Why not write quick book reviews?
Brief book reviews have merit
Do you post book reviews online at Amazon, Goodreads and other such sites? I do so only sporadically. I'd like to get in the habit of writing quick reviews after finishing books I've enjoyed. (I shy away from doing negative reviews, and if you'd like to comment about that, it could lead to a spirited discussion.)
To make this task more doable, I've begun making my reviews short. Very short. I'm not a professional reviewer. I just want to contribute a little something to the discussions about books I like. I figure this means I don't have to follow any particular format or satisfy any preconceived notions of what a book review should be.
In case you've been holding off on penning reviews, I'm going to paste in a couple I've done lately to demonstrate how brief they can be.
Slip by Tanya Savko
I highly recommend this novel because I learned so much about autism from reading it. The book provides an eye-opening view of what it's like to parent an autistic child while also coping with all the other things a parent might have to deal with—an unraveling marriage, divorce, betrayal, issues with extended family, a low paying job that's not anywhere close to your dream job, financial woes. Tanya Savko has created believable characters who learn from their struggles, and she manages to impart wisdom while also shaping an engaging narrative that comes to a satisfying close.
Oleander Girl by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
If I could give this book more than five stars, I would. It is beautifully satisfying on many levels. The writing is lyrical, the plot is original and absorbing, the characters are captivating and believable, the book illuminates social issues without doing anything close to preaching, and combined, these elements form a magical work that surpassed my expectations, which were high because I've read other books by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and enjoyed them. The young heroine Korobi embarks on a journey that transforms her, as well as those she loves in deep and moving ways.
So, why not write some quick reviews of your own? And if you choose to review my books, well, I would be most grateful.