Tell Me Something Tuesday was hosted by Rainy Day Ramblings, but she has (temporarily?) stopped blogging. So a group of us that had been doing posts (Linda from Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell, Karen from For What It’s Worth, Roberta from Offbeat YA, Jen from That’s What I’m Talking About and me) decided to get together, come up with some more topics and keep the meme going.Michelle made us a logo and we’re off and running. For more details, check out this post where I reintroduced the meme.
I can be sporadic, but when I do join in I will always share next week’s topic at the end of the post. So, today is about…
How do you approach writing reviews?
I’ve gone through different approaches over the years, but most my reviews these days follow the same format:
- My Top Thoughts: A quick overview of what I thought of the book.
- What I liked/didn’t like: I make this about the key elements of the book – characters, plot, mystery, suspense, etc.
- Narrator Thoughts: When it’s an audiobook, I give a quick review of the narration as well.
I sometimes veer away from this general outline when a book strikes me in a certain way, but this seems to be the way I’m most comfortable reviewing.
This year I’ve really tried to stick to my goal/resolution of writing reviews the same day as I finish a book and before I pick up another one (in that format… so between audiobooks, for example). I write my reviews in Goodreads first and then when I publish them on the blog I make minor edits.
“I write my reviews in Goodreads first and then when I publish them on the blog I make minor edits.”
That’s interesting. I do the opposite, and I only put a teaser of my review on GR, with a redirect link to my blog. And it takes me up to 3 days to write a review…😅
I kind of write it in my head as I’m reading – or at least come up with a few points. I do try and explain as much as I can without spoilers what didn’t work for me if it’s a negative review because it’s so subjective and have a general wrap up sentence. I’m trying to put less pressure on myself for “perfect” reviews though.
That is a wonderful goal, writing the review the day you finish the book. I’m horrible about that. I’ve gotten as far as 5 books behind, and I know my reviews of those books wasn’t as good as they could’ve been. I’m trying to be better, and so far this year, I have been.
I take notes while I’m reading and then write the review right after I’ve finished the book.
Agreed. My method has changed over the years
I can only write a full review if it hits me. Sometimes it takes me a few days to find out what my angle will be but I do jot down a few sentences right after just so I have my immediate notes in mind.
And my style varies depending on my mood.
Karen @For What It’s Worth
I love your template for writing and tend to have a three-part format to mine, too. And, yes, writing up as soon as I finish before starting a new book is a goal of mine, too.
I wish I was better at writing reviews right away. I tend to procrastinate, which makes it that much harder!