Has your bookishly curious mind ever wondered how I prepare and write my book reviews? Even if your answer is “nope,” I invite you to humor me.
Welcome to my vlog (video blog), Behind the Review, which gives readers a behind-the-scenes look into my life as a book reviewer. In my inaugural entry, I tour my favorite reading spot (spoiler: it’s somewhere in my house), and I share which romance novel I’m currently reading for review (spoiler: The Cowboy’s Claim by Nina Crespo).
I hope that you watch and are entertained. (Even if you hate it, my family and friends are obliged to love it.)
Peace, Love, & Books ~ Liz
That was fun, Liz, and also very interesting to see how you approach your reviews. In years past when I reviewed fairly regularly on Amazon, I found my best inspiration was to get it done in a lunch hour!! That one hour window really focused my mind and thankfully I am a very fast typist so I could get my thoughts down PDQ. I do admit, though, that I pretty much stopped reviewing once I retired and bought a Kindle. Paperbacks were so much easier to mark up, put yellow stickies on relevant pages, etc. My favourite place to read is in bed – my husband blesses the Kindle with its ability to dim the light – and it was my way of winding down after impossibly busy days in the office. That final 30-45 minutes of the day before turning off the light was so important to me. Now I can read whenever I want as I am retired. I always take the Kindle in the car because you never know! You might get stuck in traffic when the DH is driving and you can get lost in a book.
Thanks, Elaine! E-readers, like Kindle, definitely offer readers great benefits. I do miss dog-earing pages, bookmarking, and writing notes in paperbacks. But, I have my trusty notepad and have learned to master the highlighting function in Kindle. Happy Reading!
I love behind the scenes videos, articles, and commentary! Thanks, Liz, for sharing your review process. But I am disappointed you didn’t share the story behind the zebra stuffed animal. :)
Hah! My husband gifted Zebra to me after he received it from his TV media colleague for some reason that I can’t, for the life of me, recall.
Well, now I feel better knowing Zebra has a story. :)
That was so much fun! Thank you for sharing this with us. And….. I may own a stuffed version of the mouse from “If You Give A Mouse a Cookie”.
Thank you! Awesome! Mouse’s sibling, Pig, says “hi” from California.
Super cute video! One, yes, everyone should have a reading nook that is meaningful to them. When I go to mine every evening, it immediately puts me in the right mood to read. Second, yes to notes!! When I read on my iPad, I have a notebook for note-taking as I love handwriting my thoughts as I’m reading. I would not be able to write a review without my notes. And finally, yes, the more notes, the more interesting my reviews tend to be. I worry a little too when I get to the end of a book and realize I’ve written down very little. Generally, that’s not a good sign for an endorsement.
Thank you! Glad to hear that I’m not alone on my fear of not having enough notes to craft a review. #bookreviewerproblems
I liked your video. It made me think I might try taking notes on my next book and see if I can come up with a review a fraction as entertaining and informative as the ones I read here.
We’re always looking for new reviewers!
Thanks, Mag! I definitely encourage you to give it a try.
Thanks for the cute behind-the-scenes! I think every reading nook should have a comfy blanket :) Now my question is: do you snack while reading/reviewing? I love a cup of tea while reading. Since coronavirus, I have been doing a lot of my reading in a chair/ottoman combo in my bedroom. I don’t have a table nearby but I am right next to a window that has a ledge just wide enough to fit my cup!
I too have a big chair/ottoman in my bedroom in an alcove where I do all of my reading, and tea is essential, though it’s caffeine free because I read at night. I spent lots of time putting the right lamps around it and hanging atmospheric art. I get made fun of in my house because of all the time I’ve spent decorating my reading nook, but I don’t care because it’s my favorite place in the house and essential to my happiness :)
Your reading nook sounds so wonderful!
Thank you! I rarely snack while reading. I haven’t comfortably mastered stuffing my face while swiping pages. Hah!
Lovely look behind your scenes.
thank you; I really enjoyed watching this lovingly made little film.
Thanks very much. Glad you enjoyed it!