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Welcome to the first, You Asked, the Experts Answer Segment, for 2016. A number of blog posts this week covered reviews and their value to the authors. The post from Kristin Lamb, reblogged here yesterday, is a good example. However, the question I’ve heard the most often when discussing writing reviews is, “What criteria or rating method do I use when writing a book review?”

Although, I’m not a professional reviewer or an expert. Fellow writers and authors have asked me to read and review their books and I make every effort to give helpful and honest feedback. Every reviewer has their own methodology. Yours may be different from the one I have developed, but the important thing is to have a system that effectively communicates your thoughts to the author and reader, alike. I use the 5 stars method for my reviews based on the following 5 criteria.

5 Criteria For Book Reviews:

Entertainment – I love reading. It’s an escape and adventure. I want a book to transport me to another place and time. I want to feel as if I’m at the dinner table or on the run with my characters. When I’m reading I want to forget the time. So, for me the first and most important aspect of any review is the entertainment value. Was I entertained?
Characters – I want to connect with the characters. I don’t have to like them, but I want the personality, physical attributes, and motives of the characters to come through loud and clear. I want a character I can visualize and relate to. Give me a character that makes me laugh or pisses me off, but don’t bore me or give me a superhuman (unless you’re writing Sci-fi or fantasy).
Plot – Does it make sense to me? Is it credible? Are all the loose ends tied in a pretty bow at the end, or am I left hanging wondering what happened to Suzy Q? I love a plot with twists, turns and surprises, but don’t overdo it. I don’t want to get drunk or whiplash from those twists and turns. Give me a plot that moves forward, creates change (in the character or even me), and a plot that takes my breath away.
Writing Style/Voice- This one is as important to me as the entertainment aspect. Point of View (POV), the way sentences flow, and word choice plays a major role in whether I like or connect with a book. If the writer’s voice captivates me, I can often overlook other weaknesses.
The Finished product – Was the book well-edited? Covers are not going to affect my reviews. It’s the content, the structure, voice, style, and story. But please, proofread. Screwed up formats are not going to win a star. The occasional grammar slip-up is okay, but repeated errors pull me from the story and make me stop reading.

Assign the Stars

5 Stars – a check in all the boxes.
4 Stars – I liked the plot, characters were okay, but something about the writing style or finished product pulled me out.
3 Stars – It was okay entertainment, but I found it lacking in more than two of the elements.
2 Stars – lacked credibility in either plot or characters; the writing style/voice was lack luster and rather than entertained, I slogged through the story.
1 Star– I have yet to rate a book 1 Star. If a book is missing the majority of the elements above, I won’t waste my time finishing the book. I read to be entertained, not tortured. Okay, maybe tortured is a little strong, but you get my drift.

As others have pointed out, reviews are the lifeblood of every writer/author. I review books to make others aware of the book, give the author feedback, help me remember the book, and to show respect and support to the author. You can find my reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.

I hope you found this information and method helpful and the next time you read a book, write a review. The authors will appreciate hearing from you.

Do you have a method to your madness? Do write reviews? I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story and look for me on Facebook at SheilaMGood, Pinterest, Bloglovin, Twitter@sheilagood, and Contently.

I hope you found this information and method helpful and the next time you read a book, write a review. I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story and look for me on Facebook at SheilaMGood, Pinterest, Bloglovin, Twitter@sheilagood, and Contently.

Photo courtesy of :
theeducatedprocastinator.com

In a recent Pew Research Study 78% of readers preferred real, paper books over e-reading devices. I’m not surprised, I do, too.

Before receiving my Kindle people told me, “You’re gonna love your it and you’ll read more.”

Photo Courtesy of pslibrary.com

It’s convenient unless the battery runs down in the middle of a chapter, which happens more often than I care.

Thousands of free books can be downloaded on an eReader, but all those freebies can overwhelm you, leaving you with a library of books you may never read. In addition, paying for a book on the bestsellers list can become pricey.

Amazon has addressed the cost, somewhat, by offering Kindle Unlimited. For $9.99 a month you can download and read as many books as you like, that’s $120 a year! Why pay when I can check out a hard copy at my local library?

But, aside from the convenience of having books available in an instant, and the light weight, I prefer old fashion hardback books. And, I’m not alone.

According to the article, Paper Books, alive and well, published, March 13,2015, in the Chicago Tribune, a significant percentage of readers prefer the paper copy. (You can read the full article here).

“A Pew Research study found that 78 percent of those from ages 18 to 24 have read a print book in the past year — compared with 21 percent who have read an e-book.” Chicago Tribune

I don’t read more books. In fact, before receiving my Kindle I read one to two books a week, sometimes more. Now, it’s maybe one a month. It’s hard to argue against the convenience of an eReader, but the same reasons I prefer “real books” over eReaders are also supported by the Pew Research study.

1- The feel and smell. There’s something about holding a book, turning the pages, and the smell of words in print that an eReader cannot copy. Sound silly?

“… College students polled in Slovakia, “1 out of 10 talked about the smell of books. There really is a physical, tactile, kinesthetic component to reading.” Chicago Tribune

2- I like to collect books I can see, touch and pick up on a rainy day. I have a rather large collection on my Kindle, but they do not beckon me as those on my bookshelf.

“… likes the satisfaction of finishing a book, placing it on a shelf alongside others and letting it quietly remind her of its contents.” Chicago Tribune

3- I’m a note taker and a visual, tactile person. For instructional or self-help books, I like to underline, highlight and scribble in the margins. You can take notes and highlight on a Kindle, but it’s not the same.