A rant about Amazon (so don't read if you're in a good mood!)

So, it wasn't a stretch to figure out what to name my blog, the only issue was that someone else had the title already so I had to add ELF to my version.  Confusing to some people, but I figured it wouldn't matter since I never imagined people would really be looking for me in particular, just for reviews of various books.  I have always been a big reader, probably because I was a very introverted and lonely child who delighted in getting lost in a book.  Well, if you focus on one thing, you tend to improve at it, so I gradually increased my reading speed over the years and can usually read a decent-sized hardback book in 2 or 3 hours.  I am not saying this to brag but as a fact.  Those who know me stopped buying me books (to my dismay) because they didn't feel their gift lasted long enough (no matter how much I tried to convince them that I read books I like over and over again) but fortunately I discovered libraries at an early age and schemed many hours to convince my folks to take me there.  Most libraries that I dealt with waived their limits despite my young age because I devour books and the number they would allow me to check out would usually only last me less than a week.

Ok...you're bored...I am getting to the point...I read a LOT of books.  I don't always get them all reviewed, especially if I don't have anything good to say about them OR there are tons of reviews already written for that particular title (which I have subsequently learned, does not necessarily mean the author doesn't want one).  If I write a review, it means that I have actually read the book.  I don't get paid (although I would love to find out how to go about earning money for that) but now that I have been fortunate enough to be associated with Night Owl Reviews, I usually get a copy of the book that I am reviewing.  Sometimes they are in e-book form and sometimes in print although not always the final format (so sometimes they are riddled with errors and I no longer request the Lora Leigh books because the last one I got with her story had multiple pages OUT OF ORDER so it was a pill to read).  I tend to shy away from the Netgalley books because the e-copy usually expires after a few months (although there are occasionally exceptions) and it frustrates me to spend my time reading and writing a review and not having a book at the end of those 3 or 4 hours.

So...I am REALLY frustrated with the meanies on Amazon.  At first I was trying to get a low enough rating to become part of the Vine program but I had to admit defeat once I started receiving negative votes on my reviews.  I usually try to write a fair and polite review that has no spoilers and I really would like to know why people give me negative votes but they can hide behind their anonymity and I can't ask what the problem is.  I finally realized that Amazon has a policy that prevents the reviewer from getting credit for 'yes this was helpful' votes from the same person for more than 1 or 2 reviews (i.e., the votes don't count) yet I don't think that same policy is applied for the negative votes.  Yesterday I submitted a review for You Cannoli Die Once (which I also posted here on the blog) and I went back to add the copyright since it was accepted at Night Owl Reviews today and discovered that someone (in less than 24 hours) has given me a 'not helpful' vote!  I don't understand why and the only thing I can think of is perhaps they don't think I actually read the book.  I read it again, and I don't see that I revealed any spoilers and I think I got most of the typos (although one gets a little blind to them sometimes) so I'd be curious what others thought.  I just don't think it is fair that one doesn't have to leave a comment when voting against a review to at least say why it isn't helpful.

Ok...I will jump down from my soapbox...I actually have several more reviews to write...and some which I am trying to decide whether to write a review for since they are library books.  I actually have procrastinated so long on my most recent online class that I had to cram all of the remaining lessons into the past two days so my brain is a little full right now, lol, but these are some of the titles that I haven't written up yet:  (be advised that most are ADULT titles)





Shiloh Walker's The Protected
Shiloh Walker's The Unwanted
Cynthia Gail's Spring's Surprise
Bobbi Romans' Under the Full Moon
Patricia Briggs' Frost Burned
J.R. Ward's Lover at Last
Elle James' Voodoo for Two
Lynne Connolly's Nice 'N' Easy