Reviewing the Practice of Reviewing Books

Today's review is not a book review but rather a review of the practice and art of reviewing books in general. I will focus not on professional reviewers but bloggers such as myself and the myriad readers (including me) who offer reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and BookBub.

Shopping venue in the "good ol' days"

In certain instances, a book review requires a star rating; a short synopsis of the book; and a narrative of likes and dislikes. The point of this review is to give potential readers information upon which to base their decision to read or not to read a particular book.

The star rating may be influenced by any number of factors and categories, including

1. book cover attraction

2. genre faithfulness

3. character development

4. plot progression, and

5. editing level

First, some hypothetical questions about this list:

A. How often have you heard that a cover design can make or break a sale? But also that you can't judge a book by its cover?

B. Should a genre book stick to just one category: Mystery. Romance. Sci-fi? Or is a mixed genre story more appealing?

C. Can characters make or break a story if the novel is character driven? Must they all be likable protagonists and despicable villains? If the story is plot driven, must the action be non-stop?

D. Editing level - this, now, is the impetus for my post: a novel I read yesterday. What if a book doesn't conform to standard punctuation rules - of which there are many? Should the book then be avoided? After all, life is short. The world is filled with an abundance of classics and best sellers and award-winning tomes.

Austen, Lee, Orwell, Brontë, Hemingway, Melville, Lewis, London, Woolf, Shelley, Marquez, Stowe,
Tolkien, Twain, Dickens, Steinbeck, Dostoyevsky, Stoker, Hugo, Dumas, Stevenson, Doyle, Fitzgerald, Poe . . .

 

Why waste time on a rule-breaking story that doesn't conform to an acceptable level of editing? I am a bit of a stickler when it comes to proofreading, but for me, the answer is easy.

Because.

Because, if the story/plot line appeals to me, I will read the book for its entertainment value, regardless of missing punctuation such as end quotes or the Oxford comma (don't get me started); skipped words; and unique sentence structure or dialogue format. And my review will reflect the high points of the book that held my interest. 

Because there are many diamonds-in-the-rough with interesting story value that receive discouraging reviews for reasons unrelated to story content when, to me, the story is what reading is all about. (Besides, can you even hear that Oxford comma on an audio book?)

Some believe it is important to let other readers know what foibles or foul-ness they may encounter in a book so they don't enter into a reading experience unequipped for the situation. 

But isn't reading meant as an adventure best experienced "through one's own eyes"?

What is your criteria for choosing a book to read, and whether to submit a review?

Happy February: Reaching Your Goals and Setting New Challenges

How's that goal-setting working out for you so far? Seems like 2016 barely ended and January hit the ground running. I wasn't in that marathon and didn't hit the ground very hard when it came to blogging. Rather than give up, though, I decided it was time to rev up my motor and get kicking.

 

February is NOT too late to set goals, or to begin working toward the goals you set in December.



FIREWORKS OVER MAGIC ISLAND IN HONOLULU
Celebrating Our Accomplishments of 2016
and looking forward to all that 2017 has to offer!

Two goals on my list for 2016 were to post thoughts about the 70 poems in my book of linked poetry; and to read and review 71 books. As New Years Eve approached, I could breath easier, knowing those two goals were met. That meant less guilt for me when transferring other goals to 2017.

 

You can access my Goodreads Reading Challenge 2016 page here:

https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/show/3890-2016-reading-challenge

My goal for 2017 is to read and review 72 books, in a wider variety of genres than ever before!

Facing Forward

 

There wasn't much time to celebrate reaching the end of the above goals, however. November 1st marked the beginning of NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writers Month. If you haven't participated in this annual ritual yet, check out what all the shouting is about and consider setting it as a goal for November, 2017. Here's the link:

 https://nanowrimo.org/sign_in



 

Not everyone sets goals at the start of each new year. Some have routines that keep them soaring toward their lifetime goals without hesitation. Others accomplish tasks and projects in routine fashion, gliding over bumps in the road and sidestepping obstacles with ease. My most heartfelt congratulations to you. I really, really need to watch more TED talks!

 

To everyone:

Happy FEBRUARY of this New Year

ALOHA

and

Best of Success in 2017

  

 

Thoughts On 'A Reading Challenge,' October Cancer Month, and bonus Haiku

 

When I set my Goodreads challenge to read and review 71 books between October 22, 2015 and October 22, 2016, I saw no problem in reaching the goal. Reading is a large part of my life, never a chore or a drain on my time and energy. If anything, I should feel guilty for reading while the laundry awaits. But Stephen King gave all authors the green light by saying we should write for four hours and read for four hours every day. Thanks, guy!

The Importance of Book Reviews

 

Book reviews are helpful to authors but are especially important for readers. A review can help a reader decide whether a book will be worth their allotted reading time. It can also raise their awareness of a story that will thoroughly entertain them. Your review can save another reader from thinking, "It wasn't at all what I expected."

 

Setting goals gets me a lot farther than not setting them. Although my bar for 2017 won't be quite as high, I'll never stop reading and reviewing books. 

 

Book #71 of my 71-Books Goal for 2016

 

During the Makiki Community Library 40th Anniversary Celebration in September, a local author introduced herself to members of the Sisters in Crime/Hawaii Chapter. We were holding discussions on various writing topics over a two-day period. Janet attended a couple of the sessions. During open forum, she shared her experience about being diagnosed with terminal cancer -- twenty-five years ago. She told us about the short memoir she had published on Amazon as an e-Book. After hearing about her ordeal, along with everything she is doing now to enjoy life to the fullest, I couldn't wait to read the book. My 5-Star review follows.

 

 

SURVIVING "TERMINAL CANCER"
by
Janet R. Shaw

 

The amount of information included in this short book is amazing. The author shares her experiences, from the time her doctor informs her that she has terminal breast cancer and will soon die, through the emotional upheaval to the life-saving decisions she made on her own. I purchased the book after meeting Janet at the Makiki Community Library 40th Anniversary celebration in September. She didn't stay long because she didn't want to lose her spot in the community pool where she swims on a regular basis.

Nothing overtly supernatural presents itself in the author's story of SURVIVING "TERMINAL" CANCER, but she gives readers enough information to form their own opinion as to whether there is a miracle involved.

 

 

Pink hibiscus smiles
Greetings on my autumn walk
 Honolulu style


 

 

 

October

is

Breast Cancer Awareness month

 

Why not treat yourself to Janet's book today!

 

 *****     *****     *****

Link to my Goodreads Challenge list and Janet's book:

https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/show/3890-2016-reading-challenge

 

 

 

 

My #Goodreads Read and Review Challenge Week-46

As I near the end of my Goodreads reading goal for October 2015 - October 2016, I am pleased to find ever more exciting novels to entertain me when I want to read for pleasure. My range of choices for September will include newly published novels, an anthology, a Kindle Scout winner, traditional and self-published novels.

* * * * *

FEAR DREAMS by J.A. Schneider
Author J.A. Schneider seamlessly shifted from writing medical thrillers to a psychological thriller, adding a paranormal twist without requiring the reader to totally suspend disbelief.

My goal in reading novels is to be entertained by a plausible story with believable characters, colorful settings, and especially satisfying endings. FEAR DREAMS earned my 5-star rating by delivering on all accounts.

Several excellent reviews on Goodreads, (including those by Uvi Poznansky and Melanie Adkins) offer insight into the plotline and the author's ability to portray a character's almost tangible fear.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29522370-fear-dreams?from_search=true


TALES FROM THE CACAO TREE Anthology of Short Stories

Chocolate is a food choice for me. I can make a meal out of mini peanut butter cups. A box of Godiva chocolates takes me back to my father's ancestral land of Belgium, although the trip usually lasts a short time. It is difficult to make Godiva last for more than a day!

The short stories and poems in TALES FROM THE CACAO TREE had me smiling like a silly school girl. Every time I read the book's title, I had to reach for a mini cup to satisfy a craving. Is it possible to express your love for someone with flowing chocolate? Is the anticipation of chocolate of chocolate melting in your mouth really better than s-e-x? Can chocolate be the beginning of a beautiful friendship or cause for suspicion?  You will find answers to these questions and many more in this lovely anthology.

* * * * *

 

Other September selections include:

LETTUCE READ WILLS by Una Tiers

BREAKING MEASURES by Emma Raveling

DARK DAWN A Lei Crime Series Novella for Kindle World
by Fiona Manning

Congratulations: Goodreads WINNERS of Blood Red Homicide!

Today I want to thank all of the Goodreads members who participated in the Goodreads Giveaway contest for my latest Pepper Bibeau mystery, BLOOD RED HOMICIDE.

 This year, I published two mystery novels in the series. NESHOTO JUNCTION HOMICIDE came out in January and is dedicated to my father, who would have celebrated his 100th birthday that month. BLOOD RED HOMICIDE was published in June to celebrate the 100th anniversary of my mother's birth. I am especially pleased with the amount of interest taken in the printed copy of these to books honoring my parents.

NESHOTO JUNCTION HOMICIDE is set in my old stomping grounds. The title reflects an ancient name applied to the area where two meandering rivers meet before flowing gently into the Great Lakes' fresh waters of Lake Michigan

The Goodreads Giveaway contest ran from July 19 to August 9. These dates encompassed most of the days I spent in my birth state of Wisconsin for a family reunion and lots of activities with family and friends. Who better to boost your confidence in this competitive world than those who know you best? One event of note was touring the Packers stadium and museum in Green Bay. My healthiest routine was raiding niece Nikki's raspberry patch for breakfast each morning!

Goodreads has chosen the winners of the three copies of BLOOD RED HOMICIDE offered in the giveaway. The winners have been announced and I want to congratulate each of the Goodreads members who displayed an interest in my work by participating in the contest!

CONGRATULATIONS to the WINNERS

who are:

 

SHERRY FRYMAN

 

KATHRYN FARRINGTON

 

LISA COBB SABATINI

 

 

 



Again, thank you to everyone who participated in the Goodreads Giveaway. To show my appreciation for your interest in reading BLOOD RED HOMICIDE, the kindle edition will be on sale for $.99 through Sunday, August 21, 2016. Just click on the cover to the right  >  >  >  >  >  >  >



The LITIGATORS and AMERICAN PAIN: Two Books About Pharmaceuticals

 

My goal is to read and review 71 books between October, 2015 and October, 2016. I have posted 31 reviews through April, covering 38 books read since October 22, 2015. Some posts cover two to more novels, including the January post for the first four John Sandford's Virgil Flowers police procedural/thrillers. For the April A-to-Z Blog Challenge, I posted two reviews per week.

Today’s post covers two books. The Litigators is a novel; American Pain is non-fiction. Both books deal with pharmaceutical companies.

 

John Grisham’s legal thrillers need no introduction and offer a challenge for the reader to describe something as yet left unsaid about the author or the novel, The Litigators.

The novel begins in the vein of other “lawyer leaves the fast track of a large legal firm to find happiness” tales. This story includes the humor of two over-the-hill ambulance chasing back street lawyers and their self-declared office manager. Add to this the obligatory big, bad pharmaceutical company pushing drugs that allegedly make people dead.

Into this mess staggers the above-mentioned, fast-track deserting lawyer after sobering up from a celebratory drunk, san safety net and sans courtroom experience. With a few unexpected twists, and a satisfying climax, The Litigators was worth my time to read. An additional benefit was the interesting peripheral case handled on the sly by the fast-track deserting lawyer who himself benefitted from an unexpected windfall of information.

Varrick Labs and the drug Krayoxx are part of Mr. Grisham’s world of fiction. But there are real stories about real drug companies in the business of making money off the suffering of others. Fellow human beings quickly become addicted to the pills these companies pedal as safe and “non-addictive.” This is accomplished not only under the guise of relieving those burdened with unbearable and unrelenting pain, but also under the protection of the law.

 

American Pain by John Temple has a 2015 copyright. In it, the author lays bare the facts about pain clinics and “pill mills” in the United States. Addressed are the loopholes that led to the widespread use of oxycodone and the brand-name drug OxyContin, in Florida and Kentucky, and around the nation. Meet users and abusers and losers. But don’t jump to any conclusions about “druggies” just yet. 

 

OxyContin became the top-selling brand-name controlled substance. Ironically, the instructions for usage were the handbook for how to modify the drug to get very, very high. Increasing the potency as addiction bled in was only a matter of logistics: when “this” stopped working, do “that”; when “that” stopped working, do “this other thing”. When users began dying like flies in the noon day sun, the death rate outnumbered cocaine and heroin overdoses combined. The prescription drug was being marketed legally and the marketing department was doing a bang-up job of selling their product. (Tobacco companies come to mind?)

 

It occurs to me that John Grisham’s The Litigators may have

more in common with American Pain than I first realized.

 

CONGRATULATIONS-Goodreads Giveaway Winners of Neshoto Junction Homicide

Goodreads offers members the option to give away copies of their published books. During the month of February, I arranged a giveaway of my mystery, Neshoto Junction Homicide, offering three copies of the novel to three winners randomly chosen by Goodreads. The giveaway was open to members of Goodreads in the United States. 545 people entered the giveaway. The three winners were announced on March 1, 2016 and are listed below!

Neshoto Junction Homicide is a soft-boiled mystery featuring protagonist Pepper Bibeau, an insurance investigator. Pepper travels throughout the United States clearing up questionable claims that require personal contact with involved parties. Her unbridled curiosity and tenacity periodically lead to murder.

A synopsis of Neshoto Junction Homicide:

 

Neshoto Junction Homicide at Amazon

 

Within the first hours of a planned fishing trip, Insurance Investigator Pepper Bibeau's vacation turns deadly. Unearthing a killer may depend on her unbridled curiosity, and her ability to stay alive.

A stand-alone novel, Book 4 in the Pepper Bibeau mystery series is set in scenic Wisconsin and deals with controversial topics of the area, including threats to the fishing industry, government intervention, and nuclear power plants.

*****   *****   *****

I thank everyone who expressed an interest in reading this soft-boiled mystery, and offer a hearty

 

CONGRATULATIONS

 

to the winners of Neshoto Junction Homicide.

Copies of the tradebook have been sent to these three winners:

NATASHA DONOHOO

DEBEE SUE BAUER PFAFF

STACIE MILLER

 

Also, I want to thank Goodreads for offering members the opportunity to participate in their Giveaway program.

Please visit me at Goodreads 

Gail Baugniet Goodreads

  and feel free to check out my Author Page at Amazon

Gail M Baugniet Amazon Author Page

 

 

GOODREADS GIVEAWAY of NESHOTO JUNCTION HOMICIDE




Click to Enter Goodreads Giveaway

Goodreads Giveaway

of

Neshoto Junction Homicide

Within the first hours of a planned fishing trip, Insurance Investigator Pepper Bibeau's vacation turns deadly. Unearthing a killer may depend on her unbridled curiosity, and her ability to stay alive.

Book 4 in the Pepper Bibeau mystery series, and a stand-alone novel set in scenic Wisconsin, released on January 17, 2016.

BEFORE I STARTED WRITING the first draft of Neshoto Junction Homicide, I had completed the preliminary research to get a feel for the story. In this case, the research was all fun. The story is set in a fictitious county modeled after my hometown, which is located at the junction of two healthy rivers that flow into Lake Michigan. The surrounding area is beautiful with open country and pine forests. Its history includes settlements of Native Americans and the Wisconsin Glacier that formed lakes, rivers, and even Niagara Falls.

My experience with family genealogical research has been beneficial in my research for my novels. Because locating ancestors can require good detective work, I've found that the process also helps with detailing mystery plotlines.
 

From the back cover of Neshoto Junction Homicide:

During the first hours of a planned fishing trip, Insurance Investigator Pepper Bibeau’s vacation turns deadly.

Pepper's head is spinning over a marriage proposal from the father of her 14-year-old son. A last-minute assignment to investigate questionable medical claims on two preteen girls adds to the tension. Before she can relax, someone shoves her into a storm-swollen river to conceal a body. With a young girl's life at stake, Pepper must uncover an unlikely connection between an abandoned rifle and a litany of environmental complaints.

 

The local sheriff offers little support, obvious in his opinion of females in the work force. Without his help, Pepper gathers clues to solve the mystery behind this series of troubling events. Unearthing the killer depends on her unbridled curiosity, and her ability to stay alive.

If you like a good mystery, click on the Goodreads Giveaway link for a chance to win a trade book copy of Neshoto Junction Homicide. Click on this link: http://bit.ly/1PIdJlr to sign up for a chance to win one of three copies of Neshoto Junction Homicide.

Also available now at Amazon in ebook format:

http://amzn.to/1WzrUiv

 

 

Goodreads Giveaway for Neshoto Junction Homicide

http://bit.ly/1PIdJlr

 

 

Every Day is a CELEBRATION of ALOHA

FOR EVERY ACTION
drawing

Every day is a Celebration of Aloha! I am reminded of this most during the anniversary month of my birth. There was a time I didn’t read horoscopes, believing the predictions would somehow influence my thoughts and actions. Though not a control freak, I do not like being controlled.

In recent months, however, I have begun to read horoscopes for Libra and Scorpio as I relate to both signs. One such prediction said: 

“Being secretive, mysterious and dedicated will

make you very intriguing to the people you deal with.”

 

Because I write murder mysteries, the enigmatic statement enticed me, especially the secretive and mysterious parts. Having already completed my second novel in the Pepper Bibeau Mystery series, secretive and mysterious in its own right, I decided to celebrate my birthday by sharing the first novel in the series, FOR EVERY ACTION There Are Consequences, with as many people as possible by offering the eBook for free on Amazon for my birthday. This FREE offer runs for five (5) days, from October 22, 2012 through October 26, 2012.

 

 

After making this arrangement through Amazon, I decided it would also be fun to give away copies of my second novel, DEADLY AS NATURE Envy Spawns Grief, to some wonderful readers on the Goodreads site. See information at right >>>>> Sign-up for this giveaway is scheduled through November 22, 2012. A total of four (4) Tradebook copies of the novel will awarded and sent to Goodreads readers immediately after the winners are announced.
 

  

Finally, I figured it was time to hold a drawing to give away two special “Pepper Dolls” designed by my good friend Kristie who has a large variety of cuddly dolls and animals for sale on her Etsy site at:

 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/kristieskids?page=1

>>>The limited-edition Pepper Dolls are not for sale, however<<<

 

How you can be entered into the drawing for a chance to win one of two Pepper Dolls:

            A.) On or before November 22, 2012, submit your review of a Pepper Bibeau Mystery novel on the Amazon internet site for:

                        1.) FOR EVERY ACTION There Are Consequences 

http://www.amazon.com/ACTION-Consequences-Pepper-Mystery-ebook/dp/B004VT3QRU/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1350892066&sr=1-1

                                                            OR                                      
 

                        2.) DEADLY AS NATURE Envy Spawns Grief 
http://www.amazon.com/DEADLY-NATURE-Spawns-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0093FJO9G/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1346269159&sr=1-2&keywords=Deadly+As+Nature

 

 

            B.) AND

                        1.) Include your contact information and your Amazon review name in the comment section below,
 

                                                          OR                                           

                        2.) Email your contact information and your Amazon review name to gbaugniet@aol.com

(If you submit a review for both novels, your name will be entered into both drawings)

 

The drawing will be held on Monday, November 26, 2012 at 8:00 a.m. Hawaiian time.

Winners will be announced on this blog site immediately following the drawing.



DEADLY AS NATURE
drawing

Dolls measure 9 inches from hand-to-hand and 14 inches from head-to-toe
Dresses are constructed of Hawaiian print fabric from Honolulu, HI

Sandra Nikolai and "So you know whodunit"

In recent months, I have come across so many interesting and informative blog posts by friends and fellow authors. After reading the article, I usually click "Tweet" to share the link with others on Twitter. Some articles resonate in a special way, and I want to keep on sharing. One such article was written by my friend and fellow author Sandra Nikolai.



Sandra Nikolai,
author of False Impressions
(Megan Scott/Michael Elliott Mystery)

The article is entitled:

So you know whodunit. Now prove it .   

 

Sandra's article begins:

 

When it comes to solving murder mysteries, dedicated fans of the genre have developed an innate sleuthing ability that seems to improve with every additional book they read. True to their passion, they join groups of like-minded members where they exchange comments about the books they’ve read. Many readers post reviews and ratings on Goodreads and other online sites, and aren’t afraid to tell it the way it is.

Please visit Sandra's site to enjoy the full content and comments of her blog post at:

http://sandranikolai.com/so-you-know-whodunit-now-prove-it/

 

 

 

CHERRIES JUBILEE Sweet Fun & A Tantalizing Experience

My Cherries Jubilee book blog tour has been great fun and a tantalizing learning experience for me as a writer. Like the branches of a bonsai cherry tree, I have branched out in unusual directions to meet new friends and to expand my field of knowledge.

Why would I use the word "tantalizing" to describe the tour? After all, the word derives from Tantalus, the mythical Greek king who was punished in Hades by having to stand up to his chin in water that receded whenever he bent to drink. That is how I felt during the tour, as though so many wonderful readers and fellow authors were tempting me with something I had only considered a pipe dream . . . the possibility of emerging as a viable writer. With such encouragement, I look forward to fulfilling that goal.

To everyone who interviewed me on their blog sites, to those who offered reviews of my novel, and for those who hosted my guest blog or an excerpt of my book, thank you from the bottom of my writer's grateful heart!

The winners have been announced for the Goodreads book giveaway, of FOR EVERY ACTION There Are Consequences. Congratulations to Barb and Nicky. Thank you to the other (would you believe!) 650 entrants who, by entering the contest, demonstrated their support: of Goodreads and of me.
http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/15490-for-every-action-there-are-consequences

Also, congratulations to everyone who received a free Smashwords ebook download of my novel during the tour. I hope you find the story an enjoyable and suspenseful read!

May all your days be of CHERRIES JUBILEE quality! Today is my birthday and I am now off to celebrate!

Cherries Jubilee Book Blog Tour Day 2

Cherries Jubilee is a dessert with cherries and liqueur (typically Kirschwasser, a clear colorless fruit brandy), flambéed and served as a sauce over vanilla ice cream. The original recipe is credited to Auguste Escoffier, who prepared the dish for one of Queen Victoria's Jubilee celebrations, either for the Golden Jubilee of 1887 or the Diamond Jubilee in 1897. Anything paired with ice cream works for me!

On Day 2 of my Cherries Jubilee/Celebration, I want to share my book blog tour schedule of the next few days and tell you about the book give-away of FOR EVERY ACTION There Are Consequences that I am arranging on Goodreads. On the day of each event, I will post the corresponding event link on my blog site (here: http://gail-baugniet.blogspot.com).

Mon. Oct. 3 ~ Interview with Albert Robbins III at Reviews & Interviews
Tues. Oct. 4 ~ Book Review by Coral Robbins at Alchemy of Scrawl
Wed. Oct. 5 ~ Interview with A.F. Stewart on her Interview blog site
Thurs. Oct. 6 ~ Genealogy blog post
Fri. Oct. 7 ~ Interview/Review on Goodreads (Sorry, Andre, no treasure hunt!)

My Cherries Jubilee book give-away runs through October 22, 2011. Beginning next week, you can enter for a chance to win a signed trade book copy of my mystery novel, FOR EVERY ACTION There Are Consequences .

The wonderful people at Goodreads are handling all the details for the book give-away and will also select the winners. As soon as I am notified, I will announce the winners' names on this site:
http://gail-baugniet.blogspot.com
and will immediately mail out the books to the winners.

I will post the Goodreads contest entry link early next week. Meanwhile, you can visit Goodreads by clicking this link: Goodreads