Book Reviews and Treasure Chests

My mom taught me that books are treasures. Now, when she sees the hoards of books that line my bookshelves, cover the furniture and sprawl along the floor, she teases that she never expected me to take those particular words so seriously.

You see, I collect books the way pirates collect treasure. Except for the robbing and pillaging part. (Just a reminder that pirating books is, well, ILLEGAL and punishable under the full extent of the law. Simply put...Don't Do It.)

Like any good pirate worth her salt, I know each and every book--errr...gold coin that I own and where's it's hidden, although that's generally in plain sight rather than buried in sand.

I love to read, I love to tell people about what I'm reading, and I love to write. So, when offered the chance to become a book reviewer, I jumped on board without a moment's hesitation.

One thing I've learned is that book reviewing is different than reading for pleasure because a credible review is so much more than I liked it or I didn't like it. I believe publishers, authors, and potential readers want honest feedback. And if a book isn't my favorite brand of rum, it's still my duty to evaluate its merit and worth without bias.

After I delve into the characters, plot, setting, relationships, and sensibility/believability of the story, I endeavor to explain not just what I liked or what I didn't, but why. The added bonus for me is that through this process I'm learning why NYT bestsellers are bestsellers and why others aren't and I'm hoping to use all that I glean to become a better writer.

Since I volunteer to review several books a month for The Seasons, and I have a to be read pile for my personal interests that could rival Jacob's Ladder, I've decided to use my blog as venue for the reinvestment of time spent reading and writing reviews.

When posting reviews at The Seasons, I'll follow their finely established rating system. However, when I post here, at It's KRISTAL kLEEr, I'll use the rating system I've developed consisting of gold coins for the book lover's treasure chest. Click here to preview my rating system.


Mark your calendars for the inaugural voyage of ...TUESDAYS TREASURES...and the christening post scheduled for October 19th, featuring Lauren Dane's upcoming release SECOND  CHANCES.

Ahoy, mateys. Happy Reading!