On Reading For Interviews Versus Reading For Reviews
Posted 20th July 2020
Category: Chit-Chat Genres: N/A
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Something I didn’t expect or, rather, didn’t know to expect, is that reading a book primarily with an eye to interviewing would be so at odds with reading for review and/or study, or indeed enjoyment. Granted, if I read purely for enjoyment – in other words I’m not taking many or any notes – it can be hard to write a thorough review later, but it can definitely still be done. Likewise reading for study purposes – it’s sufficiently similar.
Reading for interview is very different; perhaps not for everyone but I certainly find that regardless of the long list of questions and topics I have compiled ready for a podcast, it can be incredibly hard to continue on to a review. All talking points are there, and in theory those talking points should be able to inform a review but they become very literal – talking points, not review points.
I thought it would be as ‘easy’ as remembering that I’m reading for both interview and review (when I plan to review as well) but it’s not. This has made me aware that the two are in fact pretty different types of reading and that to combine them is a lot of work. It’s actually a bit like walking into a strong wind – not impossible but still hard.
I find in the two types different variations of close reading. I’ve wondered whether a book requires two reads for the two purposes – certainly that would make it easier to keep track. You could say they require different skills. It’s the reason there haven’t been many reviews here lately. It underlines the need to write the review soon after finishing the book; when working on a podcast the book’s ‘review’ details fade far fastest than they would normally, which makes sense given focuses.
It’s something I want to figure out a best practice for so I’ll be thinking about it in future.
Have you any experience in reading the same book(s) for different purposes?
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July 21, 2020, 12:35 am
Once I stopped doing full reviews on my blog (instead, using short blurbs in monthly roundups), I found my reading to be much more enjoyable.
I’ve had faith-based books I’ve read for pleasure, but had to go back and re-read in a different manner in order to present lessons to small groups.