Here we are on a Thursday, and our thoughts are caught up between the upcoming holidays and what’s going on for the rest of this week. So today’s provocative prompt from Booking Through Thursday is…well, contemplative:
So … you’ve just finished reading a book. For the sake of the discussion, we’ll say it was everything a book should be—engaging, entertaining, interesting, thought-provoking. The kind you want to gush over. The question is—do you immediately move on to your next book? Or do you take time to contemplate this writerly masterpiece and all its associated thoughts/emotions/ideas for a while first?
***
That’s an easy one. While I have been sifting through my thoughts as I read and right afterwards, I also am eager to get those thoughts down…for my review.
Because the days of just reading and moving on are long over. And because it’s not always easy to remember all the fine points afterwards if I don’t push ahead to the review, it’s also important to turn those thoughts into the most detailed (without spoilers) review that I can produce.
That does not mean I don’t often muse about the book for the sake of musing….but those thoughts have another purpose. And even as I am reading, and especially if the book is one I’m going to want to reflect about, I am also jotting down notes. For the review, but also to trigger the memories later.
Then, after writing and posting my review, and only then, do I move on to the next book. This also helps prevent a backlog of reviews to write, which would make the whole process too much like work.
What about the rest of you? What reflections/thoughts/musings do you have afterwards, and what do you do about them?
I love your answer, I agree with it. I like posting my thoughts and than moving on to the next book also.
Great minds think alike! lol
Yes, and once I’ve written my thoughts (in a review), I feel as though I can truly move on. Thanks for stopping by, Gigi Ann.
Oh, that photo took my breath away: The pen, journal in beautiful writing and the ink pen with a leaf beside it. Also, your thoughtful words. Thanx Laurel.
I love it, too, Tea….so much, in fact, that I included it with some other photos in a collage for my website header here:
http://laurelrainsnowauthor.com/
Thanks for stopping by.
I completely agree with your answer. I couldn’t move on to a new book without first reviewing the one I finished. It keeps everything fresh in my mind and if I moved on, little details would be lost. I often read older reviews to jog my memory about a book and I couldn’t imagine how much I’d forget if I didn’t write a review right after finishing! Great answer.
Thanks for stopping by!
That happens to me, too; I fear that I would lose details if I didn’t write a review right away. And if the book review can’t be posted right away because it’s for a blog tour scheduled for a certain date in the future, I still write the review on a Word doc.
Thanks for stopping by, Megan; and I also like to reread my reviews to refresh my memory about a book.
I don’t write a review of every book I read, only some of them. I also often have more than one book going at the same time (although from different genres.) The ones I end up writing reviews of on my blog are usually the ones I feel I want to recommend – or the ones that I feel a need to “argue” with!
A few years ago, I got in the habit of reviewing every book on Amazon…and then later, on Goodreads. Now I post my reviews on those sites and one of my blogs. It’s how I keep track of what I’ve read.
Thanks for stopping by, Dawn, and enjoy your reading.
I usually do make notes about books as I’m reading them. And ideally I like to write down my thoughts as soon as I finish a book (haven’t been so good at that lately). But generally I don’t allow myself any “down” time between books — just move right on to the next one. Probably not the best system, I know — but there are so many good books out there luring me on!
I agree about how the books lure us on; that’s why I quickly review each book as soon as I’m finished….otherwise, I’d forget the details.
Thanks for stopping by, Joy, and enjoy your books!
I’ve tried to make sure I write the review before moving onto the next book. It’s been a hard process, but I’ve found, especially with series, if I don’t write the review before starting the next book, the two books will blend together in my mind.
That is my fear, too; that the books will merge into one another. Therefore, review first before moving on. For that reason, I seldom read more than one at a time, unless they’re quite different from one another.
Thanks for visiting, Deanna.
Sort of a similar answer, after reviewing , I move on.
http://tributebooksmama.blogspot.com/2012/12/booking-through-thursday_13.html
That works for me, too, Tribute Books Mama. Thanks for visiting!
I agree with everything you wrote 100%. Thanks for sharing and for stopping by.
Glad you could relate to my post, Tasha, and thanks for stopping by!
Great post and I agree!
Thanks, Yvonne…enjoy the upcoming weekend.
Hi! Thanks for visiting my blog!
I review all of my reads but I don’t often make notes while I read the book. I make notes only if the book provokes some sort of extreme reaction from me, either contempt or admiration. For example, when I read The Time Traveler’s Wife I made a huge amount of notes because I loathed the book so much!
Yes, my note-taking is often when there is something that stands out that I want to be sure to include in my review. Thanks for visiting, Wuthering Willow; enjoy your weekend.
Hiya! Thanks for stopping by and commenting on Bookwyrming Thoughts!
I usually move on to the next book immediately, although that really depends on how tight everything else is. If I have all the time of my life, I would definitely post the review first. It also depends on days so it doesn’t interrupt with memes, cover reveals, blog tours and such. :3
Sometimes it’s hard to fit everything in….but I fear I’ll forget important details if don’t review immediately. Thanks for visiting, Sophia.
Great answer! I read, I think about it and write my review and I move on to the next book.
2 Kids and Tired Books BTT
It’s a process that seems to be working for me. Thanks for visiting, Holly, and enjoy your weekend.