Author & Educator
BOOK REVIEWS
Introduction
On Being a Reviewer - Someone Who Analyzes Books
I've been reviewing and publishing reviews and cover-copy (blurbs that go either on the inside front page or back cover) for authors and publishers since 1997 to the present. To date, I've published over 250 reviews and a few blurbs. The number of authors is too great to list.
"A reviewer's responsibility is to the publication's readers. I write for readers not for the author or publisher."
"In the arts, the critic is the only independent source of information. The rest is advertising."
-Pauline Kael
A good book review is an analysis, not advertising, although a review and its pieces are often used for advertising. Writing a review is an art form, not just a simple opinion. Book writing takes incredible stamina, determination, and talent. Reviewing books judges the writing. To judge accurately, a reviewer should not only recognize skill, style, meaning of the book, and its measure compared to others, but also possess certain abilities themselves.
Process is based on topic, style, and author. If a work contains a “good” message and style, I’ll read the work. At times, a book is recommended, or a review is requested. At others, the choice isn’t mine because a publication I write for needs a particular book reviewed. Sometimes, authors aren’t happy with my opinion. If an author doesn’t want an honest opinion, they shouldn’t ask for one. Only twice have authors given my publisher and me a hard time about a review of their work, even though I pointed out mainly the positives. A review is an honest assessment. If not, it’s advertising. Reviewers want readers to trust them for their honesty. A few always ruin it for the masses. Because a few authors were unable to handle the opinions they asked for, I will only write reviews of work I can say only positive things about. If the work is distasteful or poorly done, I refuse to do the review.
Some people believe writing reviews is a lost art. Certainly, the number of true reviewers is small these days and that is a shame. True reviewers analyze writing, are qualified, and share the truth about their findings. Everything else is advertising.
A Few of the Places Where Christina's Published Reviews Can Be Found:
Examples:
https://www.midwestbookreview.com/rbw/jan_05.htm#christina
https://www.midwestbookreview.com/rbw/may_18.htm#rc
https://www.midwestbookreview.com/rbw/jun_12.htm#rc
Examples:
http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/December04/pf_anti-cancer.htm
http://www.susunweed.com/Weed_letter_Jan03.htm#menobookreview
Examples:
Big list of books here: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/christina-francine?list=reviews
Lancelot's Lady
"Lancelot's Lady is a non-stop romantic adventure combined with the agonizing struggle to not give in to
the magnetism between two people with troubled pasts. Enticing. Fun." -- Christina Francine, reviewer for
Midwest Book Review
To read the full review, please go to the Reviewer's Choice page at Midwest Book Review and scroll down.
It's currently the second review.
The River
How far do we go until we’ve gone too far?
"Exciting and vivid…A thrilling adventure where science sniffs harder, desperate to find the fountain-of-youth."
―Christina Francine, reviewer for Midwest Book Review
Foreword Reviews
Various book reviews here, but they don't show currently.
A few titles were:
No Escape, My Young Years Under Hitler's Shadow by W. John Kockh
No Noose is Good Noose by Lawrence B. Fox
Yet Another Book Review
A multitude of Speculative Fiction reviews here. The site closed down around 2005.
And so many more........
Recent Reviews
