My Review Style

My review style is kind of unique, and sets me apart from other reviewers. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I find myself quickly skimming through extremely long book reviews. In order to accommodate readers like me, my reviews* are numbered lists. Each number coincides with a bolded main point, and then I expound upon each of those main points for people who are in the mood to read all the details. This way you can either quickly skim my review and still get the important parts, or you can read the whole thing! It’s the best of both worlds, really. :)

* Well… most of my reviews. My mini book reviews are already short, so numbered lists are not necessary.  

What my stars mean:

DNF: Did not finish.
1 Star: It was a tough process, but I finished it!
2 Stars: Needed something more. I wasn’t totally on board.
3 Stars: “Meh”. It was just ok.
4 Stars: I’m SO glad I read it.
5 Stars : Loved it. You will too! In some cases, it’s a new gush-worthy favorite!

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12 responses to “My Review Style

  1. Dear Jana,
    We are about to launch our second children’s book in a series about a dashund named Coco that goes on adventures around the world. While visiting exciting places she ends up in a lost and found situation. Our first book took Coco on safari in South Africa and now she has an adventure in Rome. Many more Coco adventures are planned for the future.
    We would love to hear your thoughts on our second book and would like to send you a hardcopy. Please let us know where can we sent it to or if you rather prefer an electronic copy?

    Best regards,
    Hedwige and Vanessa

    • Jana

      I would love to read about Coco’s visit to Rome. Please visit my review policy, which can be found along my blog’s top navigation bar, and email me the book’s details. I will then provide you with my mailing address. Thanks for your interest!

      – Jana

  2. Jennifer

    I think you’re pretty great! :) you inspire me to read a greater variety of books that i never thought i would before. Thank you.

  3. Hi weird question, how do you select your books? Do authors send you them or are you an ARC reader for certian publishers? Or is it simply that you review what you want to read? Thanks!

    • Jana

      Hi there! This isn’t a weird question at all! I’m actually on mailing lists for most of the traditional publishing houses. I either receive unsolicited copies of ARCs in the mail (or digital ones in my email) or publishers/publicists will write to me with the press release and offer me a copy. Some authors will reach out to me directly. I only accept books that are in my preferred genres and that sound like something I would enjoy. I’m also on Netgalley and Edelweiss, which are both sites that bloggers, booksellers, librarians, and members of the media use to request e-copies of books directly from the publishers. I get a lot of my books that way. I also review books I buy or receive as gifts if I’m in the mood. :)

  4. Brittany Cadogan

    Hello Ms. Jana,

    I’ve never really done this before, so I’m not really sure of the etiquette for these kinds of things, but I’m a new author, who just released my debut poetry collection, “Melancholies Beneath an Indigo Sky” on February 9th, 2024 and I’d love to send you a copy if you’re interested. This is a compilation of personal poems that explore my own battles with depression, grief, loss, and learning to overcome those obstacles.

    I know your review list is probably more than 100 miles long at the moment, so I don’t expect you to read it anytime soon, but I’d still like to send you a copy with no pressure on you to review or anything! Here’s the Amazon link to see a bit more about my book: https://a.co/d/7p7UTaE

    I don’t really have any sort of following, so I’m just reaching out to bookish pages big and small to see if they’re interested. Anyways, like I said, I’m not really sure what the proper protocol is for this kind of thing, so all I could say (repeatedly) is that I’d love to send a copy to you in whatever format you want (eBook or paperback).

    I look forward to your response, but again: no pressure!