About/Contact

A short Q&A about me and my book blogging (you can also read an interview with me at The Book Bloggers).

Who are you and why do you have a book blog?

I’m a 30-ish Canadian former lab rat (that’s lab technician for the non-geeks out there) and current freelance editor/technical writer/any-kind-of-writing-you-want-me-to-do writer.

I book blog for a number of reasons:

It keeps me writing.
It keeps my web skills up-to-date.
It makes me a more attentive reader.
It helps me meet great people.
It helps me find books I wouldn’t normally try.
It keeps my book buying budget in check (this one is not working as planned).

What kinds of books do you read/review?

My library is on LibraryThing (also some reviews that didn’t make it to the blog). I put my reviews here (obviously) and on LibraryThing (and any service that happens to get reviews from LibraryThing). I read and review fiction and non-fiction.

In terms of non-fiction I review memoirs, self-help, science (particularly biotechnology, definitely not physics, and some things in between), and current events (international and Canadian). I have a particular interest in the philosophy of the environment, science, and bioethics but those books are harder to come by.

My fiction tastes are varied. I read thrillers (particularly technological, espionage, political and medical), urban fantasy, science fiction, romance, short stories, and (rarely) literary fiction. I read anything that interests me, which often falls outside the genres I’ve already mentioned.

How do you review books that you didn’t like?

I post both positive and negative reviews. I don’t trust a reviewer who gives exclusively positive or exclusively negative reviews because it’s very difficult to get a feel for the reviewer’s taste in books without seeing both sides. I am suspicious of books that get exclusively rave reviews, and I’m not the only one.

I try to be specific about what I like or don’t like about a book so that readers can decide for themselves whether the elements I talk about are relevant to them (everyone looks for something different in a book and a bad book to me may still be a good read for someone else). Most of the reviews on my site are positive simply because I choose books to review the way I choose books to buy — carefully. If I’m not willing to go out and buy the book (or get it from the library), I’m not going to ask for a review copy (or accept one that is offered).

How do you get your books for reviewing?

I get books through a number of programs that target book bloggers (HarperCollins FirstLook, LibraryThing Early Reviewer, MiniBookExpo) as well as by cold request (mine or an author’s/publicist’s).

Do you only review new releases?

No, although I often review new releases because those are the ones that publishers are willing to send out. Older books that I review are those in my own library or that have caught my interest in some other way. As a general rule, I do not review self-published books.

What is your turn around time for reviewing a book?

I try to keep my book pile fairly small. Generally, I review books within a month. Reviews are published at that time or saved until about a week before the laydown date unless otherwise requested.

Will you hold a book giveaway for me?

Sure, as long as you pay for the shipping costs and it’s a book I think my readership will be interested in (it’s of no advantage to you or me if the book doesn’t fall into that category).