My Review Thoughts

Every blog, or website, that posts reviews has a few decisions they must make. What rules, or policies, will they adhere to? Will they talk about every book they read- good or bad? If they didn't like a book, will they still post about it? Much goes into reviews that get posted.

I thought I would tell you what my thoughts and policies are for the reviews I do. What am I willing to do? What am I NOT willing to do? How have my thoughts changed from when I first began reviewing to now?

1. In the beginning, I would post my thoughts on every book I read- whether they were good or bad. If I didn't like it, I told you. I would give it a "Buy It & Return It" rating. As time has gone by, I found that I preferred to share the books I liked more than ones I didn't. So, bit by bit, reviews of books I didn't like became less. 

2. Whether a book is liked or loathed, I think there is a polite way to discuss it. I always remembered that even if I didn't like it, others may. I also tried to remember that regardless of what I thought, someone spent time and energy bringing this idea to life. Authors have feelings. I wouldn't want someone to trash something I wrote. There is a way to say you don't like something in a positive way. Not to mention, others may not share the same thoughts on a book that you do. Your opinions are yours to have, but you can be respectful.

3. Once upon a time, I would still post reviews for books I didn't finish. I no longer do. If I wasn't able to finish a book, I wasn't going to have a lot of good things to say about it. I'd rather not talk about a book I didn't like to the point of not being able to finish it. Also, personal opinion comes into play here. Just because I wasn't able to finish it doesn't mean others will have the same issue. 

4. I do everything I can to avoid giving away important plot details in my reviews. The whole point of my reviews is to give you a little glimpse into the book and share my thoughts on it. I don't want my reviews to give the whole story away. If I did, what would be the point of reading the book yourself? I've written some very short posts in an attempt to avoid giving away story details. There has been one or two reviews where there was little I could do about it, but I try to give you a warning at the beginning of the review.

5. My reviews tend to be on the shorter side. A lot of people have busy lives and not a lot of extra time. Because of this, I try to get right to the point. I don't do in-depth reviews where I dissect every aspect of the book. I'm mainly trying to tell you whether or not I liked a book and why. I usually give you a little bit more information on the plot of the book, but without giving away crucial details.

Well, there you have it. There is a glimpse into my thoughts on how I review. My policies and ways of doing things may change over time. If so, that'll be another blog post for you to read. :) Thank you for taking the time to read this and for allowing me the honor of sharing books with you.