BAFAB: The wrap-up, and a poll

Another successful BAFAB Week is coming to a close. Lots of book giveaways around the web this time around. I myself was happy to give away a copy of Dick York's The Seesaw Girl and Me to fellow blogger Clare Dudman. And I'll be happy to give away a copy of XXXXXXXXXXXXX if anyone ever figures out what book I'm thinking of! (Please click that thar link to enter the contest.)

Meanwhile, a poll. Since I created Buy a Friend a Book Week back in mid-2005, I've featured book recommendations at BAFAB's associated web site. Every quarter a different guest reviewer has contributed three mini-reviews, and I've also contributed my own recommendations. Guest authors to date have included Caroline Leavitt, Damian McNicholl, M.J. Rose, and a bunch more.

I initially incorporated guest reviewers because I wanted to bring attention to the event, and to give authors whose books were touted at BAFAB a reason to spread the word about BAFAB. The word has indeed spread: The idea of BAFAB has taken off in the blogosphere. BAFAB-related giveaways have become very big. I'm always stumbling over references to BAFAB online made by total strangers, and it's very gratifying. But I'm not convinced that the guest reviews I've taken such pains to include on the site have had anything to do with this!

So, now I'm wondering whether it's worth keeping reviews as a part of the BAFAB site. Please express your thoughts by taking part in this simple poll:

Comments

[Lila]

Great article! I also like the new Kareem Abdul Jabbar Blog: latimes.com/kareem
He has been reviewing books as well.

[J Scott Savage]

I love reading blog book reviews. I can never completely trust reviews from the big review publications and Amazon reviews seem mostly to be people who either loved or hated the book. But if you read enough blogs, you can get a pretty good feel for what's right and wrong with the book.

[Debra Hamel]

Thanks, J. Of course, there is overlap. I and a lot of other book bloggers also post our reviews at Amazon. I very often agree with the reviews at Amazon in the aggregate, so I tend to find reading the reviews there very helpful. Of course, you have to correct for the fanatics and the lunatics, but the weight of the reviews tends to be right on, I think.