Review System

Hello there! Thanks for stopping by my blog. I don’t have a detailed policy, or rules or regulations. There's some fine print below.

But, let's first get to my review system since I took the time to make these cute little faces for my ratings:

“Ermahgerd… it's flippin' fantastic!!!”

This is a gem, my friends. Within these pages, I found a world I just melted into. I laughed and I cried with the characters, my face hurts from all the grinning and I probably wanted to steal the characters' boyfriends. More than likely, this was a book from one of my favorite authors to which there are plenty. Or, maybe this is an author new to me whose works are now flooding my “to-read” shelf on Goodreads. Whatever the reason, I fell in deeply and irrevocably in love. I will reread or re-listen to this for the rest of my days. Yep, it’s just that good!

“Loved it!”

I might not have given this book a 5-star rating, but don’t let that fool you. I still 100% enjoyed it. If it’s a series, will I be reading the next one? Most definitely! Chances are, I probably already got it. Four-star books are from are the authors I go back to time and time again, always trusting them to always deliver. I highly recommend this book.

“Good read!”

I didn’t love this book, but I also didn’t hate it. This book might have been in a new genre for me and I'm not sure how I like it. Or, maybe it wasn’t what I expected to be. These books are just shy of being my cup of tea. I found it just okay.

“It’s alright, it’s alright...”

After days, weeks or months of collecting the proverbial dust, I’m finally done. Yay! That alone is an accomplishment, right? It took me longer than normal to read this book because something didn’t resonate with me. Maybe I was bothered by a detail in the plot, or the style just didn’t fit my personal tastes. Doesn’t mean it’s bad, just means it wasn’t for me.

“I can’t…”

Sometimes you get it; some times you don’t. At the end of this journey, I was probably gritting my teeth in frustration, annoyance or anger. Maybe I loathed and despised the characters (who knows, maybe that was the intent). Or maybe I got to the end and was dissatisfied - or even mystified. Bottom line is we all have our opinions, and for this book, mine is to say – no thanks.

THE FINE PRINT: 

SPOILERS:: I hate them. I really do. I don't read other blog reviews until I've read a book myself. Please don't spoil anything in comments. And, I will say now, if you read one of my reviews be warned, thar be spoilers ahead...

BOOK FORMATS:: I'm a fan of all formats - paperback, hardback, ebooks and audiobooks. I will state which format I used to for the book in each post. Because let's face it. We've all come across a poorly formatted ebook or audiobooks with bad choices for narrators that killed the experience. I say this because it could have affected my review to no fault of the author, unfortunately.

AUDIOBOOKS:: I will always review the narrator(s). I believe wholeheartedly that narrators should be credited for the work they do, especially if their performance is exceptional. My favorite narrators are: James Marsters; Angela Dawe; Emma Galvin; Scarlet Chase; Ray Porter; Cynthia Holloway; Cassandra Morris; Amanda Ronconi; MacLeod Andrews; Lauren Fortgang; and last but not least, the exceptional Wil Wheaton. 

Plenty of the above narrators exposed me to authors/books I might not have read otherwise, just because their name is tied to it... Ready Player One + Wil Wheaton = a match made in heaven.

RATINGS:: My ratings are for that particular work only. Personally, I won't write off  an author just because I didn't like a single book. In the past, I've even read an entire series when I wasn't convinced from the first book but saw the potential (cough cough...Twilight Saga...cough cough). Also, I'm a big fan of rereading books; if my option changes the second go-round, I will make an effort to remember to update my post.

Oh, I'm an adult. If you see a review with a red "Adult" label, the book is either erotica or has explicit sex scenes. Skip it if your underage, or aren't into that kind of thing.

WHERE DO (MY) BOOKS COME FROM:: I live in a literary mecca; here are four awesome libraries within a 10 mile radius of my apartment I frequent weekly. My library card gets a lot of use. I also have an Audible subscription and no credit goes unused. The rest of the books I buy, win or get from friends. I'm not one of the luckies to whom publishers rain books upon... yet.

WOULD I READ/PROMOTE YOUR BOOK:: Perhaps and you don't even have to pay me! I've never been paid for a review and don't intent to go down that road. I read what I want! I'm willing, however, to read for reviews if the genre/synopsis interests me. I am also open to participating in book tours and other bookish ventures.

That's it boys and girls. Questions? Just shoot me an email. 

Thanks again!