Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
Slippery Art of Book Reviewing
Slippery Art of Book Reviewing | Mayra Calvani, Anne K Edwards
21 posts | 1 read | 6 to read
This book was written not only with the aspiring reviewer in mind, but also for the established reviewer who needs a bit of refreshing and also for anybody--be they author, publisher, reader, bookseller, librarian or publicist--who wants to become more informed about the value, purpose and effectiveness of reviews. Foreword by James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief Midwest Book Review Winner, ForeWord Magazine 2008 Book of the Year Award in the category of Writing
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
blurb
alysonimagines
Slippery Art of Book Reviewing | Mayra Calvani, Anne K Edwards
post image

Here‘s my last Book Review Roundup for 2020! I‘ve been collecting quite an eclectic batch of reads for this one, and I am excited to share them with you. You may notice most of the titles are by Asian American authors, and all are by women authors. This is by design; I‘ve been intentionally reading more women and Asian American authors. But all the titles have one common attribute: they‘re my newest favorite books. Hope you find some new faves!

alysonimagines P.S. This may also be my last Book Review Roundup for a while. I‘m taking on some new creative projects next year, so not sure if I will have the time to write book reviews as often, if at all. 😢 But maybe I can at least post some one-sentence reviews here and there. We‘ll see! 3y
9 likes1 comment
blurb
alysonimagines
Slippery Art of Book Reviewing | Mayra Calvani, Anne K Edwards
post image

Sometimes a dose of absurdist fiction is just what I need to make sense of (or at least temporarily escape from) the absurdities of real life. Do you ever feel that? If yes, check out this Weird & Wonderful Edition of my Book Review Roundup. These books are delightfully weird and also wonderful, in the original sense of the word: they inspire a renewed sense of wonder. If you can still laugh, there‘s still hope. 🤹🏻‍♀️

blurb
alysonimagines
Slippery Art of Book Reviewing | Mayra Calvani, Anne K Edwards
post image

I don‘t have to tell you that this has been quite an unusual spring. It‘s also been quite an unusual Lent for this Presbyterian observer. However, in times of great uncertainty I cling to my faith more than ever, and I think it‘s important for all of us to hold fast to whatever we believe in or hope for right now. So here‘s a #bookreviewroundup of titles I read during Lent 2020. May you have the tenacity to hold onto hope no matter what. 🌷

blurb
alysonimagines
Slippery Art of Book Reviewing | Mayra Calvani, Anne K Edwards
post image

Happy New Year‘s Eve! This is my very last book review roundup of 2019. It‘s a slim roundup because almost the entire last month of this year has gone completely sideways on me. The bright side is that things can only get better! I am hopeful for some positive change in 2020 and I am determined to keep moving forward. I hope you and all whom you care about see brighter days in 2020!

blurb
alysonimagines
Slippery Art of Book Reviewing | Mayra Calvani, Anne K Edwards
post image

Are you feeling a bit wistful that Halloween has come and gone? Well, I‘m here to chase your gloom away with a belated (but fresh) batch of book reviews! 🎃 Since I am a scaredy-cat 🙀 these reads are spooky and/or kooky but not (very) bloody. Enjoy! 👻

blurb
alysonimagines
Slippery Art of Book Reviewing | Mayra Calvani, Anne K Edwards
post image

It‘s that time again—Book Review Roundup! Preparing to unleash a small storm of book reviews on my recent reads. 🤠☔️📚

blurb
alysonimagines
Slippery Art of Book Reviewing | Mayra Calvani, Anne K Edwards
post image

OK, I am officially rebranding my book review backlog as a Book Review Roundup. Because I have come to accept that this is just how I roll: I inhale three or four books and then finally come up for air to jot down a few thoughts about them. And after all, I‘m a Texan, and Texans round things up. So I‘ll be rounding up some reviews here shortly, y‘all! Yee-haw! 🤠📚

LibrarianJen 🤣🤣🤣 5y
5 likes1 comment
blurb
alysonimagines
Slippery Art of Book Reviewing | Mayra Calvani, Anne K Edwards
post image

Yikes! I am about a month behind on book reviews. Just lots of life happening lately. But at least I have been reading. I would not survive for a month without sticking my nose in a book! So I will be playing catch up for a while...better late than never. 🐢📚

blurb
Mitch
Slippery Art of Book Reviewing | Mayra Calvani, Anne K Edwards
post image

Picked this up today..it‘s a magazine all about books and it‘s on issue 98 and I‘ve never seen it before! Where have I been?!🤣

Purrsistently 🙀 how is it??? 5y
MayJasper Interesting 5y
Mitch @Purrsistently on a quick flick...it looks interesting, reviews of new releases, prize winners, author interviews, extracts etc... no advertising. I‘m going to dig in tonight, so I‘ll keep you posted! 5y
62 likes4 comments
blurb
alysonimagines
Slippery Art of Book Reviewing | Mayra Calvani, Anne K Edwards
post image

Oops, I am behind on posting book reviews...That‘ll happen after being home sick for three days and then trying to catch up on work and life afterward. One of the few good things about being sick though is that I got lots of bonus reading time! Binge-reading to the max!! So I‘ll be catching up on review posts in this space for a while...but better late than never.

blurb
BarbaraTheBibliophage
Slippery Art of Book Reviewing | Mayra Calvani, Anne K Edwards
post image

Question from my book blogger self:

How often is too often? I sometimes finish a few books on nearly the same day. How often do you like to see a new post? (I‘m assuming every day is too much.) Is every other day too often? Every third day?

I don‘t want people to unsubscribe, but I also have to get my reviews out there. Help me out! What do you think?

#bookbloggerswantotknow #tryingnottobeannoying #ireadaboatloadofbooks

wanderinglynn I have a blogger friend who posts 5 days a week. That seems to work for her. I post only when I have something to say, so sometimes that‘s 4x per week, other times that‘s 0. So I‘d say post as much or as little as you want. 😀 6y
Birdsong28 Post however much you want it's the people following you who have the option to unfollow you if it gets on their nerves and they have to deal with their own issues with it. Keep it coming 😁❤️📚📖 6y
CouronneDhiver I don‘t think you should worry about subscribers... you do your thing and if you lose a few, it‘s not the end of the world... there will always be ebb and flow. (edited) 6y
See All 22 Comments
Velvetfur I always enjoy your reviews so personally I don't mind how often you post them. If you're bursting to tell people about a certain book, just go for it! 6y
JSW I love the element of surprise with bloggers.... “wonder what so-and-so has posted lately?” I say post whenever and however you like! 6y
Wan.der.love When it comes to book reviews, the more the merrier - daily posts aren‘t annoying at all, at least in my opinion :) also easier when the book is fresh on the mind 6y
cathysaid Maybe you combine a couple if they are the same genre? And standalone a when you are particularly touched by a certain book? 6y
RebelReader I like that I get notified when you post and I don‘t feel you are posting too much. I love your reviews! ❤️❤️ 6y
Debiw781 I don‘t mind daily- in fact I prefer it. 6y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @wanderinglynn I definitely have busier weeks and slower weeks. Thanks for your perspective! 6y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @Birdsong28 I like your perspective! 6y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @CouronneDhiver I agree. And it‘s been helpful to hear people‘s feedback. Thanks! 6y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @Velvetfur Aww thanks! Sometimes I get behind with reviews, but I love writing them! 6y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @JSW Surprise is good. And I like getting emails about what bloggers post also! 6y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @Wan.der.love It‘s definitely easier to write them immediately after finishing. When I have a few going at the same time, I sometimes finish one a day for a stretch. Thanks for weighing in! 6y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @cathysaid I‘d love to be able to combine them in the email notification. I‘ll have to look for that option. But I do like separating each book — since I tend to write fairly log reviews. 6y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @RebelReader Thank you my friend! I have a few coming soon! 6y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @Debiw781 Thanks—mind if I ask why you prefer it? 6y
Susanita Bring it on! I try to read all your reviews even if it‘s unlikely I will read the book. 6y
arubabookwoman I don‘t think everyday or every other day is too much, but I think each post should relate to only one topic/book (unless you‘re comparing books or listing similar books, of course). For me the most important part of when to post is to be regular and consistent, so I know when to expect a post, and there are not huge gaps between posts. 6y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @Susanita Thank you so much! I know my tastes are unique to me, so that means a lot. 😍 6y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @arubabookwoman I rarely have huge gaps between posts. But I don‘t post on any kind of schedule because I like to be inspired by books I‘ve finished. I had another blog with a schedule and it was too structured for me. Thanks for your thoughts! 6y
82 likes22 comments
blurb
BarbaraTheBibliophage
Slippery Art of Book Reviewing | Mayra Calvani, Anne K Edwards
post image

Hey Littens, @GatheringBooks has a new idea. Make a post and share the best book reviews you wrote in June. Or the reviews you wrote for the best books you read. Use the hashtags above. Mine are:

#FictionReviews Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman http://litsy.com/p/anNDOFIxQ1h2

#NFReviews A Higher Loyalty by James Comey http://litsy.com/p/WXBYQUplSDV2

#MGReviews The Secret Garden http://litsy.com/p/WUNuRzRRU2F3

GatheringBooks awesome!! 😍🧚🏼‍♀️📚 6y
CaitlinR #FictionReviews Best, also the last I read. HE by John Connolly. Incredible. 6y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @CaitlinR Awesome — I hadn‘t heard of it. 6y
81 likes3 comments
blurb
LitsyHappenings
Slippery Art of Book Reviewing | Mayra Calvani, Anne K Edwards
post image

Repost for @GatheringBooks :
For months now, I have been mulling over what I can do for my book tribe. Voila! Think of it as a database of best monthly reviews. You don‘t have to share your best reviews across ALL genres, it could only be those that interest you, but this is a way of gathering them all together conveniently at the end of each month. You can share titles or Litsy URL (more laborious, but easier to find it). #June18BookReviews

LitsyHappenings - do join in, if you are able to! :) Share your fave Litsy reviews for the month of June. I gave a tutorial on FB on how to share Litsy URL, but titles will be fine too.
#YAReviews - Firefly Letters by Margarita Engle
http://litsy.com/p/VWdBZVNIQXdj
#KidLitReviews - On A Magical Do Nothing Day http://litsy.com/p/akJXTDBkT3VJ
#FictionReviews - The Animators http://litsy.com/p/WWhHUERmZlVE
6y
GatheringBooks thank youuuuu! you are awesome!! 6y
36 likes2 comments
blurb
GatheringBooks
Slippery Art of Book Reviewing | Mayra Calvani, Anne K Edwards
post image

#June18BookReviews - do join in, if you are able to! :) Share your fave Litsy reviews for the month of June. I gave a tutorial on FB on how to share Litsy URL, but titles will be fine too.
#YAReviews - Firefly Letters by Margarita Engle
http://litsy.com/p/VWdBZVNIQXdj
#KidLitReviews - On A Magical Do Nothing Day http://litsy.com/p/akJXTDBkT3VJ
#FictionReviews - The Animators http://litsy.com/p/WWhHUERmZlVE

BarbaraTheBibliophage I‘m intrigued. Is the idea to share anyone‘s review you liked? Or the best of your own reviews? 6y
GatheringBooks @BarbaraTheBibliophage that‘s a good q! the best of your own reviews for the month. :) 6y
BarbaraTheBibliophage Thanks! I‘ll play along. 😎 6y
BarbaraTheBibliophage I wish the Litsy links had clickable URLs in them. I‘ll have to suggest that on your FB post. Anyway, this is a great idea. Thanks!!! 6y
59 likes4 comments
blurb
GatheringBooks
Slippery Art of Book Reviewing | Mayra Calvani, Anne K Edwards
post image

For months now, I have been mulling over what I can do for my book tribe. Voila! Think of it as a database of best monthly reviews. You don‘t have to share your best reviews across ALL genres, it could only be those that interest you, but this is a way of gathering them all together conveniently at the end of each month. You can share titles or Litsy URL to your review (more laborious, but easier to find it). #June18BookReviews @GatheringBooks

GatheringBooks Please feel free to repost if you feel having a monthly database of book reviews will prove to be helpful. 🧚🏼‍♀️🤗😍📚 6y
TK-421 Great idea! 6y
GatheringBooks @TK-421 thank you!! 6y
57 likes3 comments
blurb
Samplergal
Slippery Art of Book Reviewing | Mayra Calvani, Anne K Edwards
post image

I knew you guys would get it! #PrettyCool

Moray_Reads 🙌🙌🙌 6y
julesG 👏👏👏 6y
71 likes2 comments
blurb
Emily92Bibliophile
Slippery Art of Book Reviewing | Mayra Calvani, Anne K Edwards
post image

ONLINE SUMMER JOBS FOR A LIBRARIAN NEEDED !🎉🎉 So as a school librarian, I have about two and a half months of summer before I start work again in August. That being said, while I still get paid, I would like to make a little extra money to save for Masters. Do any of you have recommendations/ ideas for analytical literary jobs a librarian would enjoy? The above is an example of a possibility but don‘t know much about it. 📚

LibrarianRyan Around here or that I know of, no. But I will be looking into the above. Looks interesting. 6y
17 likes1 comment
blurb
Lola
Slippery Art of Book Reviewing | Mayra Calvani, Anne K Edwards
post image

My first review 😛

Tamra Sweet! 6y
britt_brooke 💚 6y
Alfoster So cute!😍 6y
See All 6 Comments
JoScho ❤️ 6y
Ruthiella Proof that it can be OK to keep those old papers, momentous, etc. Adorable! 6y
Ddzmini Awe 😍 6y
42 likes6 comments
blurb
robinb
Slippery Art of Book Reviewing | Mayra Calvani, Anne K Edwards
post image

Had to share this chuckle for today....🤣🤣🤣

Rachbb3 Lol, that's great. 6y
Aleida Yes. I felt that way when Oprah picked Pillars of the Earth for her book club. 6y
robinb @Aleida 🙌😂👍 6y
38 likes3 comments
blurb
azulaco
Slippery Art of Book Reviewing | Mayra Calvani, Anne K Edwards

Favorite Littens for me have to be @Liberty and @rebeccaschinsky for all their great book recommendations on their podcast All The Books, and for mentioning Litsy on their podcast to begin with. That's where I first heard of it and so you could say I'm here on Litsy thanks to them! #seasonsreadings2016

blurb
BarbaraTheBibliophage
Slippery Art of Book Reviewing | Mayra Calvani, Anne K Edwards
post image

Never leave me alone with the Internet! I just bought a domain for my book review blog, and I'm so excited. It's not my first web site (not even close), but it's my first bookish site. No guarantees on a launch date yet.

Any advice on reviewing? Books or sites to read would be appreciated.

I'd also love to start a list of fellow Littens' blogs if you're game. Thanks! 😍

BookishFeminist Honestly just dive right in! I started mine this year & I find it helps to have a little hit of a direction but not to slam yourself too badly. I recommend having a review policy somewhere easy to find so publishers can view it & you can get more arcs, but other than that just fool around on others' pages & see what you like and what you don't! 7y
saresmoore 💪Yes! I'm excited for this! Since you've done sites before, I'm sure you are already doing this, but highlighting the you-ness of your reviews (i.e. what makes your POV interesting) will give you an automatic niche. Good luck! 7y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @BookishFeminist @saresmoore Thanks! Great ideas. I'll have to get my graphic designer husband working while I do some writing. (edited) 7y
See All 14 Comments
shawnmooney Thanks for telling me about this book! I just got it for a very low price on Kindle Japan! 7y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @shawnmooney You're welcome! I'm about to buy it too. 👏🏻👏🏻 7y
LectricSheep We totally should keep a Litsy blog list! It would be awesome to do guest posts and coordinate. I'm at omnivoreads.wordpress.com. 7y
Gezemice So cool! I thought about book blogging but I figure I would not stick with it. Reviewing on Goodreads is blogging, right? ;) Anyway, good luck, just have fun with it! No need to overthink it. I like reviews when a reviewer says what they liked or disliked and why - There is no need to repeat the plot, for example, that's usually in the blurb already. 7y
Lesliereads Congratulations! 7y
twohectobooks Good luck! I have no advice besides not doing what I'm doing, because I haven't managed to attract any readers. My blog is at www.twohectobooks.com if anyone is interested. 7y
rockpools Congratulations - that's really exciting! 7y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @LectricSheep I have a link somewhere with a list of Littens' blogs, but I wish there was a place to update it! Need a hashtag or maybe there is one already. 😘 7y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @Gezemice I love writing my GR reviews - and the short ones here. Figured a blog is just a small step up! Thanks! 7y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @twohectobooks Getting readers is the hardest part of any writing and the blogosphere is jammed with content! I'll check yours out! 7y
106 likes2 stack adds14 comments