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How (and Why) to Write a Book Review People Want to Read

By Beth Greenberg August 17, 2023 August 17, 2023

Review of First Quiver from an Amazon reviewer — Book review of *First Quiver* on Goodreads

WHY write a book review?

Fair question! And there are many compelling reasons to write a book review.

By the way, a “review” is simply any opinion you share about a book. Could be written text (as the example above) or video. Could be a one-liner (“Highly recommend!” or “Not my jam”) or a whole blog post.

Whether you share your review to a retail site (Amazon, B & N) or a review site (Goodreads, Storygraph), or your own social media, it all comes under the review umbrella. Honestly, even talking about a book with a friend over lunch counts!

Here are some marvelous things that happen when you write a book review:

Other readers may be influenced by your opinion (oh, the power!)
You may discover a whole new group of readers with whom you can share great book recs. You may even decide to do a “buddy read” or form a book group. (hello, social life!)
You’ll create a written record of the books you’ve read and whether you liked them or not. (I love tracking my reads on Storygraph and Goodreads – so easy to look back and access my reading history)
Publishers may reach out to offer you free books and exclusive sneak peeks of highly desirable upcoming releases. (no more FOMO!)
You may be asked to become a valuable member of an author’s Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) team and have the opportunity to help a book gain momentum

And here are some wildly awesome things that MAY happen:

You may never have to pay to read another book in your whole life.
The author may come across your review and ask if they can use a quote as a “cover blurb,” thus making you as famous as they are (or vice versa)
You could become a TikTok or YouTube “book influencer.” People will throw money at your feet just for the chance to be mentioned on your channel.

Having convinced you why writing book reviews is a great activity to undertake, here’s how to write a book review like a pro without spraining your brain…

First, some hard truths about reviews:

Reviews matter. A lot.
Regardless of your own personal weighting system, star ratings lower than 3/5 can really damage a book’s chance for success. My general rule of thumb is not to use a star rating if I can’t, in good conscience, give at least 4 stars. I stick to words alone and try to mix in as many positive points as I can. There’s always something nice to say, even if it’s simply the book’s premise.
“Reviews are for readers,” so they say. But here’s the truth – authors not only read them, we scour reviews for back cover “blurb” material and quotable snippets to share in our marketing material. We pay A LOT of $$ to distribute free books to review sites like Net Galley, largely hoping for those review nuggets. Also, authors are human beings, and we see what you post – even if you don’t tag us.
READ THE BOOK if you’re going to review it. ESPECIALLY if you’re on an ARC team or a blog tour. ‘Nuf said.

How am I qualified to opine?

I’ve been on both sides of the book review situation literally hundreds of times.

From the reader’s perspective, I understand the importance of maintaining your integrity as a reviewer. If you really feel a book is poorly written, you don’t want to jump up and down for everyone you know to read it. You want to balance honesty with kindness. When in doubt, I always lean toward kindness. If you’d like a sampling of the reviews I’ve written, you can check me out on Goodreads or Storygraph.

Amazon Book Page with Review and Ratings for First Quiver

As an author, I understand how critical reviews are – especially on a debut novel. Many promo sites will only consider books with a minimum of, say, 50 reviews, and a 4+ star rating. The all-powerful Amazon algorithm most definitely takes review counts and average ratings into consideration when deciding which books to recommend to its customers.

I’m happy to say most of the reviews First Quiver has received on Amazon and Goodreads are positive – but not all of them!

Suffice it to say, I’ve been around the block on this one. And yet, I too sometimes struggle with reviewer’s block, SO –

Here are some prompts:

This is not a template – it’s a menu of ideas! Many “pro-level” reviewers develop their own template for every book they review. Personally, I like to keep it loose and highlight whatever strikes me most powerfully for each individual book. Use these prompts however you like!

Summarize the story

Briefly say what the story is about. Use the author’s cover blurb if you’d like. This could include main characters, genre, length, any tropes you came across while reading, any trigger warnings you feel are important, general audience for the book. Indicate which format of the book you read (print, ebook, audio), especially if that contributed to your evaluation.

*Try not to include spoilers, but if you feel the need to do so, it’s only polite to warn folks beforehand.

Give your overall impression using any or all of these metrics:

What kind of emotional response did this story draw from you?
Did you enjoy reading/listening to this story overall?
Did you have to “DNF” (Did Not Finish) and if so, why?
Was this a quick read or a slog?
Did this book meet your expectations (based on the hype, the cover, familiarity with the author/series, what you’d heard, etc.)?
Did the book surprise you?
Are you eager to read the next in series/another book by the author?

Share your thoughts on the main story elements:

[Note– these are not necessarily meant to be positives or negative points]

Characters – Did you have a favorite? Did an unexpected side character steal the show? Were these characters relatable? Likeable? One-sided (all women are good, all men suck). Did you CARE about them? Did you root for them? Are you obsessed even after finishing the book?
Plot – Did the action drive the story? How did you like the pacing? Were the key scenes (whether steamy or battle scenes) realistic? Intimate? Entertaining or cringy? Did the ending satisfy?
Dialogue – Did you find the dialogue to be realistic or forced? If you were hoping for playful banter, is that what you got?
Themes or tropes – Can you name any themes or tropes? Did you enjoy the treatment of this theme or trope in the book? (This seems especially helpful and common with romance or other genre books)

Did you learn anything from reading this book?

Perhaps more obvious when reading non-fiction or historical fiction, this question could apply to any book if you reflect on some of these cues:

Was the setting thought-provoking, be that place or time?
Was there a specific topic that was explored in a way that was new to you? (a character’s passion for wine, unique occupation, mythology, a certain event or psychological angle)
Were you motivated to learn more about anything after reading the book?

Share any favorite quotes

Many ereaders allow you to highlight as you read, which makes sharing a favorite quote quite easy.

Your recommendation

Maybe the most important part of any review!

Would you recommend this book in general? To whom?
Compare or contrast with other books you’ve read – “Fans of Hunger Games will enjoy the heartbreaking love triangle…”
Any trigger warnings to share?

The End.

Without totally spoiling the book, share if/how the ending was satisfying or disappointing.

Do you write a book review for every book you read? What’s your strategy?

P.S. – Did you know you can receive blog updates straight to your inbox? Yup! Just enter your email address in the box below and cut out the middle man. This is a no-spam zone! I post to my blog roughly once a month. (Not to be confused with my NEWSLETTER, which is all the current book stuff, sneak peeks, special deals, etc. And you can sign up for my newsletter by clicking on the big open heart at the bottom of this page.)

Travel Inspiration

Spotting Cupid Always Makes My Heart Quiver

By Beth Greenberg June 21, 2023 June 29, 2023

Spotting Cupid in this famous Vermeer painting

Not gonna lie – I still get a special thrill every time I run into Cupid out and about in the world. Doesn’t matter if he’s painted or sculpted or hand-drawn or digital. Spotting Cupid always bring a quiver. (See what I did there?)

Why the obsession with Cupid?

I’ve always been fascinated by all the Greek/Roman gods. [Side note: I acknowledge my Greco-Roman fluidity with the gods. As part of the world building in the Cupid’s Fall series, I’ve imagined a Great Syncretism where the systems are fully merged.]

In fact, I was in my own mythological heaven last year when we visited the Acropolis in Athens. Though the original statuary has tragically been pillaged and abducted from the Parthenon edifice, I got to hang out with these wonderful reproductions inside the Acropolis Museum:

A copy of the eastern corner of the Parthenon friese. The horse is pulling Apollo's sun chariot which is rising in the east. — A horse pulling Apollo’s sun chariot which is rising in the east.

reproduction of the western frieze of the Parthenon - Athena and Poseidon vie for the title of patron of the city (of Athens - guess who won) — A horse pulling Apollo’s sun chariot which is rising in the east.

But I digress…

Of all the love stories Eros / Cupid inspired (and a few more that he personally denied), he must have suffered terribly with all his own longing. Time is a blur for immortals, but it’s fair to assume Cupid was a tortured bachelor for centuries if not millenia before Psyche came on the scene. Poor fella!

So I wanted to give him a chance to step up and do the right thing. He deserved a chance to be more than the little itch of Olympus. It was about time to demand he lived up to his role as God of Erotic Desire. Hence, I turned him into my romantic hero.

I am a sucker for love.

Truth be told, anything LOVE- (or naughtiness-) related will always draw my attention. Love is my love language! Words turn me on!

Follow me on Instagram and you’ll find a slew of heart-shaped messages painted on rocks, shop signs that hint at romance, and photos of beautiful men that I’ve picked out to star in the Cupid’s Fall movies. I love love.

And here are a few of my recent finds:

"Begin Each day with a grateful heart" set inside a tree

"She likes it when I___" painted on the sidewalk

Oops – I digressed again.

I somehow STILL wasn’t prepared for spotting Cupid in the Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window

It’s silliness, really. Why did Cupid take me by surprise?

My husband and I (along with two other adventurous, art-loving couples) flew to Amsterdam, walked into the Rijksmuseum, and headed straight for the special Vermeer exhibit we’d been planning to see for months.

(Of course, after spotting Cupid in the museum lobby, we couldn’t resist stopping for a quick selfie!)

Mind you, I was fully aware of the strange and wonderful story behind the Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window.

Just to make sure we’re all on the same page here…

Spotting Cupid in the lobby of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Did you know this strange and wonderful story of the hidden Cupid?

The painting everyone “knew” for 300 years

From 1658(-ish) until about 40 years ago, everyone assumed Vermeer had simply painted a plain, albeit gorgeous and subtly shaded, gold wall behind the girl in question (Exhibit A below).

I would have to admit (art expert I am absolutely not), that it’s a pretty fantastic painting even without Cupid. The light coming in from the outside world, her reflection in the glass, the rich tapestries and patterns, the lush fruit bowl. The incredibly detailed curls in her hair and shadows on her hands make the subject feel as if we could touch her. The flush in her cheeks tells us she’s most likely reading a love letter.

The painting as we now know Vermeer painted it

Fast forward to the X-ray that revealed the presence of a painting of Cupid behind the wall (Exhibit B).

At the time, the folks doing the restoration concluded that the artist himself had changed his mind and painted over poor Cupid. WELL – thank the gods! – a different restoration team in 2017 realized that this rectangular section of the painting was responding differently to the chemicals. After carefully anazlyzing the brush strokes revealed, they deduced that someone ELSE had painted over our pudgy li’l archer.

Who would commit such an egregious crime? A topic for another post!

What we do know is that Cupid is stomping on a mask and sending a very strong message to the girl about how he feels she should approach this whole romantic situation (i.e. – without masking her true feelings).

Vermeer's Girl Reading a Letter by an Open Window prior to restoration, c. 1659 — **EXHIBIT A**

Vermeer_-_Girl_reading_a_letter_at_a_window_Dresden_2021_Cupid_restoration — **EXHIBIT A**

I haven’t done this intriguing story justice. Please go and read this wonderful account for all the juicy details!

I was Vermeerklempt

And THIS is the first painting we encountered at the museum. I was verklempt. Or should I say, Vermeerklempt?

I finally did get a grip on my racing heart and enjoyed the rest of the paintings very much. The Girl With the Pearl Earring was no longer part of the collection, sadly, but there was a Girl With a Pearl Necklace and two more Cupid appearances!

Not surprisingly, Paris was also brimming with images of Cupid and LOVE in general!

The next leg of our trip brought us to Paris, where we visited the French Open (minus Rafa, boo-hoo!). When we weren’t enjoying the tennis, we were walking and walking and walking the city.

We did it all: Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Le Marais, Montmartre. We paused for a croissant and a Croque Monsieur but for once actually worked off the calories we ate!

You all know the obvious sights, and heck yeah, I photographed those. How could I not?

When we weren't spotting Cupid, we found Lady Liberty

Beautiful Sacre Coeur in Montmartre - sadly no Cupid spotting

Up close with the L'arc de Triomphe and getting a glimpse of the Greek Gods — L

But when you’re on the lookout for romance in Pari, it isn’t hard to find!

Shout out to my very romantic hubby for spotting Cupid not once but twice, well before I saw either one. (Maybe if Zach from Into the Quiet were as aware of his wife Ruthie’s passions as my hubby, their marriage wouldn’t have gotten to the crisis point!)

Spotting Cupid in this sweet coffee shop sign — Coffee shop in Le Marais

Table of used books on the streets of Paris — Coffee shop in Le Marais

That last image is the “Wall of Love” in Montmartre, which deserves its own blog post. The French name – “Le mur des je t’aime” – literally means “The I Love You Wall.” The wall, created in 2000 by artists Fédéric Baron and Claire Kito, is 612 tiles of enamelled lava, on which the phrase ‘I love you’ is featured 311 times in 250 languages.

I chose to photograph this section once I located the Hebrew – “Ani Ohevet Otach” (just above the caption).

So get out there and flutter, people!

What makes your heart beat faster? Is it an ice cream shop? A jewelry store? Fancy soaps or beautifully displayed produce?

Where do you find these treasures? Tell me all about it in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

P.S. – Did you know you can receive blog updates straight to your inbox? Yup! This is a no-spam zone!

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Flash Fiction, Life, Writing

5 Key Life Lessons My Adult Students Taught Me

By Beth Greenberg May 2, 2023 June 29, 2023

Zoom screen on a desk with a mug beside the laptop where a teacher is reflecting on lessons taught by students

What lessons have you been taught by your students?

I recently led a 4-week workshop on writing micro- (<100 words) fiction to a group of adult learners in my community. The experience, with all its ups and downs, reminded me that the best teachers I’ve had are ALWAYS actively learning from their students. With that in mind, I tried to keep my mind and heart open and humble to the wisdom that was sure to come my way, and I was duly rewarded.

Here are 5 key life lessons my adult students taught me while I was busy teaching them.

Life Lesson #1: One person’s sharing could be another’s trigger.

Aside from one friend who’d registered for the class, every student was an unknown quantity, a name on a spreadsheet. Even when we “met” on Zoom that first evening, I still only knew what each openly shared. And that wasn’t a lot.

Writing (at least GOOD writing) often claws at our most intense, most intimate emotions. Everyone brings a unique set of experiences into the room. Triumphs, traumas, and the minutiae of daily living. You never know what an “innocuous” prompt might unleash. And that goes for the writer as well as the receivers of story.

One woman felt very comfortable writing about domestic violence in a manner that felt quite realistic. Another had a very hard time hearing those stories. Both needed to be respected and heard.

Life Lesson #2: Technology is both helpful and challenging.

Zoom is great. No matter my location, weather, or traffic, the 9 of us could easily convene online. But from the moment I agreed to teach the class, I worried my internet connection would give me trouble. I’d had a few bizarro issues in the weeks leading up to the first class. It’s one thing to glitch when you’re taking a class, quite another when you’re teaching!

I had an ipad and phone backup plan, which I luckily never needed.

Another potential issue with Zoom is the lack of connection among the participants. When you can’t see each other, social cues are even harder for those who are already challenged. The lack of syncronicity sometimes causes people to talk at once, which can be awkward too.

I also had my Powerpoint “deck” in place, complete with graphics and the occasional photo. Still, my screen sharing wasn’t perfect. I often accidentally scrolled forward or back, causing confusion and giving away my secrets before their time!

As the classes went on, I became better at both the technical aspects and at keeping my WiFi anxiety at bay.

Life Lesson #3: Classes are like kids’ birthday parties.

I once hosted a very elaborate pirate and princess treasure hunt birthday party for two dozen 6-year-olds. The details that had taken me a week to create – “buried” jewels, treasure maps burnt around the edges, rhyming clues to solve – took the kids all of fifteen minutes to plow through. After which followed an hour of unplanned time before cake. It wasn’t pretty. There were swords.

Since that day, I have always planned for more activities than I thought I’d need. Same goes for teaching materials. You want your materials and the class time to come out even. Just like ice cream and cake.

Part of the challenge turned out to be me sabotaging myself! I’d planned a bunch of writing exercises for 7-10 minutes, but as soon as I gave the prompts, I was impatient to hear their creations. I’m not sure I ever made it past the 5-minute mark.

If you’re looking for a great site for writing prompts, start here.

Life Lesson #4: Starting with kindness is not always apparent.

For some strange reason, there are people who believe that speaking critically makes them appear clever. You can see this readily in the world of book reviews. If you have a stronger stomach than I, take a look at a couple of the less-than-stellar reviews of First Quiver (Cupid’s Fall #1) over on Goodreads.

Though I assumed that the participants in my class had only good intentions, I did find it worthwhile to repeat “Kindness first,” – and hold us all to that standard.

Chances are, in a roomful of novice writers, no critical comment will be impactful enough to risk hurt feelings. And my personal feeling is anyone who DOES have such an important, clever comment to share can find a nice way to say it.

This is not to undervalue the enormous benefit of great critique! Here are a few of my feelings on that topic…

Life Lesson #5: I’ve actually learned a lot about writing.

Well, here was a pleasant discovery! Organizing my thoughts on writing allowed me to realize I have actually gained quite a bit of knowledge through my years of practice and contest writing. And happily, the folks who joined my class tended to agree. I could tell not only from that lovely glow of understanding, but also by the way they were incorporating some of those best practices into their writing samples. I was proud of them!

I can only hope that the wisdom I imparted measures up with the life lessons my adult students taught me.

Thanks for reading!

P.S. – Did you know you can receive blog updates straight to your inbox? Yup! This is a no-spam zone!