Creative Cohesion

How do you write a book review?  Is it a methodical process, progressing hand in hand with the reading of the book?   Or do you wait until you've experienced everything the book has to offer before churning out your thoughts?

Writing, whether it is fiction or nonfiction, creation or critique, is--for me--a highly creative process.  That is not to say that there is no skill or method involved, only that creativity is the driving force in the process.

I've never much enjoyed dissecting books into sterile pieces, mining out subtleties and imperfections.  I'd rather just dive into it, surrendering myself to whatever magic (insight, beauty, humor) it may hold...discovering along the way those nuances embedded in the layers.  Thus my note-taking and quote-making is rather erratic.  Something has to really stand out for me to take the time to write it down (and when I do write something down, I find it hard not to include it in my review!)

My book reviews are typically written within a day or two after finishing a book.  I wait for all the dust to settle in my mind while I mull over what really stood out as the defining part of the book.  I do try to limit the length of my reviews, striving for organization and clarity, in order to prevent boredom.  (This is directly related to the length of my attention span--not necessarily yours!)  Because of this, I often don't include enough of a synopsis: something I need to work on!

Thank you to Jennifer at Crazy for Books for hosting the Book Blogger Hop. I think I'll finally have some time this weekend to look around at what's new in the Blog-o-sphere.  How wonderful that the question she asked just happened to be one that I've been contemplating lately!  Leave me a comment so that I can be sure to visit your blog, and have a great weekend!