As a book reviewer, my primary reason for investing the time is to help other authors develop their creative juices. The first book I ever penned, Oliver’s Diary: An LGBTQ+ Love Story, won a 2018 Reader’s Favorite Finalist Award. The reviewers who took the time to offer their critiques and constructive comments only enhanced my writing style into the next decade. Since then, I have had multiple publications with five-star reviews.  I am grateful for each one.

As I begin the transition from a successful 40+-year nursing career into retirement, I look forward to reading more books and offering reviews to the next generation of authors. To do so, I have found it necessary to perfect my review technique. Perhaps it is part of the aging process, but reading the book through to the end and then attempting to review it no longer works for me.

With today’s technology, there are many methods for developing customized templates. I have done just that. The template gives me a place to record first impressions, which often turn out to be unfiltered and the most honest. I have divided the template into multiple sections: plot, themes, character development, writing style, pacing, structure, emotional impact, and memorable passages. By recording my observations while the material is still fresh, I capture both the small details and the larger nuances that shape my reading experience.

For example, when I am taking notes on character development, I might ask myself whether the main character feels real to me. Do their choices make sense? Does their growth feel believable by the end of the story? When I look at pacing, I pay attention to where the story grabs me, where it starts to drag, and where a scene feels rushed. In examining writing style, I note the overall feel of the author’s voice. Is it natural, poetic, funny, direct, emotional, or something else entirely? I also keep track of passages or moments that stand out, not always because I plan to quote them, but because they help me remember what the author does well. These small notes give me something solid to work from later.  My goal is for the final review to be based on specific observations rather than just a general feeling about the book.

This note-taking process becomes the foundation for the final review. Instead of starting with a blank page, I already have a collection of focused reflections that can be shaped into a coherent response. I often refer to my notes as a kind of sorting stage. My repeated observations become the first main points of the review. These observations best represent my reading experience. The template helps me move from scattered thoughts to an organized review that is fair, thoughtful, and useful to both the author and potential readers. As a reader, this process keeps me attentive. As a reviewer, it keeps me disciplined while still leaving room for personal reaction and an honest critique of the content.