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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

The Quick and Dirty Guide to Easy Book Reviews

by Chautona Havig · 4 Comments

We’ve all seen them.  Internet memes urging you to leave book reviews.

easy book reviews
(Note: links in this post may be affiliate links and as such, I may receive a small commission from them at no extra expense to you. Thank you!)

Memes say things like, “Feed an author. Leave a review” or “Help an author. Leave a review.”  The point is simple.  Authors need reviews.  There’s no getting around it.  Oh, and here’s one for you just because it felt weird to write about review memes without having one.  Peer pressure. It’s a killer.

reviews meme

But let’s face it.  Book reviews can be daunting, and not everyone wants to read a book with a notepad beside them jotting down ideas for a review.  You want to read the book, not do a book report.

So, that brings me to my first point.

What Reviews Are Not:

In our world where information bombards us at every turn, we forget that things like product and book reviews don’t have to be complicated.  So here you go.  What a book review is not!

  • It’s not a book report.  You don’t have to tell us everything that happened and all the symbolism involved.
  • Oh, and it’s not a “Pinterest Moment.”  You don’t have to make it pretty, you don’t have to make it sound intelligent or cute.
  • It’s not a place to post your opinions on the genre, the author’s other works (aside from quick mentions that you loved or hated and this is different), or even the publishing industry.
  • It’s not a complaint forum for delivery issues.  If the book came late, if the Kindle version didn’t download properly, if the packaging was all crumpled–whatever.  This doesn’t help a reader know what is inside those pages, and THAT is what a book review (or product review) is for.  You injure authors and manufacturers for lowering the star rating because of a glitch or a shipper issue that they cannot control.

So what ARE reviews?

  • A short-cut for those considering the book. They read the synopsis and aren’t sure. Maybe they’ve never heard of the author or the last book they read wasn’t up to snuff.  They want to see what others thought.
  • A peek at what is great about a book, and that says why you’d want to read it.
  • A peek at what wasn’t so great about a book, and that says why you might not!
  • In short, reviews are a few extra words to help someone decide if what’s between the covers is worth their time and money.

But they take so much time!!!

They don’t have to.  I promise.  I have four things you should put in a review.  Just four.  You don’t have to limit yourself like this, but if you want to leave reviews (and I want to hug you for wanting to), and find them daunting or you don’t have time, just throw these four things into a quick blurb on Amazon and/or Goodreads.

  1. What you loved: it could be a character, a setting, a funny line, how well it was edited, the time period, the cover, the last page when the horrible thing was FINALLY OVER.  Just pick one. Don’t try to do it all. You’ll want to sometimes, but unless you just LOVE to write reviews, don’t do it!  Keep it short and snappy.  “I loved the repartee between the ‘dragon’ and the prince.”  (Everard)
  2. What you hated: It could be the editing (but try not to pitch a fit if there are a dozen errors in a 50k word book.  99.9% accuracy gives that 50 errors!  12 isn’t optimal, but it’s not worth killing a star or three over).  Maybe you hated the way the main character whined and cried over everything (I felt that way about Elsie Dinsmore), or you hated that the bad guy was never all that bad (I felt that way in Daisies Are Forever). Maybe in a Christian Fiction book, you found smut or language.  Or, just maybe you just hated that it ended and you wanted more. (Like the emails I get about Past Forward and HearthLand).

But wait! That’s not all there is to easy book reviews!

3.  What made you laugh:  Something almost always does–even if it’s the ludicrousness of one tragedy after the next.  Go for it!  Put down the line that kept you chuckling every time you thought of it (like I do with Earlene Fowler’s, Fool’s Puzzle.  That opening scene cracks me up.  Warning: a couple of colorful words and mental images shown in the book.).  Tell us if the character did something you did once and how you cracked up.  Just a sentence.  Just one or a part of one.

4.  What made you cry:  Again, you can say you cried that it was over.  You can say you cried when you realized you’d only read three pages and you had 683 to go.  You can say you cried when you had to go to work, or you can say you cried when your favorite character died. Just no spoilers!  Don’t tell us the heroine dies at the end.  PLEASE  Say you cried at the end because it was sad, but don’t say why!  Don’t ruin it for the next reader.

That’s it.  That’s all you need to do!

Of course, if you want a fifth thing you can add:

5.  Warnings or caveats.  If you WANT to (and it’s not necessary) then you can add a, “Just a note, in the one bookstore, the guy there has a foul mouth for about 2 pages.  Might want to skip that part.”  (Like I would say about Aunt Dimity’s Death).

How does that look when you’re done?

I’m going to write a quick and dirty review for Ready or Not and show you just how easy it is. Are ya ready?

In Ready or Not, I loved seeing the family dynamic of all those kids and a gal who had no real experience with children, but boy did I hate that grandmother!  WHEW!  The children’s antics made me laugh until my sides hurt, and the wisdom shared with her from people who came along to help, you know like the church really should, made me cry for people who don’t have a helpful body of Christians in their lives.  Recommended.

See!  That’s it!  That’s all it needs.  So please, bless your favorite author today.  Write a quick review of the last book you read that you didn’t review.  Or buy his latest book and go read it and then review it!  Or both!  Oh, yeah.  Let’s go for broke and do both!  (at today’s prices, that’s just about how it works out, too.

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Comments

  1. Bette A. Stevens says

    July 7, 2016 at 5:56 pm

    Excellent post, Chatauna. Thanks!

    Reply
  2. Laura Hile says

    June 27, 2016 at 7:07 pm

    Bless you, Chautona, you are the best. Those hateful missing words, the kind of thing that spell check can’t find!

    “… but try not to pitch a fit if there are a dozen errors in a 50k word book. 99.9% accuracy gives that 50 errors!”

    I ran the numbers for my 130,000-word new release, only at 99.99% That gives me 13 errors. Ha! (I hate having even one.)

    I have another eagle-eye editing friend combing through to find the elusive “13.”

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      June 27, 2016 at 8:32 pm

      I agree. I hate even one. But I learned a bit of grace for publishers when I started seeing that even with 10 or more run throughs, eagle eyes, and spending a ton on editing, that sometimes it just happens. And not just in self-published. My prior issues were all with TRADITIONALLY published books. A big name author/publisher had 11 on 2 pages. TWO PAGEs. And only half of those were even remotely “up to preference.”

      Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

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Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 203: A Chat with Heather Greer about Window of Opportunity
byChautona Havig

Last fall, I talked with several authors about their novella collection (Episode 177) and learned about a new series they’d planned for 2023. Well, of course, I wanted to talk with them about it, and last week I “sat down” (I stand while recording, but you get my drift) with Heather Greer to talk about her book in the Stained Glass Legacy Series, Window of Opportunity.  I’ve been reading her book and am really enjoying it, so I was excited to talk about this 1920s story of friendship, romance, corruption, and more!  Listen in to find out what to expect from Heather Greer’s first historical romance!

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you!

Why Doing the Right Thing at the Wrong Time Is No Picnic!

Okay, you have to read the book to “get” that title, for the post, but I figured it’d make Heather smile.

Heather and I talked about the differences in writing contemporary versus historical fiction–including all the work that goes into research!  Did they have this thing or that then? Are we assuming too advanced or not advanced enough?  Did people actually use this word or that? It’s a complicated process, and it slows down the writing when you have to figure out if a train even went through that area and if so, which direction did it go?!  Not that this has ever happened to me!

But first, Heather told the story of how she met the other authors in this series at a writer’s retreat, and the idea for this entire four-book series (all releasing THIS YEAR) sparked conversations until they couldn’t not write it.  With each book being written in a different era (1920s, 1970s, contemporary, and future dystopian) AND with not only this stained-glass window but also the family of the young men we’ll meet in Heather’s book, Window of Opportunity.

Stay tuned for more interviews with other Stained-Glass Legacy authors. I hope to chat with all of them!

Window of Opportunity by Heather Greer

Faith and duty drive Evangeline Moore to protect her father’s pristine image as a judge in Harrisburg, Illinois. Her resolve’s biggest test? Dot, her childhood friend. With Evangeline beside her, Dot’s desire for the Roaring Twenties’ glitz and glamor leads the pair into questionable situations.

Born into a Chicago mob family, Brendan Dunne understands duty, but faith puts him at odds with his father’s demands. Even when his brother James’s propensity for trouble lands them in Harrisburg, the truth is undeniable. To their father, the lines he won’t cross mean Brendan will never measure up.

When circumstances push Brendan and Evangeline together, unexpected events create opportunities to break free of family expectations. Will they be brave enough to forge their own path before the window closes on their chance to change?

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Episode 203: A Chat with Heather Greer about Window of Opportunity
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Oh, and home to Twice Sold Tales, a charming bookstore in a charming town--but not for long.  Unless Milton arrives with his trusty parrotlet, Atticus (not Finch!), this local gem of a store may soon be out of print--so to speak.

Some might blame owner Harper Brevig. Let's face it. Her "bookside manner" isn't much to write home about (although I did write a book about it...). But no, she's making enough money, and she's not spending too much money (much to her disgust), so where's it going?

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Reposted from @margueritemgray Come take a visit t Reposted from @margueritemgray Come take a visit to our newest set of islands – The Suamalie Islands! These islands are very different from the Independence Islands because they are touristy. Another way this series is different is we have added more authors. You will see some familiar Independence Islands authors but will also see some brand-new ones. Just like with our Independence Islands, each author will follow a type of business that goes across all the different islands.

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#giveaway #suamalieislands #celebratelit
Welcome to Red Wing, Minnesota. Home of Hanisch's Welcome to Red Wing, Minnesota. Home of Hanisch's Bakery, Mandy's Cafe, the Uffda Shop, and Pepie the Lake Monster (who knew?)

Oh, and home to Twice Sold Tales, a charming bookstore in a charming town--but not for long.  Unless Milton arrives with his trusty parrotlet, Atticus (not Finch!), this local gem of a store may soon be out of print--so to speak.

Some might blame owner Harper Brevig. Let's face it. Her "bookside manner" isn't much to write home about (although I did write a book about it...). But no, she's making enough money, and she's not spending too much money (much to her disgust), so where's it going?

Find out in Twice Sold Tales which is on tour with Celebrate Lit! Check out the blogs and enter to win a cool prize package with a book, one of "Pepie's babies," and other fun bookish goodies!
Links to more info in my bio!

#TheMosaicCollection
#Bookstrings
#TwiceSoldTales
#ChristFic
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Welcome to Red Wing, Minnesota. Home of Hanisch's Welcome to Red Wing, Minnesota. Home of Hanisch's Bakery, Mandy's Cafe, the Uffda Shop, and Pepie the Lake Monster (who knew?)

Oh, and home to Twice Sold Tales, a charming bookstore in a charming town--but not for long.  Unless Milton arrives with his trusty parrotlet, Atticus (not Finch!), this local gem of a store may soon be out of print--so to speak.

Some might blame owner Harper Brevig. Let's face it. Her "bookside manner" isn't much to write home about (although I did write a book about it...). But no, she's making enough money, and she's not spending too much money (much to her disgust), so where's it going?

Find out in Twice Sold Tales which is on tour with Celebrate Lit! Check out the blogs and enter to win a cool prize package with a book, one of "Pepie's babies," and other fun bookish goodies!
Links to more info in my bio!

#TheMosaicCollection
#Bookstrings
#TwiceSoldTales
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Reposted from @choosingjoynovels I may personally Reposted from @choosingjoynovels I may personally have been run into by a limb or two...

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Welcome to Red Wing, Minnesota. Home of Hanisch's Welcome to Red Wing, Minnesota. Home of Hanisch's Bakery, Mandy's Cafe, the Uffda Shop, and Pepie the Lake Monster (who knew?)

Oh, and home to Twice Sold Tales, a charming bookstore in a charming town--but not for long.  Unless Milton arrives with his trusty parrotlet, Atticus (not Finch!), this local gem of a store may soon be out of print--so to speak.

Some might blame owner Harper Brevig. Let's face it. Her "bookside manner" isn't much to write home about (although I did write a book about it...). But no, she's making enough money, and she's not spending too much money (much to her disgust), so where's it going?

Find out in Twice Sold Tales which is on tour with Celebrate Lit! Check out the blogs and enter to win a cool prize package with a book, one of "Pepie's babies," and other fun bookish goodies!
Links to more info in my bio!

#TheMosaicCollection
#Bookstrings
#TwiceSoldTales
#ChristFic
#BookishBooks
Reposted from @pepperbasham Thanks to @dareyoutore Reposted from @pepperbasham Thanks to @dareyoutoread for this fun graphic!! #thecairocurse #freddieandgrace4ever @barbourbooks #historicalromance
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