Book Blogger Hop

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this week’s question: Do you only feature reviews on your blog?

No. I do a lot of tours and cover reveals, along with memes. I also occasionally post about other bookish things, too.

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Book Beginnings

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This week’s Book Beginnings comes from The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins. It’s a twisty thriller, set in Scotland. I love anything this author writes, so I was glad to find this at the library.

The story is told in a rather unusual format, which I am really enjoying. There is the standard narrative, of course, but sprinkled throughout are diary entries and emails. There are also snippets of plaque information, the kind you’d see next to artwork in a display, as art is a part of the story.

StoryGraph

The moon woke me, bright and close.

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Let’s Talk Bookish

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topic: Writing & Posting Book Reviews

Writing book reviews is a huge part of running a book blog.

Do book reviews make up a big part of your blog content?

They’re an important part, if not the biggest. I do a lot of tours, so that probably outweighs the reviews. Plus I do a lot of rereads (of one particular series), so I don’t re-review those.

Do you prefer to write long or short reviews?

I don’t have a preference. It really depends on the book, I think.

How does reviewing advance copies (ARCs) and working directly with authors and publishers change your approach to writing the reviews?

It’s a hard balance. I’m a writer and editor myself, so I have the benefit/curse of knowing the industry from both sides. I HATE giving bad reviews, but when it’s necessary, it’s necessary. I strive to be constructive and open-minded, and NEVER snarky, about those I dislike.

Do you post on platforms other than your blog (i.e. Goodreads, The Storygraph, social media) and do those reviews differ from what you share on your blog?

I post on BookBub and BookHype, retail sites, and I keep a Padlet board to organize my reading. The only time it differs is if I have to post a shorter form do to length restrictions of the platform.