Books, books and more books! I have a gigantic backlog of books to read and three books that I've read but still need to review, including Lindsay Stenico's debut novel The Assignment.
I am always challenged with writing book reviews on many fronts. First and foremost, each book is an author's personal creation so, right or wrong, I always consider the author's feelings when crafting my review. I understand that reviews are essentially elaborate op-ed pieces but still, criticism can be painful ... or am I just projecting my own fears of criticism? Is there a psychologist in the house?
Second, as I read more and more books and gain exposure to some outstanding authors, my standards have escalated over the years to the point where I have extremely high expectations. What was a FIVE STAR read just two years ago may only be a THREE STAR read today because the bar keeps on rising!
Third, I HATE poor editing and LOATHE typos. Yes yes this may be very judgemental and perhaps petty but for me these are fundamental flaws. I can remember a few of my reviews where I asked, "Where was the editor when this mess was published?"
For me, a great book is tightly edited with sirenical language and a well developed back story that engages and captivates me with such intensity and tenacity that I think about the characters and their situation as if they are real. A five star book makes me sad to finish it because the characters leave my life!
I've read just under thirty books so far this year and just five have been of five star caliber. In 2017, I read 28 books in total and the average rating was just over 3.4 stars.
I am curious how authors view book reviews and the folks who write them!
I think most authors are happy for any review they get. We all hope for good reviews, live for great reviews, and dread those distressingly harsh reviews, but understand that not everyone lives in our heads and hearts. I am just grateful when someone takes the time to read one of my books, and then takes the additional time to write a review of it. There are some reviewers you might want to haul into a dark alley to review their mean remarks with, but others often give you new insight into your own work, and may even reveal flaws you, as the author, are blind to. Reviews can be harsh, over the top or somewhere in the middle...but 1 star or 5 stars, as an author, you can take it all with a grain of salt and view it as a lesson in not being able to please everyone, which is just a well known fact of life. I read recently that authors do not write for the reader, they write for themselves. This is essentially true. I tell the story I want to hear and read. Some people may like it, others may not. Reading a review of one's work can be like Christmas morning, or like having a tooth pulled without an anesthetic, but there's always something you take away from each review that may help you grow in your craft. So- authors generally appreciate those who take the time to review their books. It helps them judge where they're at in their craft.
ReplyDeleteI have read that any review is better than no reviews at all and your comments seem to bear that out. The idea that authors write for themselves and not necessarily for the reader truly resonates with me. I get that! Good feedback and insights.
ReplyDelete