Hello! Thank you for taking the time to check out my review policy! I’ll keep this as comprehensive as possible.
UPDATE: As of Sept. 17, 2012, I am no longer accepting review requests. This is because of my inconsistent schedule, and I still have to prioritize my studies over blogging.
What to expect from my reviews: The format I usually follow for my reviews (though on rare cases, I divert from this) contain a short summary, either from NetGalley or Goodreads (if it is unavailable or somewhat lacking I add my own), and my thoughts and feelings about it. I will not pretend to be a scholar and analyze its themes and characters, though I do that at times if the book really is thought provoking. You can be assured of my honesty in my reviews. I try to be as frank about my feelings as possible, but I try not to hurt anybody’s feelings. Still, I try to get the message across regarding my feelings on the book. 100% of my reviews are entirely of my opinion, but I could be on a different wavelength from other people and love something most don’t, or vice versa. Not all of my book reviews will be positive.
Reading Preferences: As it is, I am not really picky about books. From my past book reviews, you can see that my tastes vary – most of them are fiction, but there are reviews for nonfiction titles as well. For books in a series, if it is not the first book, I would generally ask for a copy of its predecessors, so I could understand the story better and could write a much better review. If I could, I would write a review of the past books as well. I also review classics and books that were not published recently (books before 2010), but usually these reviews are unsolicited and from my own personal decision. Most of what I read are geared towards young adults and adults, though I read middle grade books every now and then. I do NOT, however, accept erotica and books that I find offensive (i.e. against my religion, which is Roman Catholic. I have read the Dan Brown’s novels and they’re fine, but I draw the line on those that are really vulgar and try to blaspheme everything I believe in).
Rating system: I follow the Goodreads 5-star rating system. Please note, however, that I never hate a book. The worst would be “really dislike” but I don’t think the feeling could amount to something like hatred. That said, let me present what the ratings mean.
1 – I didn’t like it, disappointing, not what I expected (in a bad way)
2 – It was okay.
3 – I liked it.
4 – I really liked it. Really liked it. Already a big thing for me.
5 – I loved it. It was amazing. Mind-blowingly awesome. I can’t believe I just read that, it was not what I expected (in a good way). In a few cases, could actually change lives
Code Name: Blue 