It's time for another book discussion here on The Farm and this time around I'm focusing on buddy reads. Up until a few years ago, I had never really heard of this concept. But along with blogging and watching Booktube, I started hearing it more and more and at times I thought it sounded really cool and then at times I felt like it sounded like a hassle. However, you know how much I love doing buddy reads with Stormi from Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My! so I wanted to look at the concept a little more in-depth.
TYPES OF BUDDY READS
So basically I think there are several different types of buddy reads. You have your informal ones where you basically are just reading at your own pace the same book as a friend and discussing it at leisure. Stormi and I pretty much utilize this. At the beginning of the month, or several months ahead in some cases, we will target books we both want to read and then slate them for our "2 Bloggers 1 Book" feature.
Then you have more formal ones. You chose a book, and then agree to read a certain amount per day/week/etc. I've done this type only once or twice with Maria from A Night's Dream of Books. We read a certain amount each week and then asked each other questions which we both formatted into blog posts. This was more detailed and had it advantages and disadvantages. We had planned a few more but sadly Maria's husband became ill and she's not posted any updates so I'm just hoping and praying for the best for her family.
WHY I LIKE BUDDY READS
It's a well-known fact that Mr. Barb is very supportive of my reading. Although I know sometimes he gets a tad irritated that I always have my nose in a book. I also have to make time for dates and family time so reading doesn't completely take over my life. Yet he really doesn't care what I read and is not really a reader himself. In fact, the only other person who I know that reads a fair amount is my mother and she reads strictly romance, which is no problem but doesn't allow us to trade books or recommendations much. This has been where having a BFF like Stormi has really been a blast. Finally someone who understand my obsession and who I can "talk" about books with. Even if we aren't reading the same books, we are always chatting and we've even managed to save each other from some pretty horrible books.
I also have enjoyed sending books to Stormi and she has surprised me on several occasions when I really needed a pick-me-up.
CONS OF BUDDY READS
I really don't have any. I'm sure buddy reads don't work for everyone and the solution is simple - don't do them. I know for a fact that buddy reads have encouraged me to bump up books which have sat on my shelves for too long as well as helped get some review books out of the way.
If you haven't noticed, Stormi and I are now buddy reading at least 3 books a month and will be until we knock the All Souls Trilogy out of the way. We've loved doing our series buddy read so much that we already have a series planned out for 2020.
So what are your feelings on buddy reads? Can you think of any pros and cons I didn't mention? Have you made any lasting friendships because of books???
Buddy reads are like miniature book clubs.:-) I haven't made any lasting friendships because of books, but I've enhanced friendships because of books.
ReplyDeleteI never thought about it but they are like miniature book clubs - perfect analogy.
DeleteI've never tried buddy reading but I can see how fun it is from your experiences with Stormi. I guess I've come close when a fellow blogger and I have been reading the same book at sort of the same time, and then we usual chat on Twitter messenger about our thoughts. I need to do more of that!
ReplyDeleteYea, that's kind of the informal version so you've kind of done that. If it weren't for my blog, social media and buddy reads, I wouldn't be able to share my love of reading with anyone.
DeleteI’ve never done a buddy read. It sounds like I’m missing out on something great.
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I love doing them and now that Stormi and I are trying to pick some backlist titles we have, it's helping me read books that have been on my TBR for ages!
DeleteMy sister and I have been doing buddy reads for a few years now. I enjoy them and we do the informal ones. Ours are usually coordinated with the author of the book we are reviewing and we offer a giveaway to go along with it. It;s been a lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteThat's so great and it's awesome you can incorporate giveaways too!
DeleteI have only tried the informal ones with you so not sure what I would think of the more formal kind where you agree to so many pages then talk about it. :) Not that I wouldn't be up for it if someone wanted too. :)
ReplyDeleteI love our buddy reads and book chats!!
Why mess with perfection huh?
DeleteI love doing buddy reads...but the more informal kind where we're both reading the book at the same time, but at our own pace. It's the chatting about the book while I'm reading it, and when I'm done that makes it so much fun. :D
ReplyDeleteI agree, that's the super fun part.
DeleteI've never done a buddy read, but I see other people doing them all the time! I really should try it sometime.
ReplyDeleteYea, they are definitely worth trying.
DeleteI think buddy reads would be a great way to keep me motivated or to spur me to finally pick up a book that's been on my TBR for a long time. I've only done readalongs, which I guess are similar, and I've found them to be fun and very beneficial!
ReplyDelete~Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum
It's been super helpful for me to knock out some books I've wanted to read that aren't necessarily new releases.
DeleteOoh this is good timing- I was just thinking of joining a Goodreads buddy read group, and there's a Game of Thrones readathon thing going on I was eyeing. :) I know readathons are different but that particular one is sorta set up like a buddy read. anyway... yes your reasons for liking them make perfect sense- I think a lot of us bloggers can relate since blog friends are the only people we know who read as much as us!
ReplyDeleteGo for it!
DeleteI love reading buddy read posts. :-) I have done buddy reads a few times, and they were so much fun. I got so much out of them. I like that analogy too--of it being like a mini book club. Still, I tend not to do them because of how much of a mood reader I can be--and scheduling (my inability to commit these days). Maybe some day I will join in one or two again. For now though, I think it's best that I abstain, and live vicariously through those of you who do take part in them.
ReplyDeleteI tend to mood read sometimes too but so does Stormi which is maybe how we have ended up doing 3 a month now :)
DeleteI love buddy reads! I have done a ton with Annemieke, and quite a few with Jolene, too. I did one with Greg, and Greg and I did a trio buddy read with Heather before she quit blogging. Then Annemieke, Jolene, Greg, and I did a group buddy read. Fun times! 🙌🙌🙌
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel with your mom. My sister reads cozies and romances, and even when she does branch out she reads the Sookie Stackhouse books and the Outlander books. Neither of which interest me. However, she did read the Cinder books and I didn't think I would ever read them, but I read the prequel novella and I really liked it. So I hope she remembers enough to discuss them. Oh, and I can't forget my son! Ha ha. 📚
I did read the Sookie books and they were okay but Harris has a few other series I like better. I enjoyed Cinder but never continued on, even though I own them all. No, you certainly can't forget Baz.
DeleteLuckily my dad and I have the same taste in books so we always talk about the books we read. I don't do buddy reads as I like to just read a book start to finish at my own pace-I couldn't do these read a certain amount per weekand no more! I like to deal with a book in a few days! Plus I DNF a lot and that wouldn't be good for a buddy read!
ReplyDeleteThat's great that you guys read the same thing. I don't know what I would do with another reader in the house!
DeleteI really like the idea of buddy reads but can't quite figure them out - although I have done a number of readalongs which are similar (but probably more structured). I always like the sound of them though.
ReplyDeleteLynn :D
I like the laid back ones a lot. No pressure and lots of fun.
DeleteBuddy reads are great because they force me to read a set number of pages a day. It keeps me from slacking and being the laziest version of myself because I don't want to let others down. it's also fun to bounce comments off of other people.
ReplyDeleteThey are good for motivation.
Deletei think buddy reads are great. like someone said, mini book clubs. my sister and i do a tag team event now and then for some of our favorite authors and i do enjoy it. sometimes it's hard to coordinate because we have different things going on. you and stormi seem to make it work well.
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
We do and we both enjoy them so they're lots of fun!
DeleteMy friend Heather of Heather's Reading Hideaway and I do buddy reads every now and then. I think the worst part about the process is simply finding the time! We have so many books on our list to read together, but fitting them into our reading schedules is wicked tough. Especially where I have two jobs and she's wedding planning!
ReplyDelete