Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy Addicts discussion

So I don't usually write out lengthy reviews of books after I read them. I give stars to every book I read unless I don't finish, or it's for school.

So my question is to those of you that do review books.
What information do you include and why?

I've started a book blog and want to start reviewing books, both for the blog and so that I can pinpoint why I like certain books over others.

I use to write very short reviews. Then one day I went looking for some guidelines. I found this worksheet to be very knowledgeable and I wrote my own criteria for writing reviews...Here is the site I found it on....http://jamigold.com/2014/08/introduci... Let me know if this helps you out...

I usually give books a star rating and a short positive comment if a book kept me interested enough to finish.

If a book was really bad, I try to give positive feedback that doesn’t sound like criticism but may help the author.

If a book was exceptional (4-5 star level), I write a more detailed review about how the book made me feel, kept me engaged and often comment on how well written the book was. If there is a second book of and exceptional book, I also include in the review that I have purchased, will purchase and will read the next book.

Thanks Angela for the link above , I shared it on Twitter.

It just depends on the book - sometimes its easy to write reviews for books I liked, sometimes easy for books I disliked. I try to do at least several paragraphs.

Michele wrote: "I usually give books a star rating and a short positive comment if a book kept me interested enough to finish.

If a book was really bad, I try to give positive feedback that doesn’t sound like cr..."

U R most welcomed....I just think that writers need great feedback/reviews..

I usually rate it (# of stars), and mention what I thought of the characters, the story, the ending, and if it moved along. I also mention if it's boring in parts (not a chapter or so, but for example the first half), if it was poorly edited (especially if it interrupts the flow of reading), if I'd read the next book, and anything else that stands out (good or bad). I try to give reasons for anything bad, instead of just saying it was bad/boring.

I try not to give away big secrets, because I don't like reading reviews that tell everything. A short summary is fine to read to decide if I might like the book or not.

This is all helpful information!
As I mentioned, I feel like the first step towards writing for myself, is to write reviews for others. I think I need to be able to put into words what I liked or disliked about someone else's work in order to help myself.

I usually write decently short reviews, just what it is that I didn't like or did like about the book. I cannot stand reviews that are more like book reports, they tell you everything that the description of the book does, and more! I have had so many books ruined for me that way!!

If I don't like the book at all, I tend to not review it because I understand that just because I don't like it doesn't mean it's bad. It just means it's not for me. If I do review it, I try to give the best review I can without giving away any spoilers.

My reviews tend to be a little long sometimes, but so far I have managed to give a good sense of the book without giving away too much (if anything at all). I talk about my likes and dislikes, the pace, how well the plot does or doesn't flow, and whether I'd be reading more works by that author. I put just enough into it to pique the interest of whoever reads the review, but not enough to spoil the book for anyone.

I keep it short, sweet, and to the point. If something enticed me to the book then I'll let that be known, but if something disturbs me then I won't hesitate to mention that either.

I just rate a book by stars and do not leave any comments - unless I hated the book, and couldn't finish it, then I don't rate it.

I rate a book with stars. If it's a seasoned author with over 10,000 ratings, then I don't review, e.g., Vampire Academy. If it's a new author, I will write short review on Amazon.

I'm a writer, but I do like to review books as well. I tend to write a few lines on Goodreads for every book I read, but if I am asked to review a book I will tend to be more detailed. I tend to 'write' the review in my head first, thinking up a good intro, sometimes while I a still reading the book...

bump

I always leave a star rating, and a few words on what I liked or disliked about the book. Most of my reviews aren’t long, but there are a few exceptions.

I’m new, so I haven’t reviewed the many books I’ve added. I tried to rate them, but GR crashed on me and stopped letting me, so idk what that means. My plan though, is to write a short review, especially if I either loved or hated a book. Reasons can be so subjective. For example, I cannot stand bad editing. It pulls me out of the story every time, as I mentally correct the errors. So, if I DNF a book for bad editing and either don’t rate it, or rate it very low (depends on when I DNF whether I will rate or not), you might not care about editing at all, so that shouldn’t dissuade you from reading it. I tend to read the 1-2* reviews for new (to me) authors, so it matters to me what I say about those books.