Sock puppetry and Fake reviews

Hi all, absolutely fascinating article in the Guardian today about authors faking reviews and websites offering favourable reviews for cash!

As a librarian and book reviewer this is a very sad state of affairs. I love reading and giving reviews. It is very rare that I give a really bad review and I always acknowledge that it is the fact that I am at fault, as the reason I do not like the book. No one likes their hard work disparaged  but sometimes one just has to be honest and leave other readers to make up their minds.

To try and influence things for gain, and manipulate genuine readers,  is just not on and makes a mockery of sites like mine. Hopefully publishers and agents will nip this in the bud and perhaps Amazon could be a little more proactive in its monitoring of "reader" comments!

There is a fine line between cynical self promotion and naive over enthusiam. I suspect that Waterstones as we are, are deluged by self published authors wishing us to promote their wares. Unlike Waterstones we are limited and not bound by sales and are always intersted in promoting books of local interest.

As for published authors we are alwqays willing to host them to talk as we have avid readers who fill our coffee mornings and we are always looking for speakers, albeit with very limited funds to pay!

So for authors wishing to promote their books and who are willing to do so free of speaking fees, libraries make excellent venues to engage with readers and they are always assured of a warm welcome.

Here is the link to the article

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/sep/04/sock-puppetry-publish-be-damned?CMP=EMCNEWEML1355

It reads like a crime novel all on its own! Well done to Stuart Neville and Jeremy Duns for exposing this.

Vicki Goldie
Librarian
Bournemouth Libraries

Late entry here is what Crime wroter Christopher Fowler has to say

http://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/blog/2012/09/04/when-the-competition-turns-nasty/

Kathy Reichs - Mortal Remains

I have been a big fan of Kathy Reichs over the years. I like her faced paced style , the level of science she includes and the story arc of her family and relationships. ( See Christopher Fowler you taught me a new term!)

However although I enjoyed this new book and speedily read it over a weekend, I get the feeling it is rather thin. It a bit like Donna Leon, their books are getting smaller. I used to rush to buy them in hardback but now I am not convinced they are value for money, thank goodness for the library!

But all said and done, I would still recommend this as a read, I just love the clever twists.

I also love the TV series Bones but they bear absolutely no relation to the books. Tempe is a completely different person!