More Tips on Writing Book Reviews

One year ago, I wrote a column on getting into writing book reviews. The topic of book reviews remains ever-important, especially in a media climate where outlets to review grow smaller and smaller. In this column, I want to expand on the tips I provided, which will hopefully make book reviewing an easier and more fun endeavour. 

Having reviewed across genres, I find reviewing poetry the easiest. I don’t have to avoid spoilers or introducing characters; I can just write my thoughts about the book. The word count racks up quickly too—in a 500-word review, for example, after the introduction, quotations from the book, and conclusion, there ends up being just 250-300ish of my own words to write (and this is never enough words). 

Start with a one-line introduction about the basics of the book 

Starting the review is the hardest part, as staring down a blank page can be intimidating. When I sit down to start writing, my first sentence can look like this: “AUTHOR’S [debut/newest] book, TITLE, explores themes of ________.”  

From there, I go into my thoughts and analyses of the book. I then go back and revise the syntax of my opening line, add in my personal thoughts, and integrate the sentence into the review. But having this go-to phrasing ends up saving so much time that I would otherwise spend worrying about how to craft the perfect opening. 

Orient your review around a theme

A book is likely going to touch on multiple and intersecting themes. My reading practice is different when I’m reading a book to review it. I make notes as I read, and see patterns emerge in what draws me most to the writing. By the time I’ve finished the book, I usually know the focus my review is going to take. In a typical review, two to three themes end up taking centre-stage. 

Pick passages to focus on 

When reviewing, I like to pick a few key moments in a book, and use those to illustrate the points I’m making about the entire narrative. If I’m reviewing a poetry book, I pick a couple of poems to write about. If it’s a short story collection, I select a couple of stories. And if it’s a novel, I pick a few scenes. 

I draw from other areas of the book to round out the review, but allow the bulk of my quoting to come from these specific areas. Having focal points prevents the review from over-quoting and summarizing. 

List out the quotations you may want to reference

When transferring the review from my book notes to my computer, I usually start with typing out the quotations I marked in the book. Doing so allows me to copy-and-paste into my review very quickly. When I’m writing about a theme, I can quickly scan my collected list for relevant moments to illustrate my points, rather than sitting skimming through a book trying to find what I’m looking for. 

Whether I’m referencing several lines or a small phrase, this practice has always made book reviewing a very smooth and quick process. 

Don’t leave too much time between reading the book and writing the review

This point is last, but is probably the most important. I’ve experienced this as a reviewer, a reviews editor, and a reviews coordinator.  

The reviews that have been the easiest to write for me have been ones where I dove into the review soon after reading the book. Reviews where I delayed writing the review ended up being the trickiest to tackle. I forgot details about the book, which made my notes exist in a vacuum. The excitement about a book and its themes fell to the back of my mind, and the discussion threads that make up the bulk of the review were stilted and awkward. As intimidation piles up, I delay starting the review even more.