So, you’ve flipped the last page of a great book. Congrats! I can hear the fireworks in the distance, taking over the humid Muscat night.
I suppose that while reading, you kept thinking about what you liked and disliked about that nonfiction book, which characters are your favorites in the mystery novel, and gasp how dare the character kill off character X in the romcom?? I bet you’re bursting at the seams, wishing for a way to let everyone know about your thoughts on the book, and to check out what other people thought too.
If the paragraph above describes you, then I think you might want to create a book review. Well, I’m not going to give you any tips here, plenty of other people have already written incredible guides. Instead, I’ll just tell you about reviews, why I like them, and where to find (and write them)
What is a Book Review?
At the base level, a book review is just a person expressing what they think about a certain book. Almost all good book reviews are geared towards other readers or towards the self: They explain what YOU liked, what YOU hated, how OTHER PEOPLE might feel, and WHO the book is right (or wrong) for. People have made entire careers off of reviewing books exceptionally well, while others just jot down basic thoughts and refuse to even add a score.
“But Ammar, I don’t like writing,” I hear you exclaim from the other side of the screen. Well, in that case there are plenty of other ways to share your thoughts. For example, you can create video, or a podcast, or draw your thoughts, or even make a song. The point isn’t the how, but rather the WHY of book reviews. To me, a review is a way of reporting back to the community I love. Ocassionally, they’re a way for me to express a little volcano of emotion the book has stirred in me.
A review is a little like planting your opinions for other people to eat as fruit.
Why I love Book Reviews
So here’s the thing: I’m biased here. A really big part of the reason I love book reviews is that I’m an author. Book reviews are one of the best ways that people can find out about my book. The more reviews, the more likely it is that people will see Sarim, or Unoriginal Tales, or whatever I happen to publish next. Besides, I use reviews as guideposts in my journey as an author. If something is consistently praised in my books, I’m more likely to keep it. If a certain type of person hates my books, then I need to know. Writing’s partly a guessing game on what to do- reviews help me navigate the void.
But let’s be honest. I had a GoodReads account long before I started writing. Although no one on Storygraph knows about Sarim, I still made an account there. I love reviews even beyond my existence as a writer. Here’s why:
1- Reviews tell people about great books you’ve found
2- Reviews are a way to talk about books and chat with people
3- It’s just nice to see what your friends like to read and why
4- Gotta know what’s trending!
Where to find and Share Book Reviews
It’s a really good time to be a book lover! Here are some of the top options if you’re looking for places to find or share your book thoughts:
1- Social Media: There is a wealth of Bookstagrammers, Booktokkers,and people on Book Twitter (I don’t know what those are called). Currently, I follow a lot of content from The Reading Runner, Azhar Reads, ThePaperCut, Oman Book Lovers Club on Facebook, and Read with Ruba. There is also NaddabiReviews but he seems to be inactive at the moment. I also think more people should utilize Twitter to talk books. Hmm, maybe that should be my new thing.
2- Podcasts: This is a great way to consume reviews when you’re busy. Podcasts let people really discuss a book down to the nitty-gritty. Currently I love listening to The PaperCut Club on just normal radio.
3- Youtube: Ok so if I’m honest I don’t really watch a lot of Booktube, but a LOT of people do. I know that The Literature Snob has some good book videos, so you can start there and see where it takes you.
4- Goodreads: Goodreads is basically facebook for books. I love its simple 5 star system, and also the fact that the main page is filled with updates from what my reader friends are currently reading. Goodreads lets you post updates as you go. Unfortunately, it also has a BUNCH of interface and features issues. On the plus side, I have an author account there that shows my books.
5- StoryGraph: I just downloaded Storygraph so I don’t know enough about it. However, it seems to be the number 1 competitor to Goodreads. Also, it give you book recommendations based on pacing, mood, tone, ending etc.
And that’s it! I hope that you know a little more about book reviews now, and I hope you continue reading for joy!