What makes a good read? - Karen Bush
How do you judge whether the book you've just finished was
a good read?
Did you slow down, perhaps, as you approached the end in order to try and make the book last longer?
Or perhaps your reading got faster as the climax came in sight?
Do you have an overwhelming desire to recommend it to each and every one of your friends?
Buy it as a gift for friends and relatives?
Re-read it and still enjoy it just as much as the first time round,
even though you know how the plot works out?
Find it hard to put down?
Sit up late into the night to read just one more chapter?
Think about it when you aren't reading it?
Does it linger in your mind long after you've put it down?
Have you posted glowing reviews about it?
Maybe some or all of the above: maybe some criteria I haven't mentioned.
But let's just rewind to that last one - posting a review.
If you've enjoyed a book, try to stick a review for it somewhere online.
A positive review will help to encourage others to buy and read it too, but just as importantly, as well as giving the author a bit of indirect financial assistance it will also give them a perhaps much-needed boost.
Yes, I know I've written about this before, but I think it bears repetition, because it's very easy to get lazy about posting reviews. You promise yourself that you'll do it later, but never actually get round to it. I know that I've recently got very
lax about it.
lax about it.
So, like me, why not add it to your New Year resolution list?
Much easier to keep than all those rash promises about cutting back on booze, giving up on chocolate, and going jogging every day.
Instead, settle back on the sofa, glass of wine in one hand, tin of Quality Street on the other and get stuck into a good book.
And then review it.
Even just a sentence or two is fine - it needn't be strenuous or time consuming!
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| The Great Rosette Robbery |
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| Haunting Hounds |
Why not visit the AE review site at
Comments
I could certainly tick almost all of your check-list with some of my favourite books = Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, for instance.
Just love that picture of the writing man - or is he writing up his tax returns?
The man has a pained, suffering look because beneath the desk, where you can't see them, a pair wippitts are loudly demanding that he put down his pen and take them for a run, and although he is trying hard, he is finding it hard to ignore them.
Mari - I am doing the same as you - although adding to the resolution that I'll only write reviews for books I liked, so as to avoid leaving negative comments about those which were dreadful ...