Accepting Criticism

I have to share this incident with you all, if you haven't heard about it already. I have mentioned Trish's blog, Hey Lady Whatcha Readin', on here before, and she experienced a rather unprofessional response from a writer who asked her to read his book. A friend of Trish's posted a little about the incident on her blog, and because of all this I've decided that I'm going to address the subject here on my blog as well.

If I am asked to read a book, the first thing I do is find out from the summary if the book sounds like something I would enjoy reading. I would never accept something that isn't "my taste." That isn't fair to the writer. If I think it would be something I would enjoy, I agree to read it, but that's the only agreement I make. Beyond that, I agree only to be fair and honest in my review. If there is something I like or don't like about the book, I try to explain WHY in my review. When I'm excited about a book, that excitement comes through in my review; that isn't something I can fake. And quite frankly, I wouldn't fake it if I could. I would lose credibility that way. And while my credibility isn't important to many folks, it is important to me. It's kind of like going out on a date. Just because a guy pays for a date doesn't mean he's entitled to whatever he wants - or vice versa! Just as my body belongs to me, so do my mind and my opinions. Giving me a book doesn't entitle you to own my opinions. If you believe that it does, please don't even ask me to read your book.

I do make an effort to find something positive about every book I read. And I would NEVER go out of my way to be vicious or cruel. On the rare occasions that I give up on a book altogether, I don't review it.

So, those are the only promises I can make in regards to my reviews. Please remember, this is JEN'S Book Thoughts, no one else's.

Thanks!