How many weekly memes exist in book blogdom? How many do you participate in? Do you participate in more than one each day? More than one each week? How many is too many?
I don't participate in any weekly memes besides The Sunday Salon. This is mainly due to laziness but also to my being completely overwhelmed by the memes everyone else participates in. There is In My Mailbox Mondays, What Are You Reading Mondays, Monday Musings, Tuesday Teasers, Library Loot, Waiting on Wednesdays, Wordless Wednesdays, Booking Through Thursday... and I'm sure there are many more that I can't think of at the moment. I don't mind memes in moderation. I think they can be fun to read and a really good way of getting a pulse on what other people are up to. But when so many blogs are updating on, for example, Tuesday, and everyone is listing their Tuesday Teasers, then I get so completely overwhelmed by the number of posts to get through in my Google Reader that I just scroll through, don't read them, and don't bother replying.
Do people who do not participate in these memes comment on them? I don't really comment on any of them with any sort of regularity unless one stands out to me, but I am perfectly aware that I could be a freak.
And how many do you participate in? Personally, I feel that one a week is sufficient. This is of course because I only participate in one a week, The Sunday Salon, and I am the idea. No, seriously, I don't really know how many memes people individually participate in because I only see them all in a bunch on my Google Reader. But, quite frankly, it seems like some people participate in a lot. To the extent that there are so many posts to get through for one person's blog just because of these memes. And that frustrates me because I try very hard to comment on people's blogs and I go through Google Reader almost daily, and still there are just so many memes! I sometimes I feel like the reviews or thinking posts are lost in the deluge because I am so busy sifting through things that maybe my eyes don't catch them.
But I realize this could very much just be me. Obviously, a lot of people like the memes because they're so wildly popular and have so many participants. Which is great! But my question is, what's the ideal? How many weekly memes do you participate in? And do you make a point of commenting on other bloggers' meme posts?
My participation in memes goes up and down, depending on what I've got going on. Two of my favorites right now are Sunday Salon (because it's free form) and Movie Mondays because I am trying to keep better track of the movies I watch throughout the year.
ReplyDeleteI do participate in others now and then, particularly if there's a question I feel like answering--or if I want an easy post to write and don't have a review ready.
For awhile there I was doing my weekly meme round up on Fridays, combining a week's worth of memes into one post, which seemed to work out great. I will probably continue with that on occasion this year as well.
I often comment on the memes posted by my fellow bloggers even if I don't participate. It depends on my time though. Sometimes I am not able to fit in a lot of computer time and in that instance, like you, I only will comment if something stands out for me.
I only do The Sunday Salon, but I don't even consider that a meme at all. There's no formula, so it's really more of a space in which you can do anything you want. Most memes are a bit too samey for my taste, but I don't want to dismiss them all as boring because it's really what you do with them that makes the difference. For example, I'll still read a Mailbox Monday or a Library Loot post if the blogger explains why they got each book and why they're looking forward to reading it instead of just posting a list. If you make it uniquely yours, I'm interested. If not, meh.
ReplyDeleteI don't set out not to comment on meme posts, but I'm probably most likely to skip them if they don't catch my attention. Which they often don't :P
I do Teaser Tuesdays, sometimes Booking Through Thursday and The Sunday Salon but like Nymeth I don't really consider TSS to be a meme.
ReplyDeleteI do Teaser Tuesdays because it is easy and I like to use it as a preview for a review I will be posting during the week. Often my Teaser Tuesday comes from a book I'm about to finish (for example this week mine came from The Last Hero which I reviewed later in the week).
I do Booking Through Thursday if the question interests me. I didn't do this weeks because I felt like I recently answered a question about the back of the book.
I don't read every single participant in Teaser Tuesday. I read those who comment on mine and those that come through my google reader. I try to comment on the ones I read.
I don't participate in any - mainly because I can't commit the time.
ReplyDeleteI am in six reading challenges, however. That might be the same as a meme?
I'm not against memes though. I just haven't been blogging long enough to really settle into what I'm doing. It's entirely possible I'll eventually pick a couple. If nothing else, it keeps you on a schedule.
:)
~ Corra
from the desk of a writer
I participate in two - one of which is Library Loot which I kind of have to participate in given that I co-host it, and the other is Teaser Tuesday because I like it, and it gives me some bookish content. There are dozens and dozens of memes out there. Every now and again I contemplate joining another one, but I think two a week is enough for me really. Enough to give a little bit of structure to my blogging without making it so regulated that it is restrictive...if that makes sense.
ReplyDeleteI participate in Teaser Tuesdays and a not-so-popular meme I found called Women on Wednesdays. I love them both and post only when I feel like it. I'm not so regular with these memes and don't stress myself to be so either. I've wanted to try out the Sunday Salon, but I usually prefer a quiet Sunday, reading, so I haven't bothered with it.
ReplyDeleteI leave comments on meme posts only when I've either read the book they are talking about or want to read it. I much prefer commenting on regular posts and reviews :)
You have expressed my sentiments on memes almost exactly. I don't object to memes per se, but it's the proliferation of them that bothers me. I do like seeing, for example, what my favorite bloggers have on the TBR list (via Library Loot or Mailbox Monday), but when it appears that everyone is posting about the same thing on the same day , I end up tuning most of the posts out, even if I'm interested. And I'm likely to unfollow a blog if I notice more than two or maybe three a week because in those cases the memes seems to take precedence over substantive, original content.
ReplyDeleteAnd for what it's worth, I don't consider Sunday Salon a meme because each blogger handles it differently. If it is a meme, it's one that doesn't have as many drawbacks than the others. It enourages unique content.
I do occasionally comment on a meme that I don't participate in--if, for example, I notice that someone is reading a book that I love or have just read myself. And I'll sometimes comment on the first couple of Booking Through Thursday posts that I see, if the question interests me, but to comment on several means leaving the same comment all over, and that just seems silly.
lol oh yeah Tuesday teasers are fun but in the same time very overwhelming, but fun non the less. I tried going through all the posts in that meme. Booking through thursday is my weekly favorite too, but I only participate when the question is interesting.
ReplyDeleteI have the habit to try to get through all bookblogs meme as much as I could. But i can't really track them all in weekly basis. most of the time I ended up posting in the day after. Not to forget the challenges I keep joining up.
I, too, don't really consider Sunday Salon a meme. The only meme I do is Waiting on Wednesday, and I don't do it every week. I do it because more often than not, I get an ARC out of it, and I love being able to read the books I'm excited about before they come out.
ReplyDeleteI usually scroll right through memes in my reader too. Some of them have more content than others, but mostly I find them to be a little annoying.
I don't even know what The Sunday Salon is or what half the memes are. I suppose I'm a bit on the edge of the "community" as I review all entertainment though lately it's been mostly books. And I don't call myself a "book blogger." I don't know. I do the It's Monday, What Are You Reading?
ReplyDeleteI don't seem to find myself commenting much on other blogs unless I have some connection with the discussion... it does seem like there are a lot of memes out there but I tend to ignore most of them. Like others have said, it's the original, more personal content that draws me in. I do enjoy the Sunday Salons though!
ReplyDeleteWhen I first started out I dabbled in a few different memes, but something started rubbing me the wrong way about them and so I stopped. I think you hit on it perfectly. I just felt like I wasn't really contributing anything and it seemed silly to waste effort on it when I wasn't happy with the result.
ReplyDeleteI still will do a Musing Monday or Booking Through Thursday post if I feel like I really have something to say on the matter, but that's it.
For the new year I wanted to sign up for Sunday Salon, I even came up with several post ideas during Bloggiesta, but apparently I was a day late and a dollar short, they are no longer allowing new bloggers to sign up.
I only participate in one meme ("Waiting On" Wednesday). I feel that when people do a meme on almost every day of the week, they aren't really coming up with their own personal content, you know? Memes are a great way to connect with the blogging community, but please people, practice some moderation!
ReplyDeleteI comment on memes I don't participate in when the book or topic mentioned in the meme connects with me somehow, but otherwise, I usually just glide on by without giving them too much time since my Google Reader is always bursting at the seams, it seems :)
I'm pretty much just a Sunday Saloner. Sometimes I submit a review to the Carnival of Book Reviews. Once in a great while (maybe 3 times a year), I do Weekly Geeks. I do submit a review each week to Semicolon's Saturday Review of Books, but that's not a meme. I agree---all of that gets WAY too overwhelming!
ReplyDeleteThe only meme that I consistently participate in is the In My Mailbox meme which I do on Sundays each week. It lets me keep track for myself of what I have received. On my Inside a Dog blog I usually just list what I receive. On my Ms. Martin Teaches Media blog I try to give the reasons why I added that book to my TBR stack. I like to look at other IMM posts to see what the hot books are.
ReplyDeleteI may look at some of the other memes but I seldom have anything to contribute to the discussions. I do find myself just quickly scanning most of the memes without stopping to comment.
I find that, if I spent too much time reading about books on the many blogs I follow. I don't have time to read the books I have.
Great question! I didn't even know what a meme was when I first started blogging; like everything else there are acronyms and jargon we only start learn a few months in. I participate in:
ReplyDeleteIt's Monday What Are You Reading because it give me a way to think about my reading
I just started doing Teaser Tuesday because I've found out about some interesting books that way. I'll admit I mostly skim this one and may not continue doing it. I thought I'd give myself a month and re-evaluate
On Fridays I do Friday Fun, which is something only I do. I started it before I realized what Sunday Salon was so maybe I should drop Friday Fun and just join Sunday Salon with everyone else. What do you think?
Those are good questions! I actually started with one or two, but now I do What Are You Reading Monday, Teaser Tuesdays, Sunday Salon...and occasionally, I dabble in Mailbox Monday (I don't always get books, so if I don't, no post). And Library Loot occasionally.
ReplyDeleteOh, I almost forgot...I just started one called What's in your handbag? And then there's A-Z Wednesday. Yeah, I'm seeing a pattern here!
There are other occasional ones.
I have some blogs I regularly check, but not because of memes.
I like Sunday Salon because, like you said, it's free-form. I don't like too much sameness either, so in my other memes, I try to spice things up a bit.
Here's my Sunday Salon:
http://laurel-rainsnowsaccidentallife.blogspot.com/2010/01/sunday-salon_17.html
I agree with you totally, and with Nymeth. Generally I skip right over memes.
ReplyDeleteI participate in Sunday Salon, but like Nymeth and a couple others have said, I don't really consider that a meme. It's just a forum for book discussion that lets you find other's who are talking about books too. It's a good way to find new-to-you blogs and new-to-you readers. Other than that, I feel much the same way you do about memes. When I first started blogging, I used Booking Through Thursday to increase my readership and make some blogging friends, but even though I still keep track of the questions, I haven't answered any for a long time. I'm not saying it's not a good thing, because it is, and BTT is generally one I enjoy reading more. Weekly Geeks as well. Library Loot is another one that I participate in sometimes. To be completely, 100% honest, Mailbox Monday often feels like bragging to me. I know it's not, and I know it's really no different from Library Loot, but to me it just screams look at all the books publishers sent me and not you! Okay, I know that's really stupid and most definitely not the intention the creators MM or IMM had in mind, but I can't help thinking it.
ReplyDeleteI also have Poetry Wednesday, but that's not really a meme. Just a feature on my blog, not on others.
I really feel the same way you do about Teaser Tuesdays... I hardly ever read them, let alone comment on them. And the amount of posts in my blog on Tuesdays are completely overwhelming!
Wow there are a lot of comments here already! I posted about this back in the early fall on one of my Sunday Salon posts. There are certain memes that I don't bother even looking at, like Teaser Tuesdays. I just mark them as read. When it comes to mailboxes or finds, if it's someone who tends to have good books, I"ll look at that. Personally, I just try to combine a few of them all in one journal tacked on to my Salon post. I read too many books to do memes. I hate double posting and I try to leave at least one day a week clear, which is difficult sometimes. Sometimes I purposely have to pick up a gigantic book that'll take me forever because I have reviews scheduled for 3 weeks. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteHi Aarti ~
ReplyDeleteThis is just a quick note to let you know I left you an award at my blog:
from the desk of a writer
All the very best,
Corra :)
I only like the ones where I show books. Library Loot, Monday Mailbox and Friday Finds. I like to show what I get and the new books I crave.
ReplyDeleteI'll occasionally do a Sunday Salon, and occasionally a Weekly Geeks, but that's it. As Lu said, I did BTT when I first started blogging about books, and that's how I met a lot of other book bloggers, but I haven't participated in a very long time. I want my blog to be more than just memes...and I want to read a blog that is more than just memes.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a huge meme fan for many of the reasons you stated. I hace nothing agains memes, but some bloggers do so many. Most but not all meme posts get skimmed and quickly marked as read as I go through my google reader.
ReplyDeleteThe only one I participate in regularly is Wordless Wednesday because I like posting a weekly photo and seeing the photo that others post. I often comment on Wordless Wednesday posts of folks who are already in my Google Reader.
I read most Sunday Salon posts because they tend to be more free form and interesting. As others have said, I really don't consider that a meme. I don't participate in it because weekends tend to be my time off from blogging.
What I get tired of is a blog with meme post after meme post of book covers for 'what I want to read', what I got in the mail' 'what I got from the library' when there's more of that type of stuff than actual book reviews on a blog I'll unsubscribe.
My participation in memes also fluctatuates, officially I do the Sunday Salon, Friday Fill-In, Booking Through Thursday, and Four Foods on Friday. Unofficially, I just do what I can :) I try to comment on posts that strike a chord with me whether or not they are meme related. Your post is certainly thought provoking, so I decided to comment :)
ReplyDeleteGreat idea for a conversation! I actually don't participate in the memes either - and don't usually read other meme-inspired posts - except this one, obviously. :) Blogs that are nothing BUT memes usually get "un-readered" from my Google Reader. That sounds cranky, but I'd much, much rather spend my blog-reading time reading reviews - as opposed to a random line in someone's current book.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right - it can very overwhelming. I used to participate in a few but now it is really hit or miss depending on how much time I have.
ReplyDeleteI participate in one regularly, the seemingly unpopular Teaser Tuesdays, but added my own spin to it recently my "playing" Book Lovers' Trivial Pursuit with my readers and also updating my readers on my progress during the week (like a Salon on Tuesday but brief!) Perhaps I should ditch the Teaser seeing as nobody reads them and simply make it my own Trvia feature? I only do that on a Tuesday so that it gives me one day where I can concentrate on other posts and reading.
ReplyDeleteLibrary Loot is another that I participate in but only every few weeks as I don't go to the library every week! I would have no time to read other books if I did. I also explain why I've chosen the books and try to make it about my reading as well as ooh look, I have library books. Putting an original spin on things is crucial because otherwise it all becomes samey.
I started out not participating in any, because I don't like having a timeline to post on my blog, other than my self-imposed "one review a week." Then I picked up Teaser Tuesday because I was reading some really cool things that I wanted to share with people -- and I'll still occasionally throw up a TT post, but I've discovered I prefer to add some content about the book/why I'm reading it/what I'm thinking about it. I tend to only post for TT if I run into something that I really want to share. There's a fair bit of variety with how people handle posting for that meme. But the reason I don't participate that often anymore is exactly as others say -- the number of posts to have a look at can be so overwhelming. I feel the same about Mailbox Mondays.
ReplyDeleteThe other one I do regularly now, because again it can be so customized and individual, is a tiny little meme called FreeVerse. It's on Wednesdays and I like how it gives me the chance to focus on poetry in a way I probably wouldn't if I wasn't participating, and to find some other unique poems out there.
I'm with you on the memes. I hate to admit it, but I very very rarely read the meme posts, and outside of The Sunday Salon, I don't participate in any one meme on a regular basis. Once a month or so I participate in Weekly Geeks and every other month or so I might through in a Booking Through Thursday, but that's about it.
ReplyDeleteSunday Salon
I dislike the meme that the most people participate in -- Teaser Tuesdays. A random sentence or two from a book that I may or may not have heard of does absolutely nothing for me. The only thing I like about it is that I can clear out my Reader more quickly on Tuesdays because I don't read these! ;)
ReplyDeleteThere are a ton of memes out there. I participate in a few. Mailbox Monday, Wishlist Wednesday, Friday Firsts--those are my most frequent ones. I don't really like to do more than one per day, and I don't want to do a meme everyday. I've been trying to tell myself that it's OK if I don't post everyday. It's hard for me to be OK with that though. :-P
ReplyDeleteThe Sunday Salon is also the only one I participate in regularly, but I used to do Tuesday Teasers (and before the Tuesday Thingers) and Booking Through Thursday. I enjoyed them, especially the BTT writing prompts, but it seemed like the questions were becoming repetitive, and I realized that I was skipping through meme posts in my reader and assumed others were doing that to my meme posts, so I decided to cut back.
ReplyDeleteI like the Sunday Salon because it's not a typical meme. Every blogger puts his or her own twist on it, and it's fun to read about what people have been up to all week and see how they wrap it all up.
I'm like you: I do the Sunday Salon, and that's it. I do read other peoples' responses to the memes, if the topic interests me, but a lot of the time I just end up scrolling on past.
ReplyDeleteI do participate in quite a few, but I don't post all of them in a week, unless I have something to post regd them. But I do understand having too many memes, since I pretty much do get stuck in the deluge of posts on my reader as well. That said, I don't read every post. Like you, I skim most of them, looking for what strikes out. When something does, then I read that entire post or part of the post.
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty sad considering the amount of effort each of us put into our blogging, only to have visitors (including us) just skim through and not read. But I guess that's how it is always whether you are reading a mag or a newspaper or even browsing through some site online. Who has time to read it all in this world of TOO much information?
My blog and I have participated in a few what you could consider memes say 'Tea for Two,' your 'Rosie's Riveters' and the 'Absolute Writer blog chains. I do them because I like the people who invites me to join or so my blog don't always look the same.
ReplyDeleteWarm regards and a lovely week to you.
I don't think Sunday Salon is really a meme. The only one I do is Library Loot (obviously, lol)...and I like that participants post their loot on whatever day they feel like. But even though I started it, I'm thinking about switching to just participating every other week (since Marg, my lovely co-host, hosts the Mr. Linky half the time), just to break it up a little.
ReplyDeleteI don't even bother to read most of the other memes, just scroll quickly in my Google Reader so they go away...and I don't subscribe to bloggers who do more than a couple a week. The only ones I read are ones that list books, because they often contribute to my TBR! But I strongly prefer annotated lists. ;)
I'm so not a fan of memes, and yet I started one. So I participate in two. I started FreeVerse to highlight poetry so I have to participate in that to put up the Mr. Linky. People are really starting to like it. I also call it a non-meme, because people can post ANYTHING related to poetry and link to posts through Mr. Linky that they've posted on some other day.
ReplyDeleteI also participate in Friday Firsts. At first I used it to highlight the book I was reviewing for Monday, but then it developed into my short story spotlight. (I didn't know about Short Story Saturdays). I was reading a book called Beginnings, Middles & Ends by Nancy Kress about catching a reader's interest in the first paragraph or two. Now I post the first few paragraphs of a free online short story and my analysis of the first few paragraphs. I encourage people to go read the whole short story. Using the Friday Firsts Mr. Linky helps me get more traffic even though I'm technically not following the rules of Friday Firsts.
Yikes! I was out of town all weekend and didn't get to post responses to my Sunday Salon until just now. THANK YOU to everyone who responded! It's interesting to see the variations. I am glad to know I'm not the only one who skims through the memes :-) In fact, it seems a LOT of us skim through them which makes me wonder why so many exist in the first place...
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that it's making the meme "you" that makes the posts interesting. Saying why you chose a book instead of just listing it. I think I'll stick with my position of not really participating in any of them.
The only meme I participate in is Thursday Thirteen and occasionally Friday Fillins. I agree that too many in one week is overwhelming and not as fun to read. i enjoy TT because many of the participants take a lot of care with their posts and I learn some new things, whether it's about a subject I am unfamiliar with or about the blogger herself. I do make a point to visit other people who participate in the TT and comment, but that is part of the fun of participating. If someone I read regularly does a meme I don't participate in, I may comment on the post if there is something of interest in it. If not I don't and sometimes I'll skip.
ReplyDeletei think this was an excellent topic to post on.
I don't participate in any, but I do try to read others' and comment on them (like now!). However, if I commented on all of them I wouldn't get any work done and then I would get fired, so like you I comment on the ones that catch my interest.
ReplyDeleteWow, I loved reading all these comments. I do three, but now I'm thinking about changing. Maybe doing a monthly mailbox instead. Instead of doing a random teaser on Tuesdays, highlighting a passage I really want to share. I do A-Z Wednesday, but I think it's a great way to highlight a book I may have read before I started my blog.
ReplyDeleteI participate in two memes. I do comment on some meme posts - the ones I find frustrating are the ones that ask a question that is basically answered the same way by everyone. There's just not much to add to the discussion when that happens.
ReplyDeleteI don't participate in any memes, but I have thought about doing Mailbox Monday. I see other bloggers doing a lot, and I have often wondered how they have that much time, but I have to admit that if I did more, there probably would be a bigger sense of community on my blog. I guess I am going to have ti think about how much time I am putting into my blog and if I should try to do some memes every week. Now that I think of it, The Sunday Salon might be a fun thing to do. Aah, you've got me thinking now Aarti!
ReplyDeleteI never do them - I even stopped doing the Sunday Salon (although that's the one I'll still read happily when checking other people's blogs). The thing is, so many of these memes offer something for the blogger who's short of time or ideas to do, and whilst that's great for the blogger, it can be a whole lot less interesting for the blog reader. The best blog posts really involve you in another person's reading experience, and evolve out of something that matters to the author. Often meme questions get answered as if they were questions from school, and that's again a bit disengaging.
ReplyDeleteBut I do respond to memes when they are in the form of questionnaires about books and reading - sometimes you can have some fun with those, and people can be very witty in their responses.
I did a ton of memes when my blog was brand new, more as a way to network and get my blog out there. Plus, it's a great way to find new blogs too! Now I stick with Sunday Salon religiously and then I do Mailbox Monday and Library Loot when applicable. Sometimes I'll post them weekly or sometimes it will be a month between participation. Just depends on if I have been to the library or bought/received any books. Oh, and I participate in Teaser Tuesdays quite a bit.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post! I have always done Booking through Thursday because, for the most part, I liked the the thought provoking questions and to see what everyone else has to answer. Recently I started participating in Mailbox Mondays but that's it for me! I agree there seems to be so much out there but I like the variety, it's nice to see what everyone participaties in - it's the spice of life, right? :)
ReplyDeleteOh, tell me about. I really dread looking through all the Tuesday Teaser posts. I'm really not interested in it at all, so I rarely read them. I participate in Sunday Salon mostly, but like a lot of other commenters, I don't really feel like it's a meme. And most weeks I'll participate in Library Loot. Sometimes Friday Finds, but I like both of those memes because it's me talking about books and why I've picked up particular books, which books I'm looking forward to. If I'd left it at just a list of books for either, even *I'd* get bored reading it, so I do try to make it something more.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first started blogging I did Teaser Tuesday and Friday Fill Ins. I then added Mailbox Monday and when Sheila of One Person's Journey Through a World of Books started Word Verification Balderdash I jumped on board. Now I only do Mailbox Monday and Sheila has passed the Balderdash Meme on to me. I personally do a weekly post on Wed. about my favorite ficitonal characters but I don't consider that a meme at all.
ReplyDeleteI personaly enjoy reading some of the meme posts even if I don't participate. I have yet to come across two blogs that are similar so the posts are always different.
I guess my answer is do what you like, participate or not but whatever you do make sure you are enjoying it. When I first started blogging I would stress about whether readers would like a certain post or not. Now I blog for me first and if others like what I have to say, that's even better.