SANFORDEDITORIAL

Book reviews are as valid a form of writing as short stories. A good book review will not only give information about the book, but describe what the book meant to the reviewer - and also say something about the reviewer. A reviewer is, in some ways, no different from a character in a book. If the reader identifies and sympathizes with the reviewer character, then the reader will be more invested in the review - and more likely to buy the book.

 

Ooligan Press Titles

Near the end of my time at Ooligan Press, every student was required to write a book review each term for one new title. While we have a vested interest in the success of these books, we are encouraged to be honest in our reviews. I reviewed Forgive Me If I've Told You This Before by Karelia Stetz-Waters, and Untangling the Knot: Queer Voices on Marriage, Relationships & Identity by Carter Sickels. I identified strongly with both of these books, as I'm sure you can tell if you read the reviews.

 

Non-Ooligan Titles

In Book Marketing & Promotion, one of our assignments was to write a review of a book. As shown by Ooligan's own tactics, writing book reviews is a great way to start buzz about your book. I was reading California  by Edan Lepucki at the time, having borrowed it from a friend. She wanted to know how it was, so I decided to kill two birds with one stone, wrote the review for class, and then passed it on to her.

 

You can find my reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and Powells.