Companion Guide to Writing Book Reviews As An Author

Companion Guide to Writing Book Reviews As An Author

Writing Book Reviews As An Author: Inspiration To Make It Easier
By J Lenni Dorner
Companion Guide

Enjoy (Was it good?)
Fundamentals (Author, title, and gender terms are correct. Optional short summary.)
Fascination (How is the book interesting within its genre?)
Occurrences (How did you get this book?)
Recommend (Would you recommend it, or not, and to who?)
Typical (Is this the sort of book you usually enjoy reading?)
List (Words that describe books. *)
Excerpt (Short excerpt.)
Stimulating (Why did you read the whole book?)
Supporter (Would you read something from this author again?)

(*The LIST words provided were:
tragedy, comedy, realistic fiction, happily-ever-after, erotic, romantic, mushy, tear-jerker, controversial,
chilling/ scary/ haunting, thrilling/ action-packed, fast-paced, many plot twists/ complex, predictable,
evocative, inspirational, spiritual, meaningful, fun, entertaining, informative,
original/ strong author’s voice, an authority on the subject or in the genre, subjective/ objective, diverse)


Learn (Learn anything from the book?)
Attractive (Visual appeal.)
Title (Did the title make sense?)
Triggers (Anything offensive you wish to warn others about?)
Editing (Was it well-edited?)


Theme (Universal life lessons. / Educate you.)
Author (Author’s favorite?)
Plot (Cause and effect. / Order made sense.)

Page-turner (How hard was it to put down and why?)
Relate (Relate to any characters or circumstances? / Relevant to your life?)
Emotions (Any emotional response from reading this?)
Struck (Did the book change you or strike you, and why?)
Setting (Did the setting come alive? / Any information left out?)
Remind (Remind you of someone or a place you know? / Something you wish others knew?)
Obstacles (Goals and purpose weren’t easy? / Everything had a purpose.)
Other (Remind you of another book or media?)
Mirror (Hold a mirror up to society? / Beneficial or detrimental to society?)


Written something similar?
Part of a series?
Correct genre?
Has your life or mood impacted your review?
Did Not Finish
Plot holes or incorrect information?
Equality tests.
Relationship with the author?

Add discussion questions to your blog post?
No lines crossed in negative reviews?
Hashtags for blog titles and social media sharing?


You may save a copy of this companion guide for your own purposes.