Finding a new book to read can seem like a daunting task, especially in a world inundated with multimedia entertainment all vying for our attention. That’s why—as a reader like you—I want to make it easier for you.

Book reviews can be helpful if you’re looking for your next page-turner read. Whether you’re into cozy mysteries, high-stake thrillers, or epic-quest fantasy, I’ve got it all here (plus more, I read more than those three genres).

Here’s how I like to review the books I read:

1. Characters

For me to absolutely love a book, I need to enjoy spending time with its characters. Characters are what make up the novel (at least for me personally). Some questions I ask myself about a book’s characters are: are they likable? Do they grow and develop throughout the novel? Do they fit with the plot?

2. Plot

Plot is what brings us to a book. It’s what can make or break the book a lot of times. What I want to know when reading a book is if there is a central question that’s going to keep me turning pages.

3. Writing

Am I able to understand this author’s writing? This can be a tough question to answer sometimes, only because writers are each different in their approach to their craft. Now, I also tend to read some classics and the writing level is vastly different from that of our typical, modern-day published novel. This is probably why I don’t have writing listed as number one on this list, since it can really vary from author to author.

4. Theme

Does the book have a central theme? And did I enjoy the book overall? Basically for this point, when I read and review novels, I’m wanting to know if the characters, plot, and writing all combine cohesively to the book as a whole.

5. Resolution

I firmly believe how an author finishes a book needs to be good—if not better—than how it started. Have you ever read a book where you hated how it tied up in the end? Or if the ending felt too rushed? That’s what I’m trying to see when I read and review books.

Those are the main five points I look at when I read books. I’ll rate each section out of 5 points, then add them all up, then divide by 5 to get the average which will be my star rating. Sorry, I just spit out a bunch of math at you 🙂A lot of times, if I really liked a book, I’ll round up so it’s a whole number, or round down if I was less than satisfied (mainly since Goodreads only takes whole numbers 1 through 5). 

Will these change? Maybe. Are there other things I look at when reviewing a book? Sure. But it’s something to keep me organized. 

I also will provide a content guide for any language or explicit content in my book reviews. However, please keep in mind I already only read relatively clean (some foul language and closed door scenes), so if you’re looking for reviews of smut-filled books, you won’t find those here. 

Also, for future reference:

• If I rate a book 5 stars out of 5: drop what you’re doing and go read it. That means I really loved that book and I hope you would too.
• If I rate a book 4 stars out of 5: I loved the book. If it interests you, consider that my recommendation and pick it up!
• If I rate a book 3 stars out of 5: Know that I have some cautions against reading it, but there was probably something I still enjoyed about it. If it interests you, read it, but be forewarned. (But also, everyone is entitled to their opinion.)
• If I rate a book 2 stars out of 5: I probably wouldn’t recommend it. 
• I rarely rate books 1 out of 5…like, it has to be really bad. But if it’s really bad, I’m probably not even going to leave a review. Maybe…maybe not.

I’m curious to know if you have anything in particular you look at when reviewing books. Is there something I missed?

If you made it this far, congratulations, you get a gold star (a metaphorical gold star).

I’m hoping to post more book reviews in the coming days and weeks, so stay tuned!

Happy reading!