Comments on: Book Reviews, the Subject We Cannot Discuss

By: Emilie Richards

Emilie Richards — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 20:05:54 +0000

I love hearing a reviewer’s perspective.

By: Becky

Becky — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 20:02:03 +0000

I too am a reviewer and I agree with what Debbie says. Reading is so personal and just because a book doesn’t suit my taste I think about other readers and what they might like and find the positives in the book.

I also have gotten pickier about the books I review. I tend to try to stick with genres or authors I know I like. It’s fine to try something on your own but if you know you hate historical fiction you probably shouldn’t be reviewing that type of book because chances are you won’t like it.

That being said the Shenandoah Album series (which I read for pleasure) with the use of historical flashbacks exposed me to the various time frames and now have reviewed and loved other books in the historical fiction vein, but I still prefer contemporary stories.

By: Emilie Richards

Emilie Richards — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 15:44:31 +0000

Love having some comments from a reviewer, and a good one, too. Thanks for sharing.

By: Debbie Haupt

Debbie Haupt — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 15:08:42 +0000

Emilie, wow, what a great article. I hope every reviewer out there reads it too.
For those who don’t know I review (for pay and without) for several publications and for B&N.com and my personal blog.
First of all there is nothing you can do for a negative review from someone who obviously didn’t read the book, you’d get more reaction yelling at your wall, or in my case my husband
when I first started reviewing my mentor told me that there is no such thing in her book as a negative review, first of all unless the novel blatantly full of errors a review is no more than one person’s opinion of it, there are many ways to tell a review that is not stellar without being mean. It’s sort of like what your mother told you when you were little, if you can’t say something nice don’t say anything at all.
Deb