What makes a good book blog? That’s the question I asked when I decided to create a book blog of my own, and to celebrate the beginning of a new year I’m giving away two free copies of my book ‘How to Start a Book Blog: A Step by Step Guide’ which is full of tips and advice for anyone interested in book blogging (see details of how to enter this giveaway below). Of course everyone will have different ideas about what makes a good book blog, but here are my top five…
1) Book reviews that don’t give anything away!
This is not easy with certain books, and can mean that the review itself is a little shorter than you’d like, because the last thing you want to do is ruin the ending of a fabulous thriller, or give away the twist in an incredible plot. See my review of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child for an example of a shorter review.
2) Book reviews that are enjoyable to read
I always try to do justice to the books I review by writing good quality reviews, not just re-using the same old cliched phrases again and again. A good book deserves a well written review. Having said that, even the best reviewers make mistakes, and I’m sure I have a few pet phrases that I probably over-use… Here is a link to one of my favourite recent reviews – of The Plankton Collector by Cath Barton.
3) Honesty
If a book goes on a bit, or you get confused over the characters’ names, or it took a while to get into the story, I think it’s only fair to say so. Not every book is perfect, so it’s important to acknowledge these things, but I won’t review a book I hate, or a book that I haven’t managed to finish. If I can’t say something positive I tend to leave it, and let others review that one. See this review of Albi by Hilary Shepherd, in which I have highlighted one thing that I wasn’t so sure about.
4) Easy to navigate and read
When I first began reading book blogs I came across many which were confusing in their layout, sometimes with coloured text on a coloured background, which can make it more difficult to read. I tried to find a simple theme for my own blog, using a basic layout for most of my posts. Everyone will have a different opinion on this kind of thing but I think keeping the design simple is often the best plan.
5) The personal touch
People are interested in other people, not just books, so I try to write in a personal, fairly informal style, and to be open about the fact that everything I write is my own opinion. It took a while to get into this habit after years of academic writing, but I think it’s much more interesting to read.
How to Start a Book Blog – A New Year Giveaway!
*This giveaway is now over – congratulations to the winners!*
*You can still purchase a copy of the book by following this link*
I’m giving away 2 FREE copies of my book How to Start a Book Blog: A Step by Step Guide! It contains plenty of advice for anyone interested in setting up their own book blog, including advice on how to write a book review and how to decide on a theme or find a hosting company – a quirky New Year treat for a book lover looking to try something new!
Terms and Conditions:
- Two winners will be picked at random once the contest is over
- Entries will be accepted up until midnight on Tuesday 7th January
- Enter the giveaway by re-tweeting the giveaway tweet AND following me on twitter
- UK entrants only
