There are a few blogs out there that I really want to love. I want to love them because their blog designs are GORGEOUS and I want an excuse to visit it every day. Or I want to love them because everyone else loves them, and that gets me excited so I want to love them to. Or I want to love a blog because I adore the person behind it (maybe we’ve chatted on Twitter).
But sometimes, no matter how hard I try, I can’t bring myself to love said blog.
Sometimes it’s because we don’t read the same kinds of books. They read a lot of historical fiction, and I don’t. Or they read graphic novels and I don’t. You get the picture. Or sometimes it’s because they ONLY post reviews. Lately I’ve been avoiding blogs that only post review after review after review. In such mass quantities, they start to feel like memes (to me)—tiring and a bit repetitive. I get sick of them; I want variety. I look for a good mix of discussion posts and book reviews, and maybe a unique feature (or blogging tips or something!).
It really upsets me when I so desperately want to love and subscribe to a blog, but I just can’t click with it for one reason or another.
Yes I do this! Quite a lot of the time surprisingly. I asked for blog recs a while back because my bloglovin’ feed was slow and it made me realise I’m REALLY picky. Most blogs I didn’t follow because I didn’t really love their design, or I looked at their ratings and they rated books almost the complete opposite to me (and despised my all time favourites). They also tended to have a ridiculous number of tours or promos. Sometimes I didn’t follow because I couldn’t find a follow button/widget anywhere π
Not really. There are blogs out there I like more than others, but I always find something I like at each blog, even if it’s once or twice a week and that’s cool with me.
Yes, especially for the last reason you mentioned. When I like someone on Twitter, I want to like their blog too (obviously) but it’s so sad if they read and review completely different things than me. Because I like the blogger, I want to support them by leaving comments, but I can’t, because the books they review are so not for me. I cannot leave a comment saying that I hadn’t heard of the book before, but that it looks interesting (because to me it doesn’t). So I feel bad, especially if you regularly chat on Twitter!
But then again, this is not something that happens often because most bloggers I follow on Twitter read the same genres as me. So most likely I like their blogs too.
I kind of feel this way about some books too…! But yes! I have some blogging friends who I really really like (they’re super awesome people) but their blogs? *cringes*
No, I don’t really have those blogs. I like reading reviews, so that’s not a problem. I sometimes have; I love their content, but there is something in their design that bugs me. I had one blog with awesome content, but the font was so annoying that I didn’t want to read it anymore..
There have only been a few blogs that I wanted to like but didn’t, some because the design hurt my eyes or was too messy and cluttered.
One blog I was recommended was ONLY showing tours and guest posts and promotional stuff that was pretty much copy and paste, even though they said they had reviews which I couldn’t even find at all. I follow blogs for the reviews mostly, and if I don’t see any reviews after looking at 5 pages of content, that turns me off. I love when there’s discussions or original stuff too, that’s a bonus, but just having constant promotional posts makes me not want to follow a blog.
Sadly, yes. Sometimes I just. . .can’t enjoy the blog for some reason. I enjoy the person, I enjoy getting to know them, etc. But I really just want to take them to the side and say, “Okay, could you please stop doing this/start doing this?” What I really like is if I love a blog without ever really getting to know the person first. I have a few that I found years ago and was too shy to talk to their owners. Several years later, I still love those blogs and I doubly love their owners. Some people have got it, and some people don’t.
Oh yes. I had a discussion about this in private with a friend just a few weeks ago. Most of the time, it’s blogger friends I met who twitter who I LOVE. . . but I don’t love their blog. Most of the time, it’s because they may be very review focus on genres I don’t read. I do check out their blog on occasion and comment if a post catches my eye, but most of the time, I just don’t have anything to say.
Opposite of you I guess. Reviews are a must for me, I tire of blogs when I look at them and find nothing but memes for a two week period IF, that is, they started out as a review blog when I started following.
Although I think having a cool blog design is…well cool, I don’t really pay that much attention to it. I don’t think I have ever hated a blog, I usually look for the reviews and not what else is on there..though I do prefer to browse reviews that are more than a small paragraph in length, so if they are really really short reviews I might not browse them as much.
Yup! Happens all the time and it SUCKS.
I agree with Nathan. Reviews are my primary reason for being a blogger, although I love doing and reading other things as well. I only connect with bloggers after going to their blog, enjoying it and then following them on twitter. I’ve noticed that the blogs that I don’t connect with design – wise end up being bloggers who read completely different books than I do anyway, so it doesn’t matter.
The answer would be YES! I adore most book bloggers but sometimes.. their blog content is not the type I love reading. Like you, I want creativity and originality. While reviews can contain lots of personality, I get tired of the same old. Too many blitzes and promo tours turn me off too. Aside from these, if the blogger doesn’t seem to have the same book taste I do, more often than not, I pay little attention. The sad truth- you can’t love all book blogs.
Yes! There are a few bloggers I’ve met that I think are just great people, but we don’t have the same interests AT ALL. I stop by their blogs and comment periodically to give them some love, but I’m not addicted to their blogs like I am others.
You are definitely not alone in this! There are some blogs I would love to love, due to their gorgeous design, or we’re friends on twitter, etc. (just like you said), but their blog content just doesn’t resonate with me for various reasons (just like you said). It makes me sad, but I figure that at least if we can be friends elsewhere, then that’s good. π
I’ve definitely had this happen to me! Mostly it’s because our reading tastes don’t align, or their content isn’t to my tastes – usually if it’s heavily biased towards blitzes and promos. Design is also a big thing: they don’t have to be professional, but they should be uncluttered and easy to read.
I think it’s important to recognise that there’s nothing wrong with this though! Blogs are a personal thing, and just like we don’t (or at least shouldn’t – some people do!) chew each other out for our reading tastes, we shouldn’t be ashamed or feel bad for not liking certain blogs.
Yes, I find this happens often. Like you, if someone is constantly promoting something I just can’t. Every now and then is fine. I also like quality photos and quality writing…too much of one or the other…or none on that note…and it’s hard to keep me interested.
I definitely know what you mean! I feel like I’m one of those blogs that everyone finds boring because all I do is post reviews and I have like such a set schedule that it can definitely get repetitive. I agree, though, it gets annoying to always comment on reviews when I’m in the mood to read a discussion post or something like that. I definitely get that feeling, where I’m maybe good friends with a blogger and look at their blog expecting to find something awesome to reflect their personalities, but then I end up not liking it because something about it lets me down. Fantastic post, Ashley! <33
Yep. All the time and I wish it weren’t that way. It’s usually because they read all the same types of books. My IRL BFF started a blog after I talked about mine. So excited and then remembered she only reads romance basically. I don’t read them and never have anything to say. That sucks.
I’ve felt precisely like this a couple of times! While I truly adore a blogger on Twitter or even enjoy their blog design, there are just a couple of blogs that I can’t bring myself to really “follow”. I mean, I’ll occasionally read their posts, but not all the time. It doesn’t mean I love the person any less though!
Yes! So many times! And I have the same reasoning as you–either books read or too many reviews. I have to admit that I read a lot and post a lot of reviews, but I don’t post more than 3 a week (or I try), and if I do it’s because I want content for said day but I don’t want to do a meme, and I don’t have a discussion post idea.
I will have to work on this, lol.
I agree… I am drawn to beautiful designs, but sometimes the designs are great but not the content. Or the content is more blitzes and spotlights than reviews and discussions… so that makes me not follow.
I personally am trying to vary my content to ensure this doesn’t happen to my blog. π
I don’t have this dilemma. I tend to visit and/or comment on blogs when I see a post that I find is interesting. If I can only say “wow, great post” then I won’t comment on it. I skim through the posts with my Bloglovin’ app, and the ones I really like (regardless of the blog it’s coming from), I visit or comment on.
Yes I have! There’s actually a lot of blog that I LOVE (mainly for their design), but the content (reviews, or the kind of books they read) are not the same type as me. I sometimes still visit those blogs every once in a while though, especially if they have great discussion/non-review posts.
But also, there’s something about… the personality of the blogger that contributes to this aspect, too? While most of the people in this community are kindhearted and very welcoming, there are certain bloggers that give me the vibe as a… snobbish or “I’m better than you” type of person, and with these bloggers, no matter how I like their blog (design AND contents), I can’t bring myself to like them enough to ‘follow’. *shrug*
I’ve been very lucky to receive a lot of review copies, that being said, I try to spcae out my reviews, but it can be hard when I’ve got 3 different books coming out on release date. I schedule close to RLS date, so yeah.
For me, I try to follow a bunch of blogs that have ONE THING that I like at least. Then, when doing commenting rounds, I comment on posts I like. I don’t comment on reviews of books I haven’t heard of and only comment on YA book reviews (in terms of reviews.) I’m not too into memes because a lot of the time (TTT for example) everyone has the same TTT or at least a few options.
I often find that I want to love a blog, because I love the person behind the blog, but I just don’t find anything that I connect with. I don’t mind when someone posts lots of reviews, but if they’re all for books I’m not interested in, then I have a hard time coming up with something meaningful to say.
I totally understand you. There is this one blog where she has a super cool design, but her content is usually manga reviews or graphic novel reviews, but I don’t read those. The posts that turns me off and the reason why I won’t follow a blog is if they post too much memes and if they post too much book blitzes and cover reveals.
I have this problem too! There’s some I want to love because the design is freaking gorgeous: One in particular that only posts positive reviews (which makes me not want to read them, ever – I already know before I open it that it will say “I loved it” – *yawns*), and then a few others that either posted too many memes/tours/blitzes or didn’t review anything I was interested in.
Then there’s a few bloggers I really love, but I either don’t care for their design, or they don’t post stuff that interests me. It makes me sad π
I have this issue with romance bloggers. I just dislike the genre so much, but I love the bloggers. Boo.
Not really! I’ve come across one or two blogs that I didn’t click with – interestingly, one of them was a blog who only EVER posted reviews…like 7 a week, and that was just too much for me to try to keep up with. Before I follow a blog, I try to make sure I know the person and we’ve talked and I like their reviewing style/etc. I DO like to see blogs that post a good mix of content though, I’ll agree with you there!
I have definitely had this experience, typically when someone is nice enough to comment on my blog often. I really want to follow back and comment on their blog all the time too, but I won’t make myself do that if I don’t also enjoy their blog.
Yes, I have felt this way. You’re right. It’s just something that happens since people are different. And it’s a good thing to have variety. I keep visiting those blogs, but not as much as others. I always enjoy every post though. π
Great topic.
I wish you a beautiful day.
I’m more about the post than the blog. I have lots of posts in my drafts that I want to share that are actual discussions, but I have no graphics for them because I can’t design so there they stay. I’m picky.
PS: Love the new theme.
Haha I know what you mean! I always have to have at least one graphic for each post.. For the longest time, I didn’t have a “default” discussion image, so my discussion posts would sit as drafts for aaages until I could be bothered making an image for them. But now I have a default discussion image, so I can just publish them immediately! Woo!
Not really. I’ve seen a lot of blogs with amazing graphics and cool, funny, informative posts, lots of activity in it.. But I’ve never known one blog that makes me want to visit it everyday. To me, it depends more on a specific content so I could easily say “I love this blog post” but I probably won’t be able to name a blog that I love overall. Mostly, it’s an interesting topic i see in social medias that make me visit a site. Even I get tired of seeing the same things in MY OWN blog so I add random things in the mix π