Into the Fire

What inspires you to make a comment on a blog? I can’t help but wonder. My regular readers know I read a lot of novels. I don’t review all of them because I don’t enjoy doing negative reviews. For whatever reason, justified or not, I feel obligated to review the CFBA novels, good, bad, or indifferent. I have a few opportunities to review books from publishers, and each one of the publisher reps has emphasized to be truthful whether I like the book or not.

If I can’t give something an enthusiastic review but I don’t find the novel “bad”, the review ends up being a generic account of the experience. Readers can decide for themselves if they might want to venture into the story.

Isn’t it interesting that with only the third “poor” review I’ve done here, my blog hits soared for a few days? Canned and cautionary comments were given on the posts following that review. “Canned” in that one exact comment appeared on the only other “poor” review of the same novel.

So what inspires or provokes or goads you into making a comment on someone’s blog?

It varies for me. Sometimes I respond to someone else’s comment because it’s either brilliant or ignorant, and it’s like I’m compelled to offer a defense or an agreement. Other times I want to applaud the blogger for capturing just the right approach to a topic, insights, revelation, humor. Anyway, I find it fascinating when posts generate an unpredictable response.

Father, you know our hearts from the inside out. Nothing we do surprises you, although I know our actions, be they mental or physical, can be disappointing. I ask for your guidance concerning the entirety of the written word. May I be obedient to you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.