Carla
Carla asked Chris Bohjalian:

Hi Chris, I have a question about books you read and rate here on Goodreads. I note that you rate very high almost all the books you've read, most seem to be five star. Yet, you don't leave any comments about the book for us to see. Can I ask why? Thanks!

Chris Bohjalian A perfectly reasonable question.

I know lots and lots of authors. All writers do.

And so rather than risk hurting a friend's or an acquaintance's feelings, any book I add to my Goodreads "read" column gets five stars.

If I don't like a book, I do not add it to the feed.

This policy allows me to recommend books I like -- without denigrating a peer's work.

Now, when I review a book for the Washington Post or the Boston Globe or wherever, I am completely honest. That's a different ballgame. And I can be honest, because professional venues such as those would never allow me to review a book if I knew the author.

Does this help? I hope so.

Again, a great question.

All the best,

Chris B.

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