As Stephen King once said, the path to becoming a successful writer involves a lot of reading, and a lot of writing. It’s a demanding profession that requires us to be critical of ourselves in order to mature as writers. Though we may, if at all, achieve some sort of fame from such endeavors, in the end, the rewards pale in comparison to the lessons we’ve learned while slaving over our works. The countless nights awake, writing and rewriting scenes until they’re absolutely perfect, pouring our emotions into the phrases, making sure the plot made sense; the demands of a writer are countless, to say the least.

As a book reviewer, I get a steady flow of books, many of which have captured my heart, many of which I’ve cried over, many of which I’ve written reviews for. Even now, as I’m heading off to that sadistic institution known as medical school, I still make time to read and review. Because of the hard work writers pour into their novels, I want to make sure I give them an honest review. This value is shown throughout the book reviewer community; honesty is the best thing we can give to potential authors and readers. This very reason is why I believe book reviewing is a privilege, rather than something you simply have to do. 

But for those of you who aren’t convinced, below are two of the major reasons why you should consider becoming a book reviewer.

Improve critical thinking skills: When writing a review, you need to analyze the book’s contents, then generate a brief but informative argument as to why anyone should or shouldn’t read the book. You have to know which what parts you liked, which you didn’t, and what the author could improve on. This criticism forces you to pay attention to the author’s tone, to ask yourself about the character’s motivations for doing the things they’re doing. It’s this type of thinking that helps many readers become intellectual thinkers; they’re able to see beyond themselves, all the while constructing effective statements that could promote or ruin the book.

Improve overall health: This type of activity does, of course, improve health. Studies show that avid readers tend to have improved concentration and memory retention. There has also been evidence that reading does help reduce the chances of you developing Alzheimer’s disease, which is always a good thing. What’s more, other academic institutions are beginning to take notice; in fact, medical schools are beginning to look for these wonderful readers in their applicant pool. After all, reading does help you become more aware of the people around you, and can thus increase your empathy. And that’s just what’s needed in the healthcare field.

Book review sites can provide you with a steady flow of books, many of which are from wonderful authors that I reference in these articles. Book reviewing builds up your mental capacity, alongside your physical and mental health. It allows you to become more empathetic of the world around you. Book reviewing is an art that can produce many benefits for both you and your writing. So I say, pick up a book, and start reading.