This week's question: Do you like to supplement your reading with outside sources like Sparknotes, academic articles or other bloggers' reviews? Why or why not?
Do I like to do this? Yes. Do I do it often? Not really.
If the story is a classic, I like reading Sparknotes along with the reading to see if they bring up something I missed. I'd read academic articles if there was an easy way to find them and I'm happy to read them when I come across them. A number of my Shakespeare books are academic articles. I like reading about what people think about something I've recently read. It's like having a discussion, except the author doesn't take into account a thing that I say. The jerk.
Ultimately though, I don't do this often. Because I'm lazy.
Bloggers' reviews are in their own category. Most often I'll read a blogger's review if I've already read the book myself. Then it's back to that discussing a book together thing. If someone writes about a book I really want to read, or it's a blogger I read on a regular basis, I'm more likely to read a review of something I haven't yet read. When I'm actually writing my own reviews I try to stay away from what other people say. I don't want to repeat what everyone else had already said and I don't want my own opinion to be swayed by what someone else said.
What about you?
