I am not good at reviewing books. I can tell you if I liked it, didn't like it, hated a character, liked the story, but when I read other people's book reviews (or reviews about anything!), it seems as if they're so...deep. Mine are just so superficial in comparison.
Does anyone have ideas for how to make my reviews better? I'm not really a great writer, but I love reading and want to share what I think with y'all!
5 comments:
haha - Angela, I totally know how you feel! I was an english major in college - so I try to treat my reviews (the few I've done so far) as a mix between my opinion and an essay focusing on themes and messages. Or I focus on what issues took center stage in the novel and how I feel about them. Hope this helps?
I'm nothing close to an English major!
Generate a repertoire of five or six core questions that a good book review should answer (or at least the kind of book review you'd like to write) and simply answer those questions. Here are a few that I try to hit in my book reviews (not my book blogging necessarily, but in my professional reviews):
1) For whom was this book written?
2) How does it compare to other similar books with which its target audience might be familiar?
3) Are there one or two things that this book does better than similar books? One or two things that it doesn't do as well?
4) For whom would reading this book be most rewarding?
I say be honest. You like what you like, you don't what you don't, and you can only talk about what you want to talk about. I think it's a more genuine opinion anyway.
I'm the last person who should offer any advice, but I do want to second what craftbegins said. For me, the best book reviews by bloggers are the ones that are the most genuine. Think of it as having a conversation with a friend or a family member. You don't have to be formal about it unless that's what your intention is.
Sean also brings up some great suggestions. That's actually how I got started in regards for my blog reviews. I had a list of questions that I aimed to answer in my reviews. Some were easier than others, and for those that I found too hard, I just ignored them. Not necessarily the best idea, but no one seemed to notice--or at least they didn't complain. :-)
I think my reviews sometimes turn into what Rachel describes in her comment. Hers is another good suggestion.
Have you seen Nancy from Bookfoolery and Babble's reviews? She sometimes uses a question and answer format which other bloggers have adopted. It makes things a bit simpler. You can go into as much or as little detail as you are comfortable with. The key is to make it your own.
I am always working towards improving my writing and reviews. Since I began blogging, I've discovered that my vocabulary is a lot more limited than I thought it was. LOL
Post a Comment