From the reviewer’s perspective by Bill Kirton
I wonder how much of a part habit plays when we’re reviewing books. I ask (myself) this question because I’ve been trying to work out why I find it more difficult to review ebooks than printed ones. Let’s take reviewing itself for a start. There are the short but nonetheless considered reviews destined for Amazon, then the others for journals or websites where you have a commitment to provide copy at regular intervals. The Amazon ones are fine. They don’t need you to make copious notes; it’s enough to read (and, one hopes, enjoy) the book then write a hundred or so words about the general impression left by it, any particularly striking details, characters, etc. and the overall comfort of the reading experience. Then there’s the longer, more demanding piece for a review site. I have to admit that, sometimes, the compulsion of having to write the review leads to me reading a book in a different way. I’m going through it as a reviewer rather than as a reader, looking at the m...