I’ve seen so many different book review styles across the blogosphere, especially within the book blogosphere. In trying to nail down my own style, I’ve often wondered what makes a good book review.

There are so many things to consider when writing a book review. First, what do you include in your book review? Do you include book publication information? Do people really care about that stuff? Do you include spoilers? I find it’s hard to say what I really think when I skirt around the major points of the book. Do you include a synopsis, either in your own words or from the dust jacket or back of the book? Do you talk about the prose and how good/bad it is? Or, do you just concentrate on the feelings you had when you read the book? Or, is it a mixture?

My style has morphed a lot in the past 4.5 years. I wrote my first official book review on this blog in October 2007. It was the hardest review I’ve ever written. I had no idea what to say or include. At first, I wanted to include a synopsis in my own words, but I didn’t like it. You can get the synopsis from the back of the book and I felt like I was reinventing the wheel. I settled on a few of my discoveries when I looked up concepts from the story on the Internet. I also included a small, very small, paragraph about my experience reading the book. The differences between that first review and my latest one are night and day. After a fair warning, I included a lot of spoilers because it was the only way I felt I could discuss my feelings about that particular book. The review is bordering on novel length (okay, that’s an exaggeration, but it is quite long). And, I almost feel like I rambled incoherently, even though I tried to organize my thoughts as well as I could.

Which review is better? Honestly, I don’t know. I’m struggling with what is good and what is bad. I want my reviews to do the books I read justice. I want them to inspire others to read the books. I also don’t want to bore my readers to tears. And, I want to write what I want to write. Is there a good balance?

There are a lot of sites that talk about writing book reviews. Most of them are for college classes. And, of course, that involves looking at symbolism, imagery, prose, setting, and analysis. Frankly, I don’t care about any of that stuff when I read a book, except for a select few (e.g. East of Eden, Night, Diary of a Young Girl). I just want to read for the enjoyment of it not really to be enlightened. And, maybe, that’s my problem. Maybe, I need to read more stimulating material. Or, maybe, I need to look at the books I do read more harshly and actually analyze the prose, symbolism, imagery, setting, etc. and use examples from the book to help support my analysis. Or, maybe, I’m thinking too hard and making this harder than it needs to be. Maybe, I just need to quit worrying about how good my reviews are and just write what I think, like I do now, no matter how long or short my reviews are.

What do you think? Do you struggle with this in your own reviews? If so, how do you combat it? If not, why do you think you don’t struggle?

There are four announcements regarding JK Rowling that I wanted to share in this post. Some of you are probably aware of one of them, but I doubt every one of my blog readers is.

1. Pottermore is finally available to the masses! If you decide to join, friend me. My username is BatRose161. Let me know your username, so I can add a nickname to you and know who I’m interacting with. If you want to know more about it before you join, you can read about my experience to help you decide.
2. With the global opening of Pottermore, the Harry Potter series is finally available on ebook. You can purchase them at the Pottermore Shop. I hope multiple languages of the ebooks will be available soon because I have my eye on the Spanish ones.
3. According to MTV News, she has started that long awaited Harry Potter Encyclopedia. Much of the content will be used for Pottermore, but it will also be released in book form, with all of its proceeds going to charity.
4. JK Rowling is also publishing another book that is completely unrelated to Harry Potter. Its publication date is September 27, 2012 and will be released by Little, Brown. And, instead of being YA (young adult), it will be published for adults. The title is The Casual Vacancy and here is the synopsis released by Little, Brown:
   

   When Barry Fairweather dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock. Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty facade is a town at war. Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils … Pagford is not what it first seems. And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

   I’m extremely excited that she is publishing another book. I’ve said in the past that I’ll read anything she publishes. And, while this story doesn’t seem quite up my alley as much as other books do, I’ll still read it simply because it’s written by her.

While I’m in the midst of reading Goblet of Fire (Harry just passed the first task), I thought I’d join in on these discussion questions for Prisoner of Azkaban over at The Reading Fever. Penelope is currently reading the entire series for her first time! Oh, how I envy her!

If you haven’t read Harry Potter, these questions (and answers) contain spoilers.

What is your favorite line from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban?

• Inspirational: “You think the dead we loved ever truly leave us? You think that we don’t recall them more clearly than ever in times of great trouble?” Dumbledore
• Humorous: “HELLO? HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? I-WANT-TO-TALK-TO-HARRY-POTTER!” Ron

If the Knight Bus hadn’t been summoned when it was, what might have happened? Would Harry have believed Sirius if he had introduced himself?

I don’t think Sirius would’ve revealed himself to Harry at this point. He was too focused on his mission of finding Peter and killing him. Once he had done that, had the three not intervened, then he would’ve approached Harry. I’m not sure if Harry would’ve believe him or not because it took him a while to believe him when Sirius did tell him the truth.

In this book, Voldemort doesn’t play a major part. What do you think the purpose of this was? Do you think it was for the better, or worse?

I think it’s fine because he’s still there waiting in the shadows, biding his time. And, for those that have read the rest of the series (or seen the movies), this book was a huge step in helping Voldemort return to power.

Why do you think Professor McGonagall gave Hermione the time-turner? Was it to allow her to learn a lesson, or do you believe she thought Hermione could handle taking so many classes?

I think maybe a little of both. I think she allowed Hermione to prove herself, not to the teachers but to herself. Hermione would’ve always been wondering if she could’ve got through more classes. Having the time-turner showed her that while she could do it, she was frazzled and ready to burst into tears every second of every day. She realized that she needed to prioritize what was most important to her and let the others fall by the wayside.

What do you think Hermione learned from trying to do too many things at once? What did YOU learn about her character after learning about all the classes she was taking?

See above question and answer.

What is one emotion you felt strongly, while reading this book?

I felt so many emotions while reading this book. I’ve said this before many times, but Prisoner of Azkaban is my favorite story. I love its complexity and that is due in part to the complex of emotions I feel while reading it. I was happy that Harry found a good father figure in Sirius. I was livid at Snape and how he messed things up at the end. I was ecstatic when Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup. I was anxious about wanting to know how everything ends. There are so many emotions and things that I enjoy about this story that I could go on forever.

Is there something that bothered you about this book? Why?

Actually, nothing bothered me in this book. The only thing about this book that is bothersome to me is the movie. But, I won’t get into that. Also, ask me this question next book and I’ll give you a better answer.

What important relationships did Harry form in this book, and why are they important?

The obvious one is Sirius, of course. He found out that Sirius didn’t betray his parents and now has a father figure in his life, an adult he can rely on and tell anything to, something he has felt he has never had. Then there’s Professor Lupin. Not only does he finally get a DADA professor who knows his stuff, he also finds out that this professor was good friends with his parents, a connection to a piece of himself that he doesn’t know a lot about. I also think his friendship with Ron and Hermione strengthened because of the trials and turmoils they experienced with Crookshanks and the Firebolt.

Just for fun: What part of the book made you laugh the most? If you’ve read it before, does it still make you laugh?

I absolutely love when Ron tries to call Harry on the telephone. It makes me laugh every time. I also love when the Marauder’s Map insults Professor Snape; it makes me chuckle. I also love when Professor McGonagall gets after Wood for having his priorities mixed up.

What about you?

PS–I’ve decided now that I’ve passed the first five days of my juice fast, I’m only going to post a summary about it every five days. I figure no one wants to read my day-to-day progress since it’s probably going to be pretty similar.

Life has been a little bit crazy this month with the beginning of a new semester that’s demanding a lot of my time. And, with the death of my kitty two weeks ago, I just haven’t quite been in the mood to do much of anything.

But, I think it’s time to break out of this funk. And, what better way to do it than with Harry Potter. For Christmas, I received the UK editions of all seven books and I started rereading the series at once. Unfortunately, I’m only about halfway through Philosopher’s Stone.

However, I thought it’d be fun to post some discussions as I read through the books again. I hope you’ll join me and answer the questions for yourselves in the comments or add to what I have to say. Here are the questions (I used some of the discussion questions provided by Scholastic):

How would you feel if you discovered you were a wizard?

I’d be so excited if I discovered I were a witch. Ever since I read Harry Potter for the first time in 2001, I have longed for the world of Hogwarts to be real, even the bad stuff. Of course, I think I’d be stunned because I’d find out that the world was actually real, which to my current knowledge isn’t true.

What do the names of the four Hogwarts houses–Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin–suggest to you? Which one would you be in and why?

It’s kind of funny because I think the names of the houses embody how people feel about them. It could be that the world of Harry Potter is so engrained in me that it’s hard to think any differently. But, Gryffindor sounds brave and grand. Hufflepuff sounds cough*wimpy*cough. Ravenclaw sounds knowledgeable and wise. And, Slytherin sounds a bit sinister.

According to Pottermore, I’d be in Slytherin. And, according to every personality quiz I’ve ever taken that parallels the Hogwarts houses, I’d be in Slytherin. It’s because I yearn for approval and attention. When Harry’s sorted, he asks the Sorting Hat to put him in any house except Slytherin. The hat responds: “… a nice thirst to prove yourself…. Not Slytherin, eh? Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it’s all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that.”

Many novels borrow from the traditional stories of fairy tales, myths, and legends. Fluffy resembles Cerberus, the three-headed dog which guards the underworld of Greek mythology. What other creatures from traditional tales are paralleled in the story? How does each of these creatures play a pivotal role in advancing the plot?

I wish I remembered my Greek mythology as much as I did when I was younger. In the first book, the only characters I can think of are the centaurs and dragons. But, they’re kind of blatant, not like Fluffly, who’s a more subtle representation of a mythological creature.

Besides Harry Potter, who is your favorite character in the book? Or, which character do you find most interesting and why?

Dumbledore is, by far, my favorite. However, before I became a member of Pottermore, I loved Ron second. Now that I’m a member and I’ve had the chance to read the awesome backstory about Professor McGonagall, I have a lot of respect for her and interest in her character. Oh, the fan-fiction that could be written about her! I wish I could explain more, but I don’t want to spoil it for anyone.

What is your favorite quote from this book and why?

It’s no surprise that my favorite quote from this book (and the entire series for that matter) is: “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live,” said by Dumbledore when he finds Harry returning over and over again to the Mirror of Erised. This quote and this whole situation with the mirror helps me remember that I need to do more than just survive or dream; I need to actually live and do things.

How do you feel the movie did at capturing the magic of the first book?

The movie started it all for me. I had tried to read Harry Potter before the movie came out, but I couldn’t follow the story. (I wasn’t a reader back then.) Then, I saw the movie and I had to know more. I wanted to be a part of the world JK Rowling had created. Because of that, I feel like the first movie did a great job at capturing the magic and overall feeling of the book. And, it amazes me at how well it follows the book, unlike other book-to-movie adaptations.

What about You?

A saw this quick, little bookish survey on The Broke and the Bookish and thought it’d be fun to participate.

1. The book I’m currently reading: The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt. It’s for my book club tomorrow. I’m a little behind. But, I hope I’ll finish it by tomorrow evening anyway. It’s really fun so far!
2. The last book I finished: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake. Awesome, awesome book. Check out my review.
3. The next book I want to read: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare. I can’t tell you how excited I am to read this book! It’s killing me to put it off this long.
4. The last book I bought: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare.
5. The last book I was given: I’ll actually highlight these books on Saturday in my Secret Santa post. (I need to wait when I can take a decent picture of them with good lighting.)

How about you?

I can’t believe this is the last day. I’m kind of sad. It’s been a fun 30 days of book discussion. I hope you had fun reading my answers and commenting with your own.

Day 30: My Favorite Book of all Time

I’ve been dreading today’s prompt from the very beginning. How can I choose my favorite book of all time? I know some people can say what theirs is without any thought. I, however, can’t.

If my favorite book were not part of a series, I think it would be easier. But, since my favorite book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is part of a series, I feel like I can’t exclude the other six books. Together they make up the entire experience.

I’m not one of those readers who can just pick up their favorite Harry Potter book and read it. I always have to start from the beginning and end with the last one. I want the whole experience every single time I read these books. Yes, each book has its own adventure, but as a whole, they capture so much growth in the characters and stories that you’d miss if you didn’t read them all together.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that I can’t choose just one book, but I choose Harry Potter as my answer to this prompt because I see it as one big story arc and because Harry Potter means everything to me. It has shown me how to live my life, without fear and with kindness, love, integrity, and the gumption to stand up for what I think is right.

What about you? What is your favorite book of all time?

Day 29: A Book Everyone Hated but I Liked

The answer to this question is easy. I know many people in the Twilight fandom hated Breaking Dawn, but I actually really liked it.

After I finished reading the book the first time, it was my favorite of the series because I loved that we got back to Bella and Edward and basically no interference from Jacob. I loved reading about the wedding and I loved Bella’s transformation (my two favorite parts of the book). I even didn’t mind Renesmee, not even the name, or Jacob imprinting on her. I just loved that almost everything was resolved in a way that I wanted it to be, meaning Bella was with Edward not Jacob.

I didn’t expect the backlash it got. I was completely blown away! I couldn’t understand why people hated it so much. I know Renesmee was a surprise, but I didn’t expect her to be so hated. Then, I kind of jumped on the bandwagon myself, but not to the same extent. I’ve never hated Renesmee, but I did start to see the book’s flaws, like the lack of conflict or action, Jacob imprinting on the baby of someone he was in love with only seconds before, and a very anti-climactic ending. But, I realized after reading it a second time that even with its flaws, I still love the overall story. Yes, I would’ve preferred there had been a huge war between the Cullens and the Volturi, but I’m happy to enjoy the book for what it is.

Breaking Dawn is no longer my favorite of the series because I realized that Twilight had to take precedence. After all, it did get me into reading and Meyer’s world. But, Breaking Dawn is a close second.

What about you? What book did you like that everyone else hated?

Day 27: The Most Surprising Plot Twist or Ending

This has to be City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. I didn’t see the end coming at all. I was shocked, yet I knew it couldn’t be true because of the source. But, it still made for an interesting style of conflict. I’m glad it was resolved because I love Clary and Jace together.

What about you? What was the most surprising plot twist or ending in a book you’ve read?

Day 28: Favorite Title(s)

Because there are a million titles that I love, I’m going to focus solely on books I’ve read. Some of my favorite titles are:

• The Day I Swapped my Dad for two Goldfish
• My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters
• Ella Minnow Pea
• And Then There Were None
• A Company of Swans

What about you? What are some of your favorite titles?

Day 26: A book that Changed My Opinion about Something

I don’t belong to any causes. I usually avoid them. I love animals and I’m all about treating them with respect. But, I don’t take it to the extreme, which I feel like some organizations do. One thing I’ve never really been into so much is the environment. I’ve always kind of had a lackadaisical attitude. I figured as long as I didn’t litter, then I was fine.

When I read The Lorax, I totally started to see what depleting our planet’s resources could do. I’m still not part of any causes and I could still be better at what I do, but I’m more conscious about the environment now. I recycle more, I use more biodegradable materials, and I try not to waste resources. Who knew a children’s book could make such a difference?

What about you? What book changed your opinion about something?

Day 25: A Character Who I Can Relate to the Most

I was just talking about this with another blogger on Twitter. I told her that one of the reasons I grasped onto Twilight so easily was that I felt like I could relate to Bella a lot. I know that sounds pathetic, but it’s true.

Middle school was traumatic. I was ridiculed mercilessly by my schoolmates. My self-esteem plummeted. I had no friends. When I got to high school, it wasn’t much better at first. But, as people grew up and matured, it became better. I became part of a great group of friends that I’m still in contact with. In my senior year, some of the popular kids started to pay attention to me. I had no idea why. I was very skeptical of their motives and although I loved their attention, I was hesitant to hang out with them.

Also, when I met my husband, I had a large crush on him. He was so cute and so out of my league. I asked him out anyway, even though I didn’t think I had a chance. Fortunately, a mutual friend told him to accept and we had a great time. We ended up getting together (obviously), but I have often wondered how it happened. He was so popular and I was just me. I still sometimes think we don’t belong together because he’s him and I’m me. I know that sounds stupid, but it just is the way I think and feel sometimes.

I’ve been working on my self-worth and I’m no longer nearly as pathetic as Bella was/is. But, I guess what I’m saying is that I understand why she was worried about the other kids at school and about how Edward felt about her. It allowed me to relate to her and the story.

What about you? What character can you relate to the most?