Guest Blog #2 Reviewing Books
As promised, here's a second blog from P.J. Coldren, this time on reviewing books. Getting the perspective of a reviewer is helpful for writers, and P.J. is both candid and eloquent on the subject:
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One of the other ways in which I spend my copious free time is reading books for review purposes. I review on a regular basis for www.reviewingtheevidence.com and for CrimeSpree Magazine. I occasionally post reviews on Amazon.com, and have just become involved with their Vine Program. I rarely post reviews on www.goodreads.com, although I'm not sure why that is.
As with the Malice Domestic contest, I've been reviewing for a long time. I used to review for Ann Williams, a very long time ago. I've been reviewing on RTE for several years. It's something I enjoy doing, obviously, although where the fun comes in is sometimes hard to fathom.
I got into reviewing for the crassest of reasons - people send me books for free, I get to read them, and all I have to do is write something about them. What's the downside to that? Well, the insidious problem is space. I live in a small house (800 square feet) and I share that space with a wonderful husband, a jealous dog, and a fairly good-sized cat. My TBR (to be read/reviewed) stacks loom atop various bookcases.
Another problem is even harder to understand unless you've dealt with it - the embarrassment of riches syndrome. I've literally dozens of books to read . . . and I can't always pick one that suits me right this minute. Do I start one that mildly intrigues me, in the hope that I will get sucked in by a wonderful story? Do I read a book by an author I've liked in the past, hoping the trend continues? Sometimes I just pick the one that has the longest lead time before publication. Sometimes I pick a short one, because I'm not ready for trudging through a long one. Sometimes a cover will grab me. Sometimes I just close my eyes and pick.
I read a lot of books, not all of them mystery. I read pretty much across the mystery genre(s). I read cozies, hard-boiled, police procedurals, private eye, woo-woo, short stories, series, stand-alones. There are writers I like very much, and writers that are not my favorite. One of the privileges of reviewing is being able to pick what I'm reading (although, as above, that's not always a blessing). One of the other privileges, for me, is getting to read writers I would not normally read, writers outside my comfort zones, writers who are just starting out.
Reading for review is different, at least for me, than reading for the Malice contest or reading for pleasure. For the contest, all I have to do is read until I know I'm not reading a winner. For review, I read the whole book - I've never reviewed a book I didn't finish. RTE and CrimeSpree have different demands, so I must keep those in mind when I read. CrimeSpree has a definite deadline; RTE does not. CrimeSpree doesn't like to publish negative reviews; RTE has no preference. RTE has a length requirement; CrimeSpree does not. All of these things are in the back of my mind as I'm reading. And yes, I do review the same book for both places - I just write two very separate reviews. Feel free to check that out.
I've never taken a class in "How to Write a Review". I'm not quite sure how I came up with my format, but it's worked for me so far. I spend a few paragraphs giving the reader some idea of what the book is about, who the main character is, where the plot looks like it's heading. I try very hard NOT to give "spoilers", those bits of information that give something major away. Then I give my reaction to the book. How do I feel about the characters? Are they believable? Do the relationships work? Is the plot strong enough to carry the book? Are there too many twists? Not enough? If the setting is a major component, I try to make the reader aware of that. I try not to say things like, "I really liked this book." without giving some reasons.
If I don't like the book, I won't review it for CrimeSpree. In my review for RTE, I will try to give the reasons the book didn't work for me. Sometimes it's just not my kind of book. I hope I'm professional enough to be able to recognize good writing even if the content makes me uncomfortable or turns me off. I've said in reviews that the writing is good, the characters work, all the right things are happening . . . but I don't like this book. And this is why. Then I explain why. Sometimes, with books that are touted as side-splitting, or riotously funny -- I just don't get the joke. (When I was a child, my mother had to explain to me in great detail why "Clementine" was NOT a very sad song.) One of the factors that I try to remember, especially when I'm writing a negative review, is that this author has done something I know I'll never do: write and sell a 300-page work full of characters and plot and setting. Just because I don't get it doesn't mean there isn't something worthwhile for somebody else.
One of the down-sides of reviewing for me is that I seldom read reviews any more, unless it's a book I've already reviewed. I try to approach each book with an open mind, no pre-conceptions. Reading other reviews may color my judgment to one degree or another; I want to avoid this.
As I said, I've been doing this for a while. I'm still taken aback when I meet someone at a convention and they tell me they read my reviews. Especially the on-line reviews. Just because I can go to the site and read them doesn't mean my brain makes that giant leap: other people can do this, too! I'm amazed that writers use quotes from my reviews on their web-sites, amazed and delighted. As with reading for the Malice contest, I find this is one way for me to give back to a community that has given me so much. It's a way for me to share good books with other people, not always an easy task where I live. I don't get much feedback, so it's always a treat when somebody does tell me that a review I wrote made a difference, opened up a door to a new writer, gave them a new perspective on something they'd already read. That's why I write reviews.
*************
One of the other ways in which I spend my copious free time is reading books for review purposes. I review on a regular basis for www.reviewingtheevidence.com and for CrimeSpree Magazine. I occasionally post reviews on Amazon.com, and have just become involved with their Vine Program. I rarely post reviews on www.goodreads.com, although I'm not sure why that is.
As with the Malice Domestic contest, I've been reviewing for a long time. I used to review for Ann Williams, a very long time ago. I've been reviewing on RTE for several years. It's something I enjoy doing, obviously, although where the fun comes in is sometimes hard to fathom.
I got into reviewing for the crassest of reasons - people send me books for free, I get to read them, and all I have to do is write something about them. What's the downside to that? Well, the insidious problem is space. I live in a small house (800 square feet) and I share that space with a wonderful husband, a jealous dog, and a fairly good-sized cat. My TBR (to be read/reviewed) stacks loom atop various bookcases.
Another problem is even harder to understand unless you've dealt with it - the embarrassment of riches syndrome. I've literally dozens of books to read . . . and I can't always pick one that suits me right this minute. Do I start one that mildly intrigues me, in the hope that I will get sucked in by a wonderful story? Do I read a book by an author I've liked in the past, hoping the trend continues? Sometimes I just pick the one that has the longest lead time before publication. Sometimes I pick a short one, because I'm not ready for trudging through a long one. Sometimes a cover will grab me. Sometimes I just close my eyes and pick.
I read a lot of books, not all of them mystery. I read pretty much across the mystery genre(s). I read cozies, hard-boiled, police procedurals, private eye, woo-woo, short stories, series, stand-alones. There are writers I like very much, and writers that are not my favorite. One of the privileges of reviewing is being able to pick what I'm reading (although, as above, that's not always a blessing). One of the other privileges, for me, is getting to read writers I would not normally read, writers outside my comfort zones, writers who are just starting out.
Reading for review is different, at least for me, than reading for the Malice contest or reading for pleasure. For the contest, all I have to do is read until I know I'm not reading a winner. For review, I read the whole book - I've never reviewed a book I didn't finish. RTE and CrimeSpree have different demands, so I must keep those in mind when I read. CrimeSpree has a definite deadline; RTE does not. CrimeSpree doesn't like to publish negative reviews; RTE has no preference. RTE has a length requirement; CrimeSpree does not. All of these things are in the back of my mind as I'm reading. And yes, I do review the same book for both places - I just write two very separate reviews. Feel free to check that out.
I've never taken a class in "How to Write a Review". I'm not quite sure how I came up with my format, but it's worked for me so far. I spend a few paragraphs giving the reader some idea of what the book is about, who the main character is, where the plot looks like it's heading. I try very hard NOT to give "spoilers", those bits of information that give something major away. Then I give my reaction to the book. How do I feel about the characters? Are they believable? Do the relationships work? Is the plot strong enough to carry the book? Are there too many twists? Not enough? If the setting is a major component, I try to make the reader aware of that. I try not to say things like, "I really liked this book." without giving some reasons.
If I don't like the book, I won't review it for CrimeSpree. In my review for RTE, I will try to give the reasons the book didn't work for me. Sometimes it's just not my kind of book. I hope I'm professional enough to be able to recognize good writing even if the content makes me uncomfortable or turns me off. I've said in reviews that the writing is good, the characters work, all the right things are happening . . . but I don't like this book. And this is why. Then I explain why. Sometimes, with books that are touted as side-splitting, or riotously funny -- I just don't get the joke. (When I was a child, my mother had to explain to me in great detail why "Clementine" was NOT a very sad song.) One of the factors that I try to remember, especially when I'm writing a negative review, is that this author has done something I know I'll never do: write and sell a 300-page work full of characters and plot and setting. Just because I don't get it doesn't mean there isn't something worthwhile for somebody else.
One of the down-sides of reviewing for me is that I seldom read reviews any more, unless it's a book I've already reviewed. I try to approach each book with an open mind, no pre-conceptions. Reading other reviews may color my judgment to one degree or another; I want to avoid this.
As I said, I've been doing this for a while. I'm still taken aback when I meet someone at a convention and they tell me they read my reviews. Especially the on-line reviews. Just because I can go to the site and read them doesn't mean my brain makes that giant leap: other people can do this, too! I'm amazed that writers use quotes from my reviews on their web-sites, amazed and delighted. As with reading for the Malice contest, I find this is one way for me to give back to a community that has given me so much. It's a way for me to share good books with other people, not always an easy task where I live. I don't get much feedback, so it's always a treat when somebody does tell me that a review I wrote made a difference, opened up a door to a new writer, gave them a new perspective on something they'd already read. That's why I write reviews.
Views: 7
Comment
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Comment by Joan Schramm on January 17, 2009 at 10:16pm
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I've been following your reviews for years, and have found some great authors in the process. In general, our taste in books seems pretty similiar and I've learned to trust your judgment about a book -- I seldom go wrong doing that! It's obvious from this post (and from your reviews) that you care deeply about the craft, and that's a big part of what makes your writing so interesting and insightful.
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Comment by HappyRuby on January 15, 2009 at 10:24am
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Very much enjoyed your comments and I have read your reviews
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Comment by Deb Baker on January 15, 2009 at 9:12am
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Great insight into a review's world. Thanks for sharing.
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