What’s your favorite thing about AAR? I ask not because, as my mom would say, I’m fishing for compliments but because as we figure out how to survive and move forward, I’m wondering what are the things here you can’t live without. Is it the reviews? The blogs? The Steals and Deals? The community? We want to know.
Thanks!
I’d join in the discussion except that everyone else has said it better than I could. However, I do want to add my thanks to Dabney and Caz and everyone else who works so hard to make AAR such a useful and supportive interactive community.
First and foremost thanks for the labor of love keeping the site going. I enjoy reviews (especially the long history of reviews), search feature, and ability to comment. I dip in and out of romance, and this site is my go to for staying current even when I’m not reading as much of it. I’ve also felt comfortable and welcome here as a poster. I can’t claim that for various and sundry reasons for other romance sites I’ve visited.
There are lots of insightful comments here once again. Elaine S’s list is great, and as someone incapable of saying anything concisely, I appreciate the way it so elegantly encapsulates so many important matters.
I am hopeless at picking just one from several options I appreciate for different reasons, but okay, let’s see. I check Steals and Deals every day even if it’s the only thing I do on the computer. When my pain and energy levels allow for a longer stay on the computer, one of the things I always do is check the reviews and read the ones that seem even remotely like something that might interest me, along with the blog posts and the discussions they have generated. My ability to participate in the discussions varies, but I always make sure to read them at some point. Whenever I’m considering buying a romance novel I use Power Search to check if you have reviewed the book. Your reviews give me the type of information I feel like I can’t get from other places.
So what’s the conclusion? Steals and Deals is the feature I use most often, and thanks to it I’ve been able to buy more romance novels. The reviews, old and new, are super helpful and Power Search is a kick-ass tool for finding them. Thanks to AAR I don’t feel like I’m groping so badly in the dark when it comes to this genre anymore. But I think it’s the discussions that I’d miss the most if they disappeared. They are special in many ways, and I find them so interesting, and have learned so much from them. Even when I don’t have the energy to try to put my thoughts into words in English, I always ponder about the themes that are being discussed.
I agree with much of the love that has been expressed. Lots of folks have focused on reviews – which I love if it is about a book I’m likely to read. I particularly like the ability to leave comments on reviews – both when written and later as I have time to read the books reviewed. Like many newbies, I’ve used the Top 100 polls, the annual reader polls, and the reviews to find great things to read. Still do. But few of the reviews have comments to go along with them, and are therefore only one person’s opinion at a particular point in time; as are the polls (reflective of readers at a particular point in time). All fun and useful stuff.
But (for me) the blog is actually the most important part of the site. (Also, I can easily see the blog being a vehicle for reviews as well as general conversations.) I echo chrisreader below who points out the ability to respond to specific comments/commenters. The vast majority of the “community interaction” happens within the blog posts these days. That is really the core of the site for me.
My favourite one is your Top 100 list. I’m not the only one who tries to read all the books in that list.
Next to that, your reviews. Each book you give an A, it’s a novel I’m going to see if it’s something I could be interested in. Each month, I can chose my next readings among 10-15 books.
I loved the annual poll you used to have, but I understand that it is very complicated with so many books each year.
I totally agree with everything you said, Bona.
It is my hope we can do a Top 100 poll again. The last time we did it, we almost got kicked off the internet. But I think it’s really useful to readers.
I agree with just about everyone who has commented. I love the detailed reviews. Whether I agree with them or not, they tell me enough for me to be able to see if I will enjoy the book or not. I didn’t start reading romance until I was 66, and this site was my main guide into unknown territory.
And I love the discussion, especially because people disagree. This is one of the few places outside my family where I’m comfortable sticking up my head to disagree with people.
Thank you.
My favourite element of AAR is definitely the reviews. They are always so detailed and well-written, and they give you a clear idea of what to expect. I first read a romance novel when I was 16, but I had no idea where to find good romance authors. Two years later, I stumbled about AAR and have never looked back. The power search feature was (and still is) a god-sent, as it enables me to pinpoint the precise genre I want and also to sort relevant reviews by their grades. Thanks to AAR, I have discovered authors like Sherry Thomas, Katharine Ashe, Julie Anne Long, Mary Balogh, Mary Jo Putney, Judith Ivory, Laura Kinsale and so many more.
I really like this blog. I enjoy the topics and the conversations in the comments. It has helped me open my mind to new understandings and expanded my reading genre range.
Thanks!
I wholeheartedly agree with much of what has been said already, so I will just emphasize two things that are more specific to me. First, as a relative newcomer to romance and this site, I was pulled in by the thoughtful, detailed reviews. AAR is a treasure trove for a newbie who is struggling to separate the wheat from the chaff in romancelandia. How many reviews do you have in your archives? It took me awhile to realize that it is a huge number, they are searchable, and there are comments in addition to the reviews. It would be helpful if you had a welcome section on your homescreen to give visitors an introduction to the site and the riches to be found. My second favorite thing about AAR is the generosity of spirit, which Elaine S so beautifully elucidated, and which starts with the leadership of Dabney and Caz, and extends to all the reviewers and commenters who seem to be as interested in what others have to say as in having their own say.
It’s almost 15,000!
Thank you. I wasn’t fishing for compliments but we will take them with joy!!
What she said! ;)
In a nutshell, reviews and comments, and a place to feel some community.
Same for me: reviews and the open/honest comment community. I don’t know how many books and authors I’ve discovered in over 20 years of visiting AAR, but I strongly suspect they are actually the majority of my current reading.
As a reader, my favorite thing about AAR is the chance to learn more about what’s afloat in the vast sea of romance and to steer myself toward new things to read. As a writer, it’s a place to get a sense of what a subset of readers actually like to read (and, to a lesser extent, why). This community is not (based on the past year of regular participation) interested in the type of book I write; but that doesn’t mean the opinions here don’t interest me. :-)
Power Search is a great feature. I’ve used it to fill in some backlists! But generally, AAR is a teaching tool for me.
Slightly off-topic, I think it’s important for regular site users to remember that a blog is a gift. It costs money, and it takes a lot (A LOT) of time, and there is a real danger of letting a blog become an expensive burden for the site runners. So it’s important to go through those reviews and ads to buy new books, and not just use this as a way to talk to each other. :-)
Thank you.
The hard thing is that buying books is a flagging source on income. I expect that Amazon will, at some point, cut completely affiliate dollars to sellers. That will mean buying books doesn’t do anything for us. However, right now, we do get 4%. To let you know how little money even that is, yesterday, AAR made 7 dollars at Amazon.
An [email protected] after my own heart. Here are just a few points that have been made with which I agree 110%:
chrisreader – opportunity to respond; company in her vacuum – I fully get that because I am in the same vacuum outside of AAR
Marian Perera – honest, balanced, sometimes pithy reviews. Absolutely!
Nan de Plume – camaraderie, open invitation and commitment to open discussion. How wonderful is that – and how lucky we all are to be here!
stl-reader – thoughtful, civil discussion. A pearl without price for sure – particularly in our confusing times of cancel culture all of the intolerance that has bred.
The above comments are what have kept me coming here nearly every day for more than 20 years. I’ve been around so long that some of those who comment here seem like old friends you could sit down with a cup of tea or glass of wine and feel like you’ve known them forever.
The thing I relish most here – beside all of the above – is the way in which Dabney and Caz run the site. I have approached them on a few occasions over the years about one thing or the other that I wanted to keep “off piste”. Always, I get a warm and friendly response from them, an answer to the question or understanding of any issue I raise. There have been tensions at AAR over the years which have apparently meant that some who used to comment have left our community (and that’s EXACTLY what it is). They are missed and, even when I sincerely disagreed with them, I fully appreciated that this is an incredibly civil welcoming, tolerant, informed, safe and superbly run site. I don’t mind what name AAR goes by – it could call itself Lies, Lies and Damned Lies – doesn’t matter. The esprit de corps here is invaluable and that’s down, really, to Dabney, Caz and all of us who take the time to visit and, when the mood or urge strikes, contribute to it with a comment, review or whatever. Well done to all of us!
I agree with you 100%, especially this:
Despite some of the rows I’ve been in- many of them self-induced by my big, fat mouth- I miss the commenters who left as well. Yes, even the ones I vehemently disagreed with. Maybe especially the ones I vehemently disagreed with. It was so nice to engage in all that passionate, sometimes fiery discourse. Dare I say it felt like a modern-day college of the old free speech days that are long gone on most campuses? Better actually, because there are no assignments here. :-)
I also appreciate when new commenters stop by to add their insights. Just like I say about books, “The more, the merrier!”
Me too.
It’s hard for me to understand why arguing is offensive. And yet, for many it is.
Arguing isn’t offensive, but it can be exhausting. I often bypass discussions here because I can’t face the multi-paragraph responses to what I say. That’s ok, because if I could let everything slide off my back I’d jump in there more, but sometimes I can’t. Please understand that some people can’t argue because they are physically and emotionally unable to distance themselves from the topic, or have anxiety issues that mean it cost them a lot to engage repeatedly.
There is also the intimidation factor. I absolutely don’t mean people here mean to intimidate, but it happens when the posts get very long, and then you have one or more commentors posting equally long posts in agreement. It’s really difficult to come into the middle of that to say you disagree. Sometimes I just can’t engage in that situation.
I’m not saying anything needs to change. It doesn’t. I guess I’m just explaining that “arguing” or intense disagreement is impossible at times not because it’s offensive, but because of the emotional cost.
I’m am on the side of people who don’t want to engage. To me, conversation is a choice. And everyone has the right to say, I don’t want to do this. But I draw the line at telling others they don’t have the right TO do that.
Absolutely, and I don’t think I suggested that. I hope, however, that the voices of the more assertive people aren’t the only voices heard. I’m not sure how that can be assured, maybe it can’t. I’m not an introvert, but I think this must be how introverts feel in a group of extroverts–deciding not to engage because you feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of it all.
I guess I think the internet is not a great place to find that even when a site, like ours, tries to make them feel welcome. If you have any ideas, please let me know.
My only suggestion is to encourage people to move tangent discussions to the forums, then they don’t overwhelm the comment space.
The forums are sort of dead. We’ve found that the software that runs them is wonky. We opened them back up when we found a more stable version but readers aren’t using them.
I am curious–what does an overwhelmed comment space look like to you? Is it that it’s poorly organized? Hard to follow? I’d like to see if I can make it better. Thanks!
This comments space is overwhelming to me right now. Once you have one or two comments under a post then it goes in a long, long line down the page. It’s squashed to the right half of my screen, with the list of “Recent Comments” on the left.
When you combine that with the multi-paragraph answers (which I write at times, so not dissing anyone) it becomes difficult for me to read and follow. It’s easy for me to lose the place in a conversation, and who is answering who. Sometimes I start to read a comment, and then realize it’s a response to a different post than I thought, and I have to scroll up and try to find the original post. It just makes it less likely I’ll read the posts at all once the page gets crowded.
But I’m not sure that can be fixed and I’m obviously in the minority. So, thank you for wanting to help. I appreciate it, but I don’t expect anything can or needs to be done.
I changed it somewhat. Does it work better for you now?
Thank you for trying! It’s somewhat easier to follow the threads, but now is more squished to the right making for long thin columns.