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Book Review Basics:
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| How would you describe your reviewing style? | |
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Push Nevahda: I’ve been told that I am very critical. Most authors eventually ask me to edit their next book. I’m academically trained to read/analyze/critique books, so I bring a lot of that experience with me when reviewing books. |
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Joey Pinkney: My style is to give the reader enough information about the book to make an educated decision to get the book or leave it alone. Sometimes, I mix poetry in it. Sometimes, I pick up on a certain theme for the explanation of the book. Lately, I've been laying it out there simple and plain. |
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QB Wells: Fair and straightforward. I don’t try to disillusion the readers or the author about how I feel about a book. At the same time, I try to “get” what the author is trying to do and provide positives that the author can build on. |
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Delonya Conyers: I tend to write synopsis type reviews, detailing the plot without telling too much in order to not ruin the read for others. |
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Shaheta Pickett: I'd like to call it a crafted mini story. |
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The Pathfinder: Fair and to the point! |
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OOSA Book Club: Sweet and sour, a powerful and unique combination. |
| Do you ever find it difficult to write a review for a book? | |
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QB Wells: It’s difficult to write a book review for a book that I don’t care for. However, I know the author has spent time and money to have the book produced. It hurts to not be truly honest and find delicate ways to illustrate my feelings about the book that can keep the author moving forward. More interesting than the bad book reviews is the conversations I have in my home about the book before and as I write the review ... comedy. |
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The Pathfinder: No! Again, it all boils down to the love that I have for writing and reading. It's something I can't really explain in words, but it's there and I know it is because I'm getting the opportunity to actually do something that I love and enjoy. |
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Kisha Green: I have found it difficult sometimes to write a review. The only reason it would be difficult for me was if the book was indeed horrible. Then I find myself searching for the right words to say, without hurting the author's feelings. |
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OOSA Book Club: Sometimes, especially when it’s a book one didn’t particularly care for. It’s not always easy to find the right words for constructive criticism. You don’t want to be insensitive but you also do want to be honest. |
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Push Nevahda: Some books aren’t really books at all. One particular author’s book was so bad that I couldn’t help but slam it. It was more a collection of notes, rambled thoughts, and unedited diary clips rather than a novel. It was awful.
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Delonya Conyers: The good ones and the horrible ones are always the easiest books to review. It's the mediocre books that I tend to struggle with. It's extremely hard to review a book that's just bland. |
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Joey Pinkney: Writing reviews are very challenging because I want to write something that will share my viewpoint with the reader. I know how I think, but the idea is to communicate these thoughts and ideas to a potential reader. It's also hard to give a fair assessment of a book in such a limited amount of space. There are some books that I could write a book to explain them. |
| Have you ever stopped or put down a book because you couldn't continue reading? And if so, what did you do about the review? | |
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Kisha Green: I came across a book this year that I just couldn’t get into. I attempted several times to read it but the book, in my opinion, failed to keep my attention; it was boring. As for the review, I never posted it. |
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The Pathfinder: Yes, and when that happens I go over the notes that I have taken. And if so, what did you do about the review? I never start or write my review before finishing the book. So there's nothing for me to do concerning the review, because I never started it. I only take notes. Later that evening or the next day I would just pick up where I left off. |
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OOSA Book Club: There certainly are occasions when we want to put a book down. But without reading the whole book, how can you accurately give a critique? |
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Joey Pinkney: There has been a book that actually depressed me to read. I was actually sad and frustrated that I committed myself to read what I thought was horrible. The story was so so, but the editing was nonexistent. I started the book, therefore, I had to finish the book. I trudged on. I gave that book the lowest star rating in my career. The author actually got back with me and thanked me for my honesty. Talk about a sigh of relief. |
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Push Nevahda: As mentioned above, I did struggle to read this awful book, but I am a dedicated book reviewer, I do the job regardless, and so I completed the book. I took out my frustrations in the review. |
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QB Wells: I have put down books several times because they were not interesting. No matter how uninteresting, the only reason I ever finish the book is because I give my word to complete the review. |
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Delonya Conyers: No any book that I'm obligated to review I finish, although it usually takes me a much longer time to finish it. |
| Do you ever get positive or negative feedback from your reviews? | |
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OOSA Book Club: We’re dealing with individuals who have spent time and great effort working on their book(s), so it’s understandable that some may be sensitive about their work. We also understand the frustration of an author on the receiving end of negative reviews, but as readers we don’t want to invest in a bad book based on exaggerated or flattering reviews. Constructive criticism is not easy. But, it’s never acceptable for an author to resort to immature and unprofessional behavior. Unfortunately, like other reviewers, we have experienced our fair share of authors gone wild. If an author wishes to dialogue about their review, we are open to that. We actually invite that as we want all our authors to meet their full potential and have success. However, if an author just wants to argue or demand the removal of a review, those are not options. For the most part our feedback is very positive. |
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Joey Pinkney: I get lots of feedback for my book reviews. Most of it is positive because authors can really tell that I actually read and digested their books. Readers enjoy my viewpoint and are introduced to new and exciting literature. I have also be reprimanded for giving away too many "spoilers" or some of my reviews are too long. |
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Push Nevahda: Yes! (Laughs) One author took me off her mailing list and totally banished me from her circle. Interestingly, I gave the book four stars! I liked the book, but because I pointed out a few minor artistic/social/moral issues in her work she got upset and dissed me. |
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QB Wells: I send the review to a few trusted sources for feedback before I send it off. I get both negative and positive feedback and revise only if most of them say the same thing. |
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Delonya Conyers: I've gotten both, the positive feedback makes you feel like okay it wasn't just me who felt that way while the negative feedback I just brush off of my shoulders. |
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Kisha Green: I always get positive feedback of my reviews and only one author asked me not to publish their review. |
| How do you react to authors who are not happy with your review of their book? | |
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QB Wells: (Laughs) I could care less how an author felt about a bad review. And I would suggest that the author not be upset with my review but get thicker skin and write a better book. Bad reviews and good reviews are part of critiques. I could honestly look any author in the face. In my heart I know I took the time and energy to read the book and write a fair review. Even if I didn’t like the book, I gave reasons and examples of the book that were good. It has never been my intention to slam any author. And if they have a problem with the way I said something, I can understand that. But the content of what I said I stand by. I can only give my honest opinion. I love to read good books and write reviews to support them ... I just need good books to promote and enjoy. |
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Delonya Conyers: I've never encountered an author who felt slighted by my review even the less than favorable ones. I recently ran into Wahida Clark after giving her latest book (Thug Lovin) a 3 star review and she totally understood my viewpoint and was not offended in the least by my review. I think it's extremely immature of an author to become irate at a reviewer, they have to remember that everything isn't for everybody. There's books that I absolutely love that some people rate as 1 or 2 star reads, to each his own! |
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Joey Pinkney: I truly try to understand their viewpoint. I can't please everyone, just like the author can't please every reader. I take what I can take from the expression of unhappiness and move on. There is nothing else to do. |
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The Pathfinder: It never bothers me because my love of writing, and reading allows me to be unbiased and fair. I never try to disrespect a fellow author. I'm fair at all times! |
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Push Nevahda: I welcome a discussion (public or private), I got no problem explaining to the author why I disagreed with their work. |
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Kisha Green: I have only had one author who was unhappy and we discussed the review like adults and as per his request, I did not post the review. |
| Name a few books that you consider to be classics. | |
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Push Nevahda: We still resonate with Dubois’s Souls of Black folks; Carter G. Woodson’s Mis-Education is still prevalent; Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes continues to speak to the current issues of love, commitment, and romance in black America; we are still dealing with Toni Morrison’s, ‘Pecola Breedlove’ syndrome among young black women today; and Baldwin’s message in The Fire Next Time is still relevant today. Likewise, Arthur Miller’s Death of A Salesman, Hannsberry’s Raisin in A Sun. |
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Joey Pinkney: Mari Walker's Never As Good As the First Time is another book that can be considered a "classic." Keisha Ervin's Torn was a great read. Like many other classics, they stand the test of time and are being read by people from different walks of life. |
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OOSA Book Club: Roots (Alex Haley), The Color Purple (Alice Walker), Native Son (Richard Wright), Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison), The Coldest Winter Ever (Sister Souljah), All I Ever Did Was Love a Man (Sharon Denise Allison Ottey), The Adventures of Ghetto Sam and The Glory of My Demise (Kwame Teague), Whoreson (Donald Goines) |
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The Pathfinder: Down These Means Streets, The autobiography of Malcolm X, Manchild in the Promise Land, Things Fall Apart, Notes of a Native Son and A Piece of Cake. |
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QB Wells: The Alchemist by Paul Coelho, The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin, A House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros and Daddy Cool by Donald Goine. |
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Delonya Conyers: Gutter by K'wan, Dutch by Teri Woods, The Color Purple by Alice Walker and My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due. |
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Be sure to see part one
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I like the fact that the reviewers expressed very similar sentiments to these questions. Is it hard to read a book that you're not into? Yes. But, as a reviewer, you have to rise above your feelings and let the professionalism kick in.
When Push stated that he was excommunicated, that's real talk. It's happened to me, so I guess it's natural. I didn't take offense because a book is like an author's child. You dis the child/book, you dis the parent/author.
What a variety of books mentioned in the "classics" section! I found it interesting that both Push and QB mentioned The Fire Next Time.