it, and I want to spend it on a minimum of unpleasant tasks. I already have to clean the bathroom, so why should I read a book I don’t like?

7. What do you do if you don’t finish a book? Do you review it or not? If you review it, do you mention that you didn’t finish it?

I wrote a post about this, called When to Give Up on a Book. I don’t like to do it, but sometimes it’s necessary. If I’ve gotten through at least 100 pages, then I’ll blog about it, but I don’t consider it a review.