Book Blogger Appreciation Week: Day 3

It’s ‘Blame a Blogger’ for #BBAW Day 3 – much nicer than it sounds, promise. The question is…

Have you ever read a book because of a book blogger?

Why yes, yes I have. Truth be told, other bloggers’ reviews have chiefly led to me stocking my tbr shelves, and I’ve not been brilliant at actually reading the books yet – but there are certainly some much-loved reads that I have lovely bloggers to thank for. Here are five of them, linking to the original reviews that inspired me…

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The Lark by E. Nesbit: this one again! I have Scott at Furrowed Middlebrow to lay laurels upon for bringing this one to my attention (and a stranger in Yeovil to thank for giving it to Oxfam).

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson: I’m now one of the biggest Robinson fanboys, but it was Rachel/Book Snob’s beautiful and persuasive review of Gilead that kicked it all off for me. Thank you, Rachel!

Skylark by Dezső Kosztolányi: I don’t read enough literature in translation, but a combination of NYRB Classics publishing it and the most reliable blogger for matching my tastes, Claire/The Captive Reader, reviewing it – and I was sold. This is a beautiful, elegiac delight of a novel.

The Driver’s Seat by Muriel Spark: I’d more or less shelved Spark on the “Ok, but not for me” shelf in my mind before I read Simon/Savidge Read’s enticing review of this dark novella. Fast forward a few years, and I count Spark among my favourite writers. Thank goodness for bloggers and second chances!

Patricia Brent, Spinster by Herbert Jenkins: I think various people recommended this frothy wonder of a novel to me before I finally picked it up, but the one that really swung it was Thomas/Hogglestock. He compared it to Miss Hargreaves – what was I going to do except read it?

17 thoughts on “Book Blogger Appreciation Week: Day 3

  • February 18, 2016 at 1:08 am
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    I have Skylark on my to-read list – also thanks to Captive Reader. The Driver’s Seat too, but a different blogger responsible for that one. I can definitely identify with what you said about not exactly being brilliant at keeping up with all the recommendations.

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    • February 23, 2016 at 10:24 pm
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      Skylark is such a lovely book. It feels like one to read in spring, though, for some reason. And yay for Spark!

      I’ve just bought a notebook for recommendations, so hopefully that will inspire me more.

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  • February 18, 2016 at 1:33 am
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    And I have you to thank for my overflowing TBR shelf and for reading some of my favorites in 2015!

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    • February 23, 2016 at 10:24 pm
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      It’s been such a joy seeing you read them! :D

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    • February 23, 2016 at 10:24 pm
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      I’m so pleased it was recommended to me :)

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  • February 18, 2016 at 7:30 am
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    Book bloggers are a bad influence – and I have to say that many of you or posts have created issues on my TBR….. 😁

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    • February 23, 2016 at 10:25 pm
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      Ha! Not at all sorry ;) And vice versa – one of these days you’ll get me reading Russians as well.

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  • February 18, 2016 at 8:42 am
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    Ah, yes, it’s a disaster when you find bookbloggers you like and trust…

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    • February 23, 2016 at 10:25 pm
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      Certainly a disaster for wallet and storage…

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  • February 18, 2016 at 11:47 am
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    I know completely what you mean – those books that you feel like you ‘have’ to have, and then they just sit accusingly on the bookshelf!

    I picked your site as one of the ones I check regularly – a fellow Oxford-based blogger!

    Girl with her Head in a Book

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    • February 23, 2016 at 10:26 pm
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      One of these days we must meet! Thanks so much for the mention :)

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  • February 20, 2016 at 4:03 pm
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    I always feel bad when I don’t like authors that everyone else seems to love… Marilynne Robinson is an example of this!

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    • February 23, 2016 at 10:26 pm
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      c.f. my most recent post on Edith Wharton for similar feelings!

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  • February 22, 2016 at 3:47 pm
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    I would say–there a dozens of books i cannot read because some bloggers(no names mentioned but you know who i mean) mainly praise books that are as rare as hens teeth to find.So they are very happy and i am not.

    Tina

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    • February 23, 2016 at 10:27 pm
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      But I’d always rather that I knew about them, and that the internet had info on them, than not! You have to keep your eyes open for the rarities, but the hunt is fun.

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