Book Review Goal

Though I managed to meet my book reading goal in 2010, I fell short of my blog-about-it goal.  Most often I simply ran out of time to write reviews.  Reading and finishing (and then starting more) a number of books concurrently poses something of an organizational problem when considering an official review of the material.  And truth is, some of the fun material I read doesn't merit a careful review.  Still, I wouldn't give up my fluff reading; it keeps me centered.

For 2011, I have a different goal.  I will keep reading.  Once a week, I will write about something I've read.  I'm not going to save the writing for the loftier titles.  I'm going to write about whichever work is most fresh in my mind when I sit at the keyboard. 

I don't want to write book reports, sharing plot and character descriptions before outlining the main ideas in 500 words or less.  Instead, I want to write a solid review, including the key points, the strengths and weaknesses of the work, and my own opinion of it.  My goal is to write between 500 and 750 words offering a sneak peak at what the book is like, whether I enjoyed it, and including purchase information.

Most reviewers also include information about the author (who is he or she, what has he or she written, has he or she garnered any awards, and what is his or her style), the genre (fiction, non-fiction, romance, poetry, etc.), and the title (how it relates to the work, is it interesting or not).  There may be discussions of characters, themes, arguments and key ideas, and/or some relevant quotes from or about the work.

That, then, is my goal.  I will read and I will review. 

Gives me a little tingle of excitement.