Tag: book blog

5 Reasons Why You Should Write a Book Review

As an indie author, I love to read genuine reviews of my published books. There is nothing more comforting than a bit of positive feedback. Yes – I do mean positive! There is no need to be rude about someone’s work after all. Similarly, book reviews are actually useful for other readers. When I first check out a new book, I flick through some of the book review comments to get a taste for it. This often helps me make my mind up about ordering a paperback, for instance.

So in this blog post, I want to encourage you to consider writing your own book reviews after finishing a novel or novella. Hopefully I will convince you that it makes a positive difference to you, the author and to other readers in the book orientated community.

A selection of my favourite books.

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1) Support The Author

This is really important, in my view. Authors spend a lot of hours trying to create stories that will grab your interest. Therefore it is not only polite, but also incredibly supportive to write a quick review.

I believe that if you think a book is worth less than 3 stars, don’t review it. But if you do like something about it, note down what you enjoyed. Alternatively, just post a positive comment which will encourage the writer and help promote the book.

Of course, if you absolutely love it, then definitely don’t miss the chance to write a glowing book review.

2) Connect With Other Readers

People who make the effort to review books are helping to build and promote the bookish community. Why not respond to their reviews and like them on Goodreads?

Other readers will notice your book review and may even check out your socials if they find you a like-minded reader. For me, connecting with other reviewers has been interesting and I have discovered great book influencers too. Who knows? You may even feel inspired enough to establish a bookstagram or booktok.

3) Improve Your Own Writing

For me, book reviewing makes sense. As I get a lot out of my reading experience, it is fun to jot down what made me satisfied by a particular book or collection. In the process of writing more book reviews, I have developed as a writer and learned what parts to concentrate on.

Any book review holds value, even just a few words. However, if you get into reviewing, you will find that certain elements help to make a review purposeful and cover all the bases. Now that I blog about books, I tend to write a quick overview of what I read. Then I write my thoughts and often bullet point the positives. Finally, summing up the review ‘in a nutshell’ can be a lovely way to highlight the main reason this book grabbed your attention and kept you captivated.

4) Share Your Love Of Reading

I mentioned possibly becoming book influencers but if that isn’t your thing, just let your friends know how much you loved a book. Book reviews can be shared on Facebook and individually with friends and colleagues. My Goodreads friends are mostly my real life mates and I like to read their thoughts about books. They influence me greatly.

It is good to share. Writing about a book is therapeutic, thoughtful and fun. Why not try it and share it with people you know who love reading? You may find it is really rewarding for you and for them.

5) Become An Expert In A Topic

Many people read particular genres of fiction or even non-fiction. After you have written several book reviews, you are likely to be considered an expert on that niche. It can be fun to focus on the type of books that you normally opt for.

I personally read a lot of contemporary fiction, so most of my content revolves around that. My other preference is for YA novellas which I am increasingly reviewing. You have probably already got an idea of which niche you could write about regularly.

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Final Thoughts

I hope that you found this particular article helpful, outlining the benefits of taking the time to write a book review. For one of my recent reviews, check out You Must Read – Apples Never Fall.

Thank you for reading. Perhaps you may wish to follow my blog and check out my future posts about books, TV shows and climate change. If you have time, please pop a comment below.

Smorgasbord Funnies 2023 – Sally’s Favourites –

Check out the latest funnies from the brilliant Smorgasbord.

Valentine’s Day the lighter side of Romance.

Something from my archives and I hope you will enjoy the Valentine funnies… Sally   And a little something that might come after the proposal…..just …

Smorgasbord Funnies 2023 – Sally’s Favourites – Valentine’s Day the lighter side of Romance.

You Must Read ‘Apples Never Fall’ in 2023!

You know me. I love books. I absolutely adore reading fiction and biographies, as well as YA novellas and graphic novels. Most days I dip into several different books. There will always be a drama that I am half way through, a YA story I am enjoying and a celebrity biography. Today, I am going to focus on a book that I have truly enjoyed – ‘Apples Never Fall’.

My signed copy is a treasured possession.

A Talented Author

I was first made aware of Liane Moriarty when I saw Big Little Lies laying on a book shelf in a shop, with Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman on the cover. I went on to read the book and watch the TV show. This was thrilling and gave me a taste for Liane’s writing.

Soon after that I was hooked on ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’, ‘The Hypnotist’s Love Story’ and ‘The Last Anniversary’. Recently I lapped up ‘Three Wishes’ and finally finished ‘Apples Never Fall’.

My Review

This book is absolutely a ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ contemporary drama.

It is about an elderly couple who used to run a very successful tennis school. We start the narrative when Joy, the wife and mother of four, has disappeared suddenly. The storytelling then flicks back to months before, when a new arrival seems able to rattle the family and begin the drama.

Things I especially enjoyed about book:

– She uses the close third person to zone in on each character.

– The family dynamic is fascinating. Troy and Logan were competitive children. One grew up to be a millionaire, the other a teacher. Amy and Brooke always sought their mother’s approval and were especially jealous of the new arrival.

– The story went backwards and forwards on a well organised timeline. Sometimes a police interview would draw out an intriguing incident. Then Liane would go back three months to when that actually happened.

– An ex- student of Stan’s had become a tournament-winning tennis player. His autobiography was set to tell stories which involved Joy and Stan. This link was important throughout and left you guessing.

– The use of dialogue was really good and balanced carefully. It moved the story onwards but there was also plenty of exposition.

– The clever way that characters would be arguing and suddenly flash back to previous events or conversations. This happened so naturally and helped me understand the backstory well.

In A Nutshell

It is fair to say that I found this book incredibly entertaining. There are no negatives as far as I am concerned. The brilliantly woven scenes and fully developed, relatable characters made this satisfying to consume. Little tidbits of detail were strewn around like chicken feed. I was kept in the dark but constantly asking questions as I went further into the book.

I have enjoyed every Liane Moriarty book that I have read so far. However, this novel felt even more brilliant than the rest. Even though it is a family drama and not a thriller as such, it had plenty of twists and dilemmas. I was totally invested in the narrative right from page one.

Final Thoughts

I totally recommend checking out an extract of ‘Apples Never Fall’ and grabbing yourself a copy. It really was a great read and I cannot wait to see what the Harry Potter producer – David Heyman – does with it. He has bought the TV rights and will soon convert it into a TV series.

For a previous review of a Liane Moriarty book, check out my review of Three Wishes. Thank you for taking the time to read my book review.

Perhaps consider following my little blog for similar future content about books, TV and the climate crisis. My recent thoughts on The House of the Dragon may interest you too.