Yes, these really are questions that I get asked all the time…
How many books do you read a year?
Depends on the year. Sometimes as few as 50; but I’ve been passing the 100 mark the past few years.
Do you review every book you read?
No. I have a day job so that would be impossible. But starting in 2014, I’m going to try to review as many as I can.
Why do you read so much? Don’t you want to get out and have a real life?
No.
Is that a cup of coffee in your logo???
No, Mom. It’s hot cocoa.
Why should I trust your review?
Try a book I recommend and see if you agree with my review. If you do, then try another one. It won’t take long to get a feel for how I review things. If you disagree with me, that’s fine. A diversity of opinion is what makes life interesting. Go ahead and tell me why you disagree. I don’t mind at all.
What kind of books do you review?
I prefer mystery, speculative, and Young Adult. I almost never review horror or racy romance. I really hate to review ARCs.
What kind of review should I expect?
The kind you’d get if I were standing beside you at a bookstore, saw a book I’d loved, and started geeking out all over the place while you slink away in embarrassment and pretend you don’t know me . This is why almost all the books on this site get really good reviews. I don’t usually mention the ones I didn’t like.
I read this exact same review on another site? Did you steal it?
No. I’ve been doing online book reviews on various websites and blogs since 2006. When I started this site in 2014, I gathered them all up, posted them here, and closed down most of the other sites. As much as possible, I’ve tried to maintain the original post date here.
Why do you have so many 4 & 5 star reviews but hardly any 1 or 2 star reviews?
It’s the geek-out factor, mentioned above. There are so many books to choose from and never enough time to read, so if I get to the point where I’m thinking I can’t give a book 3 stars or higher, I usually won’t finish it. If I don’t finish it, I don’t review it.
Do you ever assign zero stars to a book?
There’s always that possibility.
Why do you hate reviewing ARCs?
Because ARCs are Advanced Review Copies, and are generally uncorrected galleys. In the past, I’ve assumed typos, grammar mistakes, and structural issues would be be fixed before publication and reviewed based on that assumption. They weren’t, and I felt silly for recommending a poorly written/badly edited book.
You’re a Mormon. Does that effect your review?
Of course it does, because:
- My personal values form the lens through which I view the world, including books. I am not going to finish a book that crosses my personal comfort zone.
- I have a lot of LDS author friends, so I read a lot of books by them. But that doesn’t mean I only read books by LDS authors. And it doesn’t guarantee them a good review.
BUT:
- I do my best to fully disclose any personal relationship I have with an author I’m reviewing.
- I tag all the books that have LDS content, so you’re forewarned.
- I have told some of my really good friends that I’m not reviewing their books because I didn’t like them well enough to finish them.
Got a question I didn’t answer?
Shoot me an email.