I struggle to review.On the surface, it seems a pretty dumb problem. I read. I write. Logically, I should be able to write about what I’ve read. Right?
Logic is intermittent in the rooneyverse.
When I’m reading a good book, I get caught up in the moment, the pain of the heroes, the fiendishness of the villain. I get to the last page and am giddy with the wonder that accompanies things like magic and finding something new.
But I couldn’t honestly tell you what I loved or learned from the book. My thoughts coalesce into nerve-sparks like “OMG just frikkin’ wow” or *mope* “Why can’t I write like that?” or “Oooh, is there a sequel yet!?” (Actually, this last one isn’t that bad a question – I’m budget conscious and rarely read new releases, unless the publishers are nice enough not to set a regional restriction on books in the Amazon Kindle store. More on that anon.)
It’s far easier for me to concentrate on the characters, plot and writing of a book I’m not enjoying. That’s great if I were a beta reader, but hardly helpful when I want to share story love with others.
Thankfully, other readers have paved the way for me, and so I point you to:
I was googling this morning, looking for standard book review templates (see the multitude of failed ones I’ve created) when I stumbled upon this great site that also gives blogging tips and other helpful articles, and yes, that includes handy advice on how to review.
- How to write a killer book review I – introduction
- How to write a killer book review II - what is a book review?
- How to write a killer book review III - reading to review
- How to write a killer book review IV – reading elements part 1
- How to write a killer book review V - reading elements part 2
- How to write a killer book review VI - book review template
What are your tried and tested review methods?
