Real Writers Talking About Books:booksquawk
OK, booksquawk is not about the official, pre-packaged book club questions included kind of book reviews. These reviews are written by folks who really write and who really read giving you their own, articulate, insightful ideas about the books that they pick to read.
In Scots, this is definitely good craic.
In American, this is the full meal deal or value added.
From the time I was knee high to a grasshopper, I have been reading and writing. Although it may not be universally true that writers are readers, it has enough weight that I take my reading anbd writing both seriously. A poet-mentor-writing tutor said every week: "Writers are readers." and part of our homework was to say what we had read as well as what we had written that week. So to see several writer-readers in action, go to www.booksquawk.com
If, like me, you are tired of reviews that use such words as "a good romp" or have more ellipses than words or may not even pertain to the book in hand, then this is a site for you.
If, likewise, you wonder about books beyond the latest blockbuster soon to be made into a film, then this is a site for you.
If, thirdly, you remember when book reviews actually gave you something to think about along with an assessment of the book, then by all means check out www.booksquawk.com
posted by landgirl @ 2:19 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
I read all the time. But I have found book reviews very difficult to write -- especially if I didn't particularly like the book. This got me in trouble when I was on the board of editors of the local bar magazine because I agreed to do reviews on a number of books... but only turned in some of them.
(Hey look! An ellipse.)
There's a real talent to writing a good (as opposed to a positive) review. My favorite movie critic is Roger Ebert -- his reviews are on line -- I don't have any intention of seeing most of the movies he reviews, but I thoroughly enjoy what he says and how he says it. I learned last week, when I was reading his Friday reviews, that Ebert is a big fan of the late Isaac Asimov. Asimov wrote science fiction (a genre to which I am partial) and a lot more. I read a book of his on writing once, which I found enjoyable.
Of course, I've never read a book by Stephen King except for his book on writing (that was assigned to one of my kids in high school) and I thoroughly enjoyed that too.
I think the bottom line for both was that writing is something you do, and have to keep doing, in order to improve. They were just fortunate enough to find an audience.
Hi, Cur, I know what you mean about diffiuclt it is to write a review. I like Ebert, too. I used to lvoe watching Sickel and Ebert on TV.
BTW Thanks for the ellipse....
I also very much liked Asimov and his book on writing.
OK on this finding an audience thing, here's an excerpt from email from my daughter about what publishers don't do for you:
Re: the merits of self-publishing and relatively small sales for which you have to market solo versus big-publisher-publishing for larger sales for which you STILL have to market solo...check out this link (from a PR flack friend of mine in Dubai):
http://www.straightgoods.ca/2009/ViewBrief.cfm?Ref=187&Cookies=yes
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