I am off to Minneapolis today, to join in the book blogger fun at Kidlitcon 2010.
Tomorrow I'll be part of a panel talking about "Blogging the Backlist;" for which I am, as yet, not quite prepared....(why change my life's modus operendum at this late date?)
But, just in case I get to check my email later today--what do you thing about old/out-of-print/backlisted books? I like them, myself--partly because I only skim a lot of the reviews of just released books, because of not having read them. But a review of an out of print book, even if it's new to me, I'm more likely to read slowly...especially if it's a review of a children's/YA fantasy book published in the 1990s, when (for many reasons, like playing way too much pool/being in grad school) I didn't read many new-to-me books....
I love reading reviews of oldies but goodies, especially when the book is an old favorite.
ReplyDeleteAs a recently retired librarian, I think if you want to find the best children's books on any particular topic, you must include some old or out-of-print books. Wonderful children's books go out of print each year. Yet, you can still buy these books at a source such as Alibris or check them out at your local library. I include a mix of old and new in all my recommendations for readers, at
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I love these reviews too. There are some great books out there that I've missed along the way and these reviews help me find them.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy hearing about older books that people love. The biggest reason I will seek out a book is because a friend/reviewer I trust raves about it -- whether it's old or new. And I know there are plenty of books I missed when they first came out.
ReplyDeleteThe only downside is if they are out of print and the library has no copies...
I also like reviews for older books. I often feel like the same few newer books get reviewed over and over and over again, so it's nice to hear about an older title that hasn't gotten as much attention of late. Plus, I don't read very many brand new books, and I like to contrast my own opinion with the reviewer's response. I'm able to do that more often with backlist reviews.
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