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When you write book reviews...


Anna Begins

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I try to write them as soon as possible after finishing a book, otherwise things fade, even when I've loved the book.  Sadly I'm behind with my reviews and because I write them in order, and I'm struggling with the next one, I'm putting it off, which is silly as I'd be far better writing later ones than putting them off!  

 

I don't often make notes but I rip bits of paper and poke them into my book so I remember what I was going to refer to once I've finished.

 

I follow a set formula for the top (link to the book, picture of the cover, blurb) and the end (ISBN, number of pages, publication date, publisher etc) but the middle bit depends on what comes out of my head mostly the stuffing!  :P  - some reviews flow and others I struggle with. 

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I never write notes and write the review after I have finished the book. I am undecided whether it is better to write it as soon as possible after finishing or to wait a week or so. My reviews lately have been very short which I feel bad about.

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I rarely make any notes, perhaps mark a passage or two if the impact of it is high.  When I write a review, I try to catch the ambiance of the book, not necessarily the facts of who did what, when, and how.  How the book made me feel, what was the moral question the book asks and/or answers would be included as well. 

 

I think if a person is interested in a book, reading my review should whet their appetite to learn more details about it from, perhaps, a synopsis from a bookseller or the inside flap of the book itself. 

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I am undecided whether it is better to write it as soon as possible after finishing or to wait a week or so.

I have been debating this too.  I like to do them when they are fresh, but then after time has passed, I sorta change my mind a bit about how I perceived the book- and ratings!  My ratings for the books I've read change in my head constantly.  I haven't changed any- but there are a few I wish I would.

 

 

I think if a person is interested in a book, reading my review should whet their appetite to learn more details about it from, perhaps, a synopsis from a bookseller or the inside flap of the book itself. 

I think you do that well- do you have in your head a specific person you are "talking" to (friend, partner, etc)  or is it just a review in general?  (hope that makes sense)

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I also agree ratings may fluctuate - I may have ranked a book as a 3 because I liked it rather than loved it, but if I'm still thinking about it 2 weeks later I often think I should go back and mark it higher. Hmm.

 

I write whatever comes out of my head, but I always find negative reviews easier and more fun! Not only is it cathartic, but I often think it's easier to explain why you didn't like something than explain why you DID, because an emotional pull is so personal.

 

Just my two cents!

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I don't rate the books I read, I just write whether I liked it or not, and why. I prefer not to write about any detail beyond what you would read in the book blurb, as I know how much I enjoy a book unfolding as I read it.

 

The reviews are written once I have finished the book without the use of notes. If it a series read, I will often make a series review rather than an individual book review.

 

I love reading the reviews of others, and think my reviews are vague and insufficient in comparison, but I have no plans to alter what I do.

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Interesting- I do the exact opposite of everyone :giggle2: I start as soon as I get a solid impression of the book- usually around 30-40% and when I have a few lines composed in my head.  I write as I progress, then, I edit.  I do one for myself (with spoilers) and one for the board (without spoilers and usually more politically correct lol), but they are the same review minus a few lines.  I've been doing this since I got Microsoft Word a month or two ago.  I also keep a second list of quotes and passages.

I'm liking Chrissy's idea of not rating books!

Edited by Anna Begins
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I try and write them soon after I finish the book. Exceptions are the read-a-thons as then I wait until after it's over before writing my reviews. I usually don't take notes except during read-a-thons (but sometimes I do, during the reading, of things I want to mention in my review). Since I read several books then, I write down some general thoughts and keywords and a rating, to base my review on later on. I find it easiest to write a review soon after I've finished the book as otherwise I tend to forget little details and things I wanted to talk about (especially if I'm already reading the next book).

 

I follow a set formula for the top (link to the book, picture of the cover, blurb) and the end (ISBN, number of pages, publication date, publisher etc) but the middle bit depends on what comes out of my head mostly the stuffing!  :P  - some reviews flow and others I struggle with.

This is the same for me. I find some reviews are easier to write than others. It also really depends on my mood and mental state (how tired I am etc).

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I follow a set formula for the top (link to the book, picture of the cover, blurb) and the end (ISBN, number of pages, publication date, publisher etc) but the middle bit depends on what comes out of my head mostly the stuffing!  :P  - some reviews flow and others I struggle with. 

:P I try and do a set formula too, but I just do a simple one- cover, Title, Author, # of pages and genre.  everyone here knows my Kindle is strapped to my hip lol so I don't bother putting what type of book it was, since it's always an e-book.

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I give the basic information of title, author, ISBN, publisher and release date (because I'm often sent new books to review), and a picture of the book cover. Then I give a brief synopsis of the book (usually from the back cover or Amazon or somewhere similar), then my thoughts on the book - the writing, the characters, the themes and setting, and whether or not I enjoyed it and why. Then I give it a rating out of 5.

 

1/5 = Dire – don’t waste your time
2/5 = OK, but nothing to write home about
3/5 = Very good – worth a read
4/5 = Excellent
5/5 = Superb – read it immediately!

 

I only give full reviews to the books I'm sent for review by publishers and authors. If it's just a book I'm reading for myself, I give the basic info and just a few lines on how I felt about the book/whether I enjoyed it, and the rating out of 5, and I do all the books I read during the month all together in one blog post.

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I have been debating this too.  I like to do them when they are fresh, but then after time has passed, I sorta change my mind a bit about how I perceived the book- and ratings!  My ratings for the books I've read change in my head constantly.  I haven't changed any- but there are a few I wish I would.

 

I think you do that well- do you have in your head a specific person you are "talking" to (friend, partner, etc)  or is it just a review in general?  (hope that makes sense)

 

Sometimes I get right up from reading the book, to the computer to write down my impressions.  Or I'll wake up the next morning with the first line/impression so vividly in my mind that I have to come downstairs and write the review immediately. :)

 

And, thanks Anna. :)   But, no, not writing to a specific person, just the generic reader of the review.  Many times my husband and I read the same books, but if not, we still discuss and dissect the plots/stories we read individually or together.

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Many times my husband and I read the same books, but if not, we still discuss and dissect the plots/stories we read individually or together.

This is so nice :). I do discuss my books with my boyfriend but he hasn't read most of them so it works a little bit differently. It's nice you and your husband talk about books like this.

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1/5 = Dire – don’t waste your time

2/5 = OK, but nothing to write home about

3/5 = Very good – worth a read

4/5 = Excellent

5/5 = Superb – read it immediately!

That is a great rating system!  I think I might adopt that next year.

 

Many times my husband and I read the same books, but if not, we still discuss and dissect the plots/stories we read individually or together.

You almost make me wish I wasn't single!

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You almost make me wish I wasn't single!

 

LOL  It took me a long time.  I was much of your mind when it came to marriage, but when the right one comes along it's irresistible. :D

 

I've always said that better no one at all, than the wrong one. 

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I rarely make notes while I'm reading, unless something strikes me as particularly relevant and I don't want to forget to mention it.  I tend to write reviews as soon as I finish a book - or as soon as possible.  Like VF, I sometimes wonder if that's best, and if a few days reflection might not serve me better.  For instance, I loved Gone Girl when I read it, and wrote a glowing review of it almost immediately after finishing.  But after a few days, I started to see the whole plot as a bit ridiculous, and had I waited a few days, I think my review would have reflected that.

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But after a few days, I started to see the whole plot as a bit ridiculous, and had I waited a few days, I think my review would have reflected that.

Yes!  This is my problem too.  After I think about it a bit, it might be better or worse than my review or rating.  That's why I like Kells rating- nothing is too negative.

 

I've always said that better no one at all, than the wrong one. 

SO True!

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I am a cross between Ruth and Chrissy. I tend to give impressions of books rather than proper reviews.

I'm currently trying to get myself a bit more organised in my do whatever I want life and I'm just not enjoying anything I read. 1 book in 3 or 4 weeks. Moods don't suit rating books,as some rereads have been better than my first experience and some authors earlier work or genre changing has disappointed.

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When I rate books, I try to be fair and not only go by how much I "like" the book.  Naturally it counts, but I take into account what the book actually is.  IOW, what is it trying to accomplish, the genre, and how I think it rates within it's own parameters. 

If that makes any sort of sense. :)

 

dex, going through a dry spell of books is annoying, maybe there is something in the air.  lol  Until this last read of mine, I'd picked up and put down 5 or 6 books.  Nothing seemed to catch with me.  All it takes is one good book by a trusted author to pull you out though.  Good luck! :)

Edited by pontalba
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I generally leave it a couple of days before I write a review. If I do it straight away, there'll always be something I really liked or disliked about the book that will take over what I write. If I leave it, the review is a bit more balanced.

 

I never write a synopsis. I always start by writing what my initial thought was as soon as I closed the book, then try and summarise how I felt about the whole thing in general. For the main part of my review I go through the positive aspects first, then negative, and include thoughts on storyline, characters, setting the scene, writing style etc. Even if I hated the book I can usually find something positive to say. I close by saying whether I would read it again, what I got out of it, if I'd recommend it and suchlike. I also always keep in mind that the author of the book might well read it, and I know if it were me I'd want an honest and constructive opinion!

 

My rating can be based on a few things, not just how much I liked it. I've given 3 stars to books I loved as much as to books I didn't like much at all. It usually depends on how much I liked the writing style, as well as the storyline. I've enjoyed reading truly terrible books because I liked the way they were written, and similarly, really liked good stories that were written really badly (all in my own opinion).

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I try to write a review of a book as soon as I've finished, or as soon as I am online afterwards anyway. I either type out the synopsis from the back or cut and paste from an online shop, then add my own thoughts. I wish I could be organised enough to make notes as I'm going, but I mostly end up typing it down as it comes to me, which is probably why most of my reviews come across as a bit stream-of-conciousness ish!

 

I do think that now that I review books I am paying more attention to my feelings about the book as I'm reading it,  if that makes sense. That's not to say I was just reading books mechanically, but I think I'm actually getting more enjoyment out of reading, simply because I'm also reviewing them. I remember that I was on this site for ages before I posted my first review. I was petrified!

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I do think that now that I review books I am paying more attention to my feelings about the book as I'm reading it,  if that makes sense. That's not to say I was just reading books mechanically, but I think I'm actually getting more enjoyment out of reading, simply because I'm also reviewing them. I remember that I was on this site for ages before I posted my first review. I was petrified!

Yes!  This is SO me!  Ever since I decided to write my reviews in a more concise manner, I started thinking critically more often and experience more enjoyment- in both reading and writing.  I still AM petrified when posting reviews!!

 

 

I also always keep in mind that the author of the book might well read it, and I know if it were me I'd want an honest and constructive opinion!

 

That's an interesting person to have in mind when writing a review!  I never thought of it that way before- usually, I write with future potential readers in mind  :smile:  but I also don't want to throw anything too controversial in my forum reviews... start up a big deal.  That's why I write one for myself, too, basically the same, just written for me.  I also think of it as writing for a school class, which helps it be more proper.

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I really should be better at writing reviews. I never make notes or mark specific things. So of course, when I am to write a review, I only remember the story as a whole and my feelings after finishing it. And what happens? The review becomes really short and shallow. Nothing constructive and nothing insightful. This really is the worst way of writing a review. 

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