ASKING FOR INPUT

Over on Meridian where I've been reviewing books for almost twelve years, I'm making some changes in my column.  First off my column is going to switch from weekly to bi-weekly.  But the most important change is going to be to the content.  This is where I need reader input.  What do you want to see? 

Several writers and author forums have advised authors to not read reviews of their books.  This is because of trolls who haunt sites like Good Reads and get some kind of sick pleasure out of posting nasty comments and reviews.  There's something about being able to post anonymously that brings out the sickos. Real reviewers don't attack authors or make blanket negative remarks.  If there is something wrong with a book, an honest reviewer will point out what the flaw is and often suggest a way to correct the problem.  Real reviews are an examination of a work, not an attack on the author. 

One thing I want to do is help readers understand literary jargon and to know the difference between genres.  I find it a sad commentary on the reading public when someone gives a book a low ranking number, star, etc., simply because it isn't the kind of book the reader prefers, such as finding a book is an historical novel when he/she thought it was a romance. It's unfair to pan a book because it's a genre the reader doesn't care for. I think it might be helpful too, to let readers know what to expect from a novel since book covers and blurbs don't always indicate the genre and sometimes a book fits into more than one category. 

I review for an LDS-oriented magazine.  In the future I want to place more emphasis on books that carry a message compatible with LDS values and I'll write about that value.  This doesn't mean the book has to specifically mention the Church or a particular doctrine of the Church, but it does need to have a theme compatible with LDS standards. I review both books from the well known LDS publishing houses, small publishers, and indies.  Contact me by email or on facebook private message if you need my address.

A few years ago I asked readers what they wanted and I was overwhelmed with requests for a warning concerning typos, spelling and grammar errors, and all of the messy results of a new electronic age. Does anyone still want this? This situation has improved, but not gone completely away. 

Another thing I will be doing is grouping books with a common theme together in one review.  I'll do this both when the books represent a common genre and when they illustrate a common point in spite of being from different genres, time periods, or styles. 

This is where you come in.  I want my column to benefit readers and writers.  Let me know what I get right, what you want to know about fiction, and what doesn't work or what you have a differing opinion on. You can use the comment section with my column on Meridian.  You can tell me here or on Facebook.