"Why Do I Write Book Reviews?" by Richard F. Yates

I've been writing book reviews since February of 2017. Completed 126 of them so far. Before I started writing reviews, I published LISTS of what I'd been reading. So...why? Why do I do it?

I have rules for my reviews. I can read anything I want to read (I'm a grown ass adult), whether it's a comic or a paranormal romance or a Y.A. fantasy or a kids' book or a play or a philosophical treatise or whatever, BUT I've got to read whatever it is from cover to cover---even if I've read it before. (I'm a strong believer in rereading books.) I'm not allowing myself to review any books I don't finish. In addition, I'm trying to be as honest and as substantive as I can in my reviews. I can't just say, "It sucks." I have to say, "It sucks because of this, this, and this..." (Actually, I don't usually finish books that I find too tedious or unenjoyable, so MOST of my reviews are positive.) So that's the rules: read it cover to cover and be honest! However, this still doesn't explain the "Why" of my reviews.

There are a few different reasons that I write book reviews:

1. I read a lot. I love to read, and I've been a lifelong book fanatic. One of the biggest reasons I have for writing reviews is to SHARE what I've been reading with other people. If I love a book (or a song or a movie), I like to spread it around so that others might get the same joy (or chill or laugh or shock) that I get. Maybe I'll even get someone to DISCUSS the work with me (someday...)
2. This one is tied to the first, but focused more on the book itself. A lot of what I read is old or fringy or weird or not well known (not everything, but a lot,) so I often use my reviews to help promote some lesser known or forgotten books. Pretty straightforward. Keep the good stuff from falling between the cultural cracks.
3. The third reason that I write reviews is to help me understand the books better. Taking the time to think about the text, trying to understand what I liked or didn't like about it, how the work made me feel, and what the deeper elements of the story might imply, all help me write better book reviews, but this analytical approach also helps me better process and understand the works. (I hope I'm not the only person who gets a lot of enjoyment out of really analyzing a book that I love... Although, I admit, I might be...)

And that's why I write reviews. I get a lot out of them myself, and (I hope) my readers get exposure to a few books that, maybe, they haven't read before and might even enjoy! AND, finally, a work that might otherwise fall through the cracks gets another lease on life! (However limited that lease might be...)

More reviews are coming your way, REAL SOON!!! Keep an eye out!

---Richard F. Yates

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