When I was in school, I dreaded reading assignments. Not because I don't like to read, because since I proclaim my love of romance novels, that's obviously not true. No, my problem is, is that when I "have to" read a book, story, poem as a task, that's what it becomes - a chore. And I dread chores. I think this is the reason I hated "Catcher In The Rye" and won't read it a 2nd time.....or maybe I really didn't like it just because.
Anyway, I tried to review for an online website, and discovered that instead of being overjoyed to review new releases and occasionally getting ARCs, I dreaded it because I felt like I was in school all over again, so I stopped and went freelance. Reading should be about pleasure and enjoyment, and not feel forced.
And I do like to review books on my blog. No pressure, and not every book I read gets reviewed. But now I've finished 3 books in the last month or so that I planned to review but I haven't because...I am in a reviewing slump. I feel like I cannot get my thoughts together to string a coherent sentence, much less convey the appeal or scope of a story I had just read and wish to share it with other readers. I feel at a loss as to how to get back into it. I have reviewer's block.
One of the stories, Joanna Bourne's "The Spymaster's Lady", is of the the books I had intended to review. I finished it, loved it, but now I don't know what to say about it. I decided to re-read it, but I haven't gotten very far on my 2nd time around, and now I feel bad about it.
Maybe I'm suffering from reviewer's anxiety. The reason I think this is because I read 2 very eloquent and powerful reviews of Bourne's book at "Dear Author", and know that I could not say it any better than what's already been said.
Am I the only one who feels this way?
How do you approach reviewing?
Whose reviews do you like to read?
posted by Stacy~ at 1/11/2008 05:25:00 AM
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