Play Book Tag discussion
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Linda wrote: "I really struggle writing the book reviews, especially after reading the reviews on here. Can someone give me some good pointers? I don't review all the books I read on here because I feel mine are..."Linda, don't worry about it. Write what you feel about the book and a little about the book without including spoilers.
It really has to be just a few short sentences.
I vary from long to short. I mainly want to do the book justice.
Linda, perhaps you're being too hard on yourself. We are not critical here. Here is what I've learned in writing my reviews:I mainly write them for myself. They have become a kind of a book journal for me.
I first describe the book in a general way, because it helps me remember the story in the future. I try to leave out spoilers.
I give my honest reactions, both good and bad. Sometimes, I include quotes from the book, if something has impressed me. If something is noteworthy about the book and I want to remember it, I make sure to put it somewhere in the review (even if I add a note at the end).
If I hate a book, I'll just abandon it. I don't like to write harsh reviews.
Like Holly, I basically write reviews for myself, and to imprint on my mind both what my reaction to the book is and how I would discuss it over dinner with friend. In fact like a reading diary that I just 'cleaned up' to read more smoothly. Sometimes I give a warning to other readers - i.e. it is really smutty, or it has a lot of violence. I usually give a little plot description then mention what I liked and if applies what I didn't like. I have definitely come to enjoy crafting reviews since joining PBT! You find your own groove. Maybe create a little outline of what you read a review to learn about the book and work from that. Only need to be 3 or 4 sentences.
Mine tend to be long and wordy, like my conversations. As a lawyer I write a lot of explanations and sharing info. I apply that to my reviews.
Linda wrote: "I really struggle writing the book reviews, especially after reading the reviews on here. Can someone give me some good pointers? I don't review all the books I read on here because I feel mine are..."Thank you for telling us this, Linda! I'm sure others have felt the same way but were uncomfortable even admitting it.
At first I resisted doing reviews since I never post them on the general GR site. I told this group that sometimes I only had a couple sentences to say about the book, and they said, "That's fine". I hardly ever want to take the time to mark quotes or go into a lot of detail, but some people really like to do that. So don't feel you have to compare yourself to others.
You're not alone! Some days I find it very difficult and I put them off. Other days I say too much. Sometimes I don't know how I really felt about a book until I start writing, so for me they're helpful. But you don't have to sweat it. If you find it difficult to summarize the story, just focus on your own personal reaction. You can copy the blurb about the book if you want (using quotes or italics).
These questions might help:
1) Did you enjoy reading the book? Briefly say why - Was it exciting, moving, fun, feel-good, sad, fast-paced or slow?
2) What did you like best about the book? The story, fast pace, beautiful writing, setting, favorite character, theme... whatever mattered to you.
3) Is there anything you really didn't like?
4) Is there anything that others might like to know? Such as violence, graphic sex, slow vs fast pace, emotional, sad, silly, etc.
3 sentences might do it! If you give a book 5 stars, you'll probably want to say more about what you liked.
Linda wrote: "I really struggle writing the book reviews, especially after reading the reviews on here. Can someone give me some good pointers? I don't review all the books I read on here because I feel mine are..."As others have said, it's really more about helping you record what you feel about the book than impressing others. I went to school for creative writing and had to do "craft papers" where I talked about how the books were written, so I have had a little more instruction on how to go in depth, but that's not required!
I try to hit a few main points in a review, usually in this order:
1. General plot summary: what happened and why (usually avoiding spoilers unless it's really integral to talking about the plot, I make liberal use of spoiler tags)
2. What I thought was well-done, if any (though I rarely finish books I would rate 1 star, I usually just DNF) - where the characters vivid? Did I really like the setting? Was I impressed by that plot twist? Etc.
3. What I thought was lacking, needed work, or a fatal flaw, if any (again, this varies based on what I'm rating it) - did I find the plot too cliched? Was the prose sloppy? Was there a plot thread never got resolved? Etc
4. If there are big spoilers to discuss, I usually put them in a spoiler tag and talk about them here, so that people who haven't read the book yet can skip them if need be
5. General conclusion: what did I think overall, would I read another book by this author, how did I feel when I finished?
This is my usual template; perhaps it well help you. :)
People have different styles in how they write and anything goes. I almost never mention the plot. Sometimes I mention the theme. But I usually write about the ambiance of a book. Thats kind of my jam. Others have very interesting facts about an area of history of the intricacies of DNA, or about the experiences of the author themselves, or a culture or a movement. Everyone approaches a book differently. I write about how I felt about the experience of reading something and what I was most left wanting to express. I would say, try things out. Find your Jam - and then spread it joyfully and unabashedly.
Joanne wrote: "Sometimes the words just flow from me, but the book has to be special for that to happen. What I started doing, a while ago, is using sticky notes to mark pages with passages that I want to remembe..."Sticky notes are a good idea. Thank you
NancyJ wrote: "You're not alone! Some days I find it very difficult and I put them off. Other days I say too much. Sometimes I don't know how I really felt about a book until I start writing, so for me they're he..."Thank you for the suggestions. They will help/
Linda wrote: "Joanne wrote: "Sometimes the words just flow from me, but the book has to be special for that to happen. What I started doing, a while ago, is using sticky notes to mark pages with passages that I ..."you are welcome!
No one judges your reviews here Linda. We want to know whether the book is worth reading. Tap into the emotions, good or bad, that the book brought forth.
I hope this helps