How to Write a Book Review

You’ve just turned the last page of a life-altering novel. Part of you is grateful for the sleep you’ll be able to get now instead of pulling another all-nighter. But the other part of you grieves. You will miss the characters you just closed the book on. They understand the deepest places of your own journey and in some ways have felt like friends.

If you were anything like me, you wanted to throw on a robe, grab an overnight bag and hop on the next plane to wherever the author might live. You felt compelled to tell her that you literally gave her book a standing ovation in the middle of your living room while ignoring the strange looks from family members. But after thinking it through, the whole idea felt a little ... well, insane. So how could you honor all of the hard work and artistry that went into a project of this magnitude? How could you give the author the accolades she’s due?

You can write a book review.

Yes, you. The Internet has made it really easy to assert your opinion about a score of different things with likes, pokes, Emojis and even reviews.

I’ve listed a few questions below to help you get started.

     What was the story about?

Who was the main character?
What kind of problems did she encounter?
Were you able to relate to any of the characters in the story?
Have you ever felt some of the ways the characters did?
Did you like the book?
What was your favorite part?
Would you recommend this book?

The two websites I’d like to recommend posting your review to are: www.goodreads.com and www.amazon.com.

A review is a wonderful way to show appreciation to an author. After all, showing up on somebody’s doorstep looking frazzled and holding a copy of her latest release probably won’t provide you with the best response anyway. Writing a book review is really the way to go.

Have you read anything worth mentioning lately? I have a gift for the first person to share a book review on one or both of the websites listed above. Please be sure and let me know if you’ve done so. I will be posting book reviews to this blog every now and then to keep the conversation going.

By the way, thanks for putting that book down long enough to participate in today's post.

Happy reading!

Top Three Literary Works

Since I feel compelled to center a whole blog around the concept of literature, I thought it would be fun to park here a moment and take a deeper look at its value and functionality.

Literature, commonly known as literary works, is quite “literally” seen all around us. From dissertations to directories, to textbooks and tracts, it can be difficult avoiding words and the messages they carry. I dare say that literature keeps the fabric of our society together. (We won’t go into the condition of such a fabric. All of that should probably be saved for a different blog altogether.)

The top three literary works readers are most familiar with fall into three categories: fiction, non-fiction and poetry. While non-fiction seeks to educate, and fiction strives to entertain, poetry digs deep into a reader’s experiences and extracts beauty from something that otherwise may have gone unnoticed.

Literature tapped me on the shoulder at an early age. My response at the time didn’t involve more than a shrug, but I believe the image made a lasting impression. I have memories of my mother curled up on the couch in the middle of the afternoon with her nose tucked into a book. The afternoon sun warmed her shoulders and shrouded her with a happy glow. Sounds of pretzel munching and slow sips of Dr. Pepper meant all was well with the world. If memory serves me right, we would have just left the library with a trunk full of paperbacks. Going to the library, I discovered, was as necessary as a trip to the meat market. Yes, we used to buy our meat from a separate store. I’m probably giving my age away with that comment, but why try and butcher it now?

My mother would always be ready to trade a towering stack of novels in for a new one the following week. Her spelling and grammar skills were, and still are, impeccable. I attribute that to all of the carbohydrates and the words she devoured by the handfuls.

I like to believe this memory has a lot to do with the writer I am today. Of the writing exercises I’ve experimented with so far, creative writing has been my favorite way to find expression. I can’t help but wonder if it has something to do with those mid-week errands into town so that my mother could get lost in her next novel.

What about you? Which of the three literary works is your favorite? And was a love for literature modeled for you at an early age?

Welcome

I am so happy to announce the arrival of my new blog! An event of this magnitude mirrors the appearance of a wrinkly new baby. (Bear with me here.) The seed of an idea was planted during a very memorable conversation I had with a literary agent during a Mount Hermon visit some weeks ago. The delicate notion was fed with sparks of inspiration as I spoke with other professionals who already have this blogging thing all figured out. 

Sure, I could start a blog. Why not? The idea of connecting with other industry professionals while getting to know potential readers sounded dreamy. I could almost feel the bundle in my arms, so soft and endearing. Rumors of a thing called platform happen to be important for somebody who really wants to pursue publication. This would be a great way to get something like that going.

Then it was time to push the puppy out. 

Gulp.

I ran to Barnes and Noble and purchased a book on blogging, one with pictures, mind you. Then I clicked over to the tutorials the Internet offers at no charge. I wish I could say that the simple instructions were simple enough for me, but the verbiage wasn't matching what I had staring at me from my laptop monitor. As a result, just prior to pulling every strand of my own hair out, I decided it might be a good idea to breathe a little. (Hee hee whooo ... my interpretation of lamaze breathing). And just when I was about to give up, similar to the transitional part of labor, my husband reminded me about the very simple and user-friendly interface of Blogger.com.

Oh, yeah. 

This was something I could relate to, a blogging platform I've used before. And just like the relief an epidural needle in your spine can bring, I felt myself finally relax enough to let the baby come.

As one of my new blog readers I hope you will extend me a little grace. I am, after all, a brand new mother to this novelty. Aside from a devotional blog I wrote almost a decade ago, this is all new territory for me. Literature is my passion, so I hope to generate some good discussion about the beauty of its contribution to the world.

If you've stuck with me this far, I want to thank you for being a part of such a special moment. With your permission, of course, I think it would be fitting to take a snapshot and save it for the archives.