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100 Best Book Blogs To Follow in 2024 (Book Reviewers)

• Kirkus Reviews
• Maryse's Book Blog
• Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
• Modern Mrs. Darcy
• The New York Review of Books
• NPR Book Blog
• Amazon Book Blog
• Crossroad Reviews
• Barnes And Noble Book Blog
• Literary Titan
• Caffeinated Book Reviewer
• Joy's Book Blog
• Largehearted Boy
• TLC Book Tours
• Wishful Endings
• The Bookish Elf
• Linda's Book Bag | Loving books and reading
• Book Room Reviews
• Under the Covers Book Blog
• Rose City Reader by Gilion Dumas
• Nerdy Book Club Blog
• The Reading Diaries
• Independent Book Review
• The IndieView
• Bewitched Bookworms
• Annabookbel
• True Story Book Blog
• Zooloo's Book Diary
• Why Not? Because I Said So!
• The Writer's Life eMagazine
• Jazzy Book Reviews
• So many books, so little time
• Reading Is My SuperPower
• Utopia State of Mind
• Stuck In A Book Blog
• Sybrina Publishing
• Books'n'Stuff ~ Between the Lines
• One Book More
• Indie Reader
• Review Tales by Jeyran Main
• The Book Review Directory
• Jen Med's Book Reviews
• Ana's Attic Book Blog
• Socrates' Book Reviews by Yvonne Hering
• Author Anthony Avina's Blog
• The Book Review Crew
• Cybils Awards Blog
• The BiblioSanctum
• Alexa Loves Books
• Chick Lit Cafe
• Reviews By Martha's Bookshelf
• Portobello Book Blog by Joanne
• Rockstar Book Tours
• Travelling Book Junkie
• Bound 4 Escape
• Dublin Review of Books
• By the letter book reviews Blog
• Katie's Book Blog
• WildBlue Press
• Reading Matters
• The Bibliofile
• Crokes Blog
• Booknvolume
• Booklist Queen
• Vilma's Book Blog
• Kiss The Book Blog
• Cyn's Workshop
• Feed Your Fiction Addiction
• Reading Books Again

Book Bloggers

• Book Newsletter

Here are 100 Best Book Blogs you should follow in 2024

1. Book Riot

2. Kirkus Reviews

3. Maryse's Book Blog

4. BookPage

5. Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

6. Modern Mrs. Darcy

7. The New York Review of Books

8. Joel Books

9. NPR Book Blog

10. Amazon Book Blog

11. Crossroad Reviews

12. Barnes And Noble Book Blog

13. Literary Titan

14. BookTrib

15. Caffeinated Book Reviewer

16. Joy's Book Blog

17. Largehearted Boy

18. TLC Book Tours

19. Wishful Endings

20. The Bookish Elf

21. Linda's Book Bag | Loving books and reading

22. Book Room Reviews

23. Under the Covers Book Blog

24. Rose City Reader by Gilion Dumas

25. Nerdy Book Club Blog

26. The Reading Diaries

27. The Reader

28. Independent Book Review

29. The IndieView

30. Bewitched Bookworms

31. Annabookbel

32. True Story Book Blog

33. Zooloo's Book Diary

34. Why Not? Because I Said So!

35. The Writer's Life eMagazine

36. Jazzy Book Reviews

37. So many books, so little time

38. Reading Is My SuperPower

39. Utopia State of Mind

40. Stuck In A Book Blog

41. Sybrina Publishing

42. Books'n'Stuff ~ Between the Lines

43. One Book More

44. Indie Reader

45. Review Tales by Jeyran Main

46. The Book Review Directory

47. Jen Med's Book Reviews

48. Ana's Attic Book Blog

49. Socrates' Book Reviews by Yvonne Hering

50. Author Anthony Avina's Blog

51. The Book Review Crew

52. Cybils Awards Blog

53. The BiblioSanctum

54. Alexa Loves Books

55. Chick Lit Cafe

56. Reviews By Martha's Bookshelf

57. Portobello Book Blog by Joanne

58. Book Club

59. Rockstar Book Tours

60. Travelling Book Junkie

61. Bound 4 Escape

62. Dublin Review of Books

63. By the letter book reviews Blog

64. Katie's Book Blog

65. WildBlue Press

66. Reading Matters

67. The Bibliofile

68. Crokes Blog

69. Booknvolume

70. Booklist Queen

71. Vilma's Book Blog

72. Kiss The Book Blog

73. Cyn's Workshop

74. Feed Your Fiction Addiction

75. Reading Books Again

• Book Marketing Blogs
• Book Club Blogs
• Historical Fiction Blogs

Book Review Blogs By Country

Kirkus Reviews About - Book reviews and recommendations from the most trusted voice in book discovery.

BookPage.com - The Book Case Blog About - America's book review: sharing the best in new books since 1988. Includes fiction book reviews, nonfiction book reviews, children's book reviews, romance, sci fi etc.

For Reading Addicts About - British bibliophiles brilliantly babbling about books, bookshops, bookshelves!

Lovereading | Helping you choose the next book About - Lovereading is the UK's leading book recommendation site where you will be guided to great books that will keep you inspired and entertained.

Travelling Book Junkie About - Inspiring book lovers worldwide to pick up their passports and explore the world whilst focusing on their love of literature. We highlight the literary trails you won't want to miss. We explore locations that authors have visited and gained inspiration from.

49thShelf.com: Discover Canadian Books, Book Reviews, Book Lists & more About - Canada's biggest selection of Canadian books, Canadian authors, book reviews, book lists, and more. It is A website stocked with Canadian books by authors both world-renowned and up-and-coming, writing in every genre. On 49th Shelf, you’ll find books you’ll never forget, meet people whose lists and reviews you’ll admire, and learn more about the authors who intrigue you.

Chapter by Chapter | A Mostly YA Book Blog About - A Mostly Young Adult Book Review Blog, You'll find reviews on different YA, MG, and some Adult novels. The reviews will generally be in two perspectives; one adult and one teen.

Rabid Reads – Speculative Fiction Book Reviews About - Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance and Young Adult are the three main genres featured on Rabid Reads but Historical Romance, Fantasy and Erotica books also make the occasional appearances. Two out of our four reviewers have a strong penchant for stories that showcase werewolves and as a result, the blog has cemented itself as one of the leading paranormal fiction authorities on all things furry.

Darlene's Book Nook About - I am a busy mother of two, and I love reading on the go! I love listening to audiobooks on my iPod. My genres of interest are paranormal, suspense/thriller, mystery, young adult, horror, urban fantasy, fantasy, romantic suspense, mainstream fiction, and juvenile fiction (which I will read aloud to my children). Accepting a book for review does not guarantee that my review will be positive. I can only post fair and honest reviews which I feel will be helpful to readers.

The Boomerang Books Blog About - Founded in 2002, Boomerang Books is Australia's online independent bookstore, with a distinct focus on Australian books, Australian authors and Australian publishers. Specialising in Australian books and Australian authors, Boomerang Books has all your book buying needs.

Aussie Reviews | Reviews of great Australian books About - Since 2001 Aussie Reviews has been drawing attention to the wonderful literary talent in this country by providing online reviews of all kinds of Australian books – from adult fiction to children’s books to non-fiction.

Booklover Book Reviews | Find your next great read today About - Hi! I’m Jo, an unabashed book lover living in Brisbane, Australia. Since starting this website in 2009 I’ve come to realise I enjoy writing about books almost as much as reading them. Read hundreds of book reviews, wide range of titles by Australian and international authors, book giveaways, author interviews. Find your next great read today!

The Booktopian About - Voted Australia's Favourite Bookstore. We love books and want to spread the word. Delivering more than 4 million books per year, we offer competitive prices and stock a wide range to guarantee faster delivery times. Bringing together writers and readers, combined with our expert opinion, Booktopia is Australia's local bookstore.

BookGeeks | Book Reviews | Author Interviews About - BookGeeks is a book review blog dedicated to Indian authors. We do Book Reviews, Author Interviews and help Indian authors promote their books. Our mission is to be the first choice of book lovers looking for simple & apt review of books written by Indian authors. Find the best books written by Indian authors on bookGeeks.in

Booxoul | The love literature, books & all things bookish About - If you are looking for one blog to meet all of your diverse book review needs, Booxoul it is. We review books, suggest books and we try our level best to answer the most asked book-related questions.We love literature, books, and all things bookish, and want to share that with the world through our Blog, We are the excitement of realizing you’re falling in love with a book and so much more. And the only thing we like as much as books is talking about books with you all.

Vidhya Thakkar | Read, Write & Explore! About - An Avid reader, a Gemini Soul and A versatile personality. Know about books, Lifestyle. One who Love to review books. A girl who loves the smell of a new book, a reader, a girl who wants to Inspire. At the end, I am an Entrepreneur and a Social media trainer who love to communicate and meet new people, so don’t hesitate to connect. A Mumbaikar soul who loves to communicate with various people led her to the creation of #Mumbaibookstagrammers.

Anu Reviews About - Anureviews is a book blog featuring books reviews, author interviews, excerpts and all other activities related to books and publishing. I have been reading ever since I can remember and reviewing them for more than 10 years now on this portal Anu Reviews. Never thought that writing down my reflections on the books I read is going to culminate into this. Sharing my thoughts with other readers have often given me multiple views of the books we read and authors we talked about.

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The 50 Best Book Blogs

Last updated: april 20, 2024 . updated every 24 hours ( learn more )., book blogs changelog, we pride ourselves on keeping the list updated and accurate.

September, 2023

Changed the URL for the Waterstones blog as it's hosted under a new directory

Fixed the link for The Uncorked Librarian as it now uses 'www'

Fixed the link for Nose in a Book as it no longer uses 'www'

Fixed the link to For Reading Addicts as it's now secure

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50 Best Book Blogs to Read in 2022

Book blogging can be fun, but reading other literary and book blogs is part of the fun as well. I often prefer book reviews from other bloggers over ones in literary magazines or newspapers, since they’re sometimes more straightforward and candid about their thoughts.

When it comes to other book blogs, I tend to follow blogs that update more frequently and ones that post more in-depth book reviews, though I know not everyone likes lengthy book reviews. I also appreciate a layout with good navigation, nice graphics or high-quality photos to go with their posts. And in general, I’m more inclined to recommend blogs that have been around longer.

So, in a completely unscientific and totally subjective list, here are my picks for the 50 Best Book Blogs to Read !

General Fiction and Non-fiction

Non-Fiction

Crime and Thriller

Romance Novels

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Young Adult

Writerly Blogs (Blogs Geared to Writers)

Literary Blogs

Corporate & News Blogs

Obviously, there are so, so many more fantastic book blogs out there — feel free to drop a comment if you have a favorite book blog that you think belongs on this list!

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43 comments

Share your thoughts cancel reply.

This is so nice. Thank you! So honoured to be among some amazing blogs. ❤️

you’re so welcome! I always look forward to your blog posts! :)

Thank you for this! I’ve only been on WordPress a few months and am trying to find more great book blogs. I follow a few of these, but I look forward to checking the rest out.

awesome! glad to spread the book love! :)

Great list! Sadly, middle-grade book bloggers get ignored a lot. There are so many fantastic bloggers who share books for kids at a crucial stage of their lives. Many middle-grade books also tackle issues that adults can benefit from reading about too.

I found your blog and have bookmarked it. It looks really great!

Aw, thank you! Hope you enjoy :)

hey Afoma, thank you for sharing your thoughts — I totally agree that middle-grade books can be really valuable. I just don’t personally read those books so it’s a little harder for me to judge, feel free to let me know if you think there’s any blogs that definitely belong on this list and I’ll be happy to check them out! :)

Oh, this is fun. Thank you for the list.

glad to hear it! thanks for reading!

Thank you! I got to know about (and follow) some amazing blogs as well as Bookstagram. 😍

that’s great to hear! thanks for dropping by!

Great post for finding new blogs, thanks for sharing your favorites!

thanks for reading! :)

So honored to be included on this fantastic list! Thank you so much Jenn, and I now have a bunch of blogs to check out!

you totally deserve it, your blog is always full of thoughtful high quality content :)

I agree with Afama Umesi. Middle-grade books are rich and exciting. I hope you will give some a try.

hey rosi, I totally agree that middle-grade books are really valuable and important. it’s definitely something I should consider, if you have a favorite, I’d love it hear it!

Thank you so much for including my blog on your list, Jenn! Feel so honored and grateful! I see some other blogs which I follow in this list too! Yours is one of the few I follow closely and whose reviews I enjoy reading, always detailed and unbiased! Now, time to check out the other blogs on your list! Thank you for taking the time to do this, Jenn ❤️

hey jee, I always love your reviews and I think you have fantastic taste in books! thanks for being an awesome part of the book blogging community! :)

Thank you, Jenn and right back atcha! ❤️

For your Science Fiction and Fantasy heading, I’ve been enjoying this blog: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/feed/ .

Thank you so much! ❤️

you’re so welcome! :)

This is an awesome post! I’m always on the lookout for more blogs to follow.

thank you, and glad to hear it! :) thanks for reading!

It is exactly the post I needed! Thank you 😊 I’ll check them all 👍🏼

that’s awesome to hear — thanks for dropping by!

Thank you so much for including me…and putting this list together so I can find other fantastic bloggers to follow!

Hi Jen, I can understand that it would be hard to judge since you don’t read MG. For one, I blog about middle-grade books on afomaumesi.com/blog. I also wrote a post about six kid lit blogs I frequent: https://afomaumesi.com/top-kid-lit-blogs/

A few other middle-grade book blogs I read are:

MGBookVillage https://mgbookvillage.org Kidlit Underground https://kidlitunderground.com/ Chattering Librarian https://chatteringlibrarian.com Here Wee Read http://hereweeread.com/ Bridget and the Books https://bridgetandthebooks.com Lindsay Maeve Schubert https://lindsaymaeveschubert.wordpress.com Imagination Soup https://imaginationsoup.net/ Cece Librarian https://cecelibrarian.com

I hope these few get you started :)

Thank you very much to be useful for develop my books website. And this is the information I was looking for

This is an incredible list of book blogs.

Is there anyway you can include my blog (www.bookishelf.com) to this list?

Please consider adding Fictionophile.com to your book blogger list.

Thanks so much for this awesome list! I can’t wait to dig in and find some new favorite bookish corners! For the SFF section, I recommend this blog: https://www.bookishvalhalla.com I love finding all these hidden gem books there <3

Thank you so much for the shoutout for my blog! And thanks for showing me so many great blogs to follow. Sue The Bookalicious Babe

Oh gosh, I am so honored to be included on this list – thank you so much! If you ever decide to create a button let me know, as I would love to boast about this listing on Reader Voracious :)

This topic excites me since I am a fan of books, I think that a book has the most explicit things, it seems that you were the character, it is a world that I love if it were me I bought a library.

Thnaks for this complete article!

I Must Say person Who Wrote This Article has a Great Taste In Books

it is very nice and useful content thanks for sharing

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Book Marketing for Self-Publishing Authors

Home / Book Marketing / Ultimate List of the Best Book Review Blogs

Ultimate List of the Best Book Review Blogs

Book reviews are one piece of the book marketing puzzle . An important piece that some authors find impossible. This article is designed to help you get those initial reviews to bring in and sales and, you guessed it, more reviews.

In this article, you will learn:

• Why book reviews matter
• How to get your book reviewed by blogs the right way
• What to look for in a good review blog
• The best book review blogs for your genre

Table of contents

• Verified purchase reviews
• Does Amazon put a lot of weight on verified reviews?
• The mentality of the Buyer
• Different Types of Book Review Blogs
• Professional Book Reviewers
• Easily Understand Amazon's Book Review Do's and Don'ts
• List of the Best Book Review Blogs by Genre
• 1. Guilty Pleasures Book Review
• 2. Jeri’s Book Attic
• 3. Kindle Book Review
• 4. Reads all the Books
• 5. Literary Titan
• 1. Jeri’s Book Attic
• 2. Guilty Pleasures Book Review
• 3. Fang-Freakin-taskic- Reviews
• 4. Early Bookish Birds
• 5. Kindle Book Review
• 6. Christian Book Reviews
• 7. Reads all the Books
• 2. Raven and Beez
• 3. FanGirl Confessions
• 4. Kindle Book Review
• 5. Christian Book Reviews
• 6. Reads all the Books
• 7. Jessica Map Reviews
• 8. Dream by Day
• 2. Kindle Book Review
• 3. Romancers Rehab
• 4. Totally Booked
• 2. Early Bookish Birds
• 4. Chapter in My Life
• 2. Fang-Freakin-taskic- Reviews
• 3. Raven and Beez
• 8. Jessica Map Reviews
• 9. Aces High Joker’s Wild
• 10. Cat Pollock Writes
• 5. Jessica Map Reviews
• 3. Reads all the Books
• 4. Jessica Map Reviews
• 1. Raven and Beez
• 2. Christian Book Reviews
• 4. Fictional Fates
• 7. Fictional Fates
• 1. FanGirl Confessions
• 4. Mundie Kids
• 2. FanGirl Confessions
• 3. Reading for Sanity
• 1. Christian Indie Book Reviews
• 2. Redeemed Reader
• 3. Mom of Wild Things
• 4. Dream by Day
• 1. Kindle Book Review
• 1. Rachel’s Reading
• Here are a few Instagram handles for you to check out:
• Book Review Blog Table
• The Right Way to Ask
• Digital Book:
• Paperbacks:
• How to Respond if They Say No or Don’t Respond:

Reviews and Amazon Ranking

You’ve probably noticed Amazon has two kinds of reviews. Some have a little “Verified” tag and some don’t. Amazon implemented the verified status to show the book was purchased from Amazon so people can’t just give their book to all their friends and get dishonest or biased reviews. Of course, readers who get the book as a prize or from signing up for your newsletter can still review it, but Amazon doesn’t give as much weight to those reviews in its algorithms. Which leads us to our next tidbit…

Yes, they do. Even if two books are selling at the same rate, a book with more positive verified reviews will rank higher than one with fewer reviews . You can still hit number one if you’re selling enough copies compared to the other books in your category , say during a promotion .

Which brings us the next piece of this crazy puzzle:

There’s no doubt the publishing world changed dramatically in the last ten years. With it changed the way readers find books and make purchasing decisions. According to this post from Written Word Media readers are most likely to buy a book if it has 30 or more reviews with an average rating greater than 3.5 stars on Amazon .

For this post, I created a survey for readers. I set out to see how much weight bibliophiles put on book reviews. I got several responses from people 60-years-old and older who don’t look at reviews at all. So if you’re targeting older readers, reviews may not be as important for the readers…but, they’re still important for the algorithms.

So beyond getting reviews from your email list , are there other ways authors can get more reviews?

Enter book review blogs…

There are two main types of book review blogs:

• Professional (aka Paid)
• Blogs (aka Free)

Professional reviews are ones that are paid for and cannot count toward Amazon’s ranking. You can put them in the editorial review section which can help if you don’t have any other reviews.

Kirkus – The Kirkus Review used to be the be-all end-all of editorial reviews. It carried a lot of weight in publishing. But more recently it seems they have lost their edge. Readers aren’t looking to editorial reviews as much as they once did.

IndieReader – Similar to Kirkus is  IndieReader , who focuses on indie authors. Both are expensive and don’t give you as much in return as they once did.

Are Professional Reviews Worth It?

That really depends. If you just get the professional book review, and then sit on it, or don't even promote it, then you can't expect it to have a positive return on investment. However, if you add it to your Editorial Review section of your book's sales page on Amazon correctly, or use it in your book marketing tactics , then you can absolutely have a positive effect.

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Blogs that Write about Books in Their Genre

Authors and readers have filled the web with book review blogs. These bloggers are dedicated to reading and spreading the word about the books they read. They will usually review your book in exchange for a copy while others buy the books they read.

As I mentioned earlier, verified reviews hold more weight on Amazon. However, non-verified reviews hold just as much weight to most readers, so don’t discount a blog that requires you to send them a copy. These people are not getting compensation for their reviews (that would be unethical and against Amazon’s terms of service) so giving them a copy allows them to read more books.

This is also why a lot of the blogs listed below have additional things on their site.

Watch Dave's video below that explains when and how you can give your book away in exchange for a review using direct language from Amazon's policy.

Now that you are clear on the Amazon book review rules, let's jump into those blogs that review books for authors.

Later on, I'll explain the right way to ask a blog owner to review your book.

Some on review blogs this list are a little tricky to navigate, but I wanted to include a variety. Sadly, a lot of the really well laid out review blogs are overrun with requests and no longer accepting new ones.

When looking through this list of book review blogs, make sure to look for reviews with:

• books in your genre
• reviewers who give detailed feedback
• are accepting new review requests
• constructive feedback if they did not like a book

Note: The genre lists of book review blogs below are sorted by genre for your convenience. They are numbered in no particular order.

Use the Links Below to Jump to Review Blogs for Your Genre:

Paranormal / Urban Fantasy

Contemporary

Erotica / BDSM

Mystery / Thriller / Suspense

Sci-fi / Fantasy

Young Adult

Middle-Grade

Children's Books

Graphic Novels

Non-fiction

Bookstagrammers

Romance book review blogs:.

In no particular order, here are worthwhile blogs that review romance novels:

GPBR also has a lot going on for authors and reviews contemporary mainstream, erotic and dark romances, paranormal romances and romantic suspense. As well as reviews, GPBR also has opportunities for guest posting, author interviews, and an active Goodreads following.

While primarily a romance review blog on the surface, this website has a lot to offer. They review books in multiple genres and it has a lot of opportunities for authors. Including guest posting and author interviews. Check out the contact page for more information.

This site has so much for authors. They have reviews of course, but they also have book awards and readers choice specials. Because this is an entire team you’ll have to check out their “Get Reviewed” tab to see which reviewers are a fit for you and your book. Some genres only have one reviewer so those might have a slower turnaround. Keep that in mind as you make your request.

This blog is broken down into middle grade, young adult, and adult based on who the reviewer would recommend the book too.

Literary Titan is an organization of professional editors, writers, and professors that have a passion for the written word. Literary Titan reviews romance, and all of its sub-genres, as well as fantasy, mystery, horror, science fiction, memoirs and poetry. Literary Titan also conducts author interviews, and recognizes talented authors with their Literary Book Award where recipients are announced monthly.

Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Book Review Blogs:

These blogs will review your paranormal or urban fantasy books:

This site is all about horror and the paranormal but if you have a strong romance plot sub or otherwise, I’d avoid these ladies. They are very clear about their preferences in their review policy. The genre’s they read include paranormal, urban fantasy, horror, speculative fiction, science fiction (limitedly), and epic fantasy.

Nada reads YA, NA romance, fantasy, thrillers. So if your book falls into one those categories this is the blog for you. With a search bar and a beautiful layout, this site is also an excellent place for your book.

This one is all about Christian books. That’s all they do. While Rachel might be a good fit if you have Christian themes or book on Christian living, CBR is the place for books where Christianity has a more prominent role.

Contemporary Book Review Blogs:

These blogs will do book reviews for contemporary books:

This two-woman show reviews books in the following genres fantasy, science-fiction (including steampunk and zombies), young adult, middle-grade, contemporary, dystopian, horror, and a HELL YES to graphic novels (of the mentioned genres).

This fangirl reads YA, NA & adult, fiction, contemporary, psychological thrillers, murder/mystery, graphic novels, and children's books. She’s also open to other genres so have a look at her blog and see if she might be a good fit.

Jessica accepts the following genres thrillers, mysteries, true crime, historical fiction, horror, general fiction, YA, and fantasy.

Samantha’s blog Dream by Day is a one-woman show. What sets her apart from others on this list is her love literary fiction. She also read mysteries and things but finding a reviewer who enjoys literary books was tough. She also has an Instagram where she shares book reviews giving you two opportunities. Her Insta following is small (for now) but as bookstagram grows in popularity so will this feed. She’s got the gorgeous photo thing down to a science.

Erotica / BDSM Book Review Blogs:

If your genre is erotica or BDSM, these book review blogs are worth checking out:

Romancer’s Rehab is a great little blog with a clear-cut rating system you can count on. Be sure to check this one out if you write erotica or other romance-related plots.

Totally booked only reads mobi files so that’s something to consider as you move forward. However, they share your review everywhere they are on the internet for maximum exposure. Definitely check them out.

Mystery/Thriller/Suspense Book Review Blogs:

For suspense, thriller and mystery book review blogs, these are your best bet:

Sharon is all about mysteries and crime. She’ll read crime fiction, true crime, thrillers/psychological thrillers, and mysteries (darker/noir). This dark themed blog goes right along with the books she reads. In her bio, Sharon mentions she’s in a few book clubs . Offering copies to the group might get more bang for your… time.

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Sci-fi/Fantasy Book Review Blogs:

For all the sci-fi and fantasy authors, these are the book review blogs for you:

This site is all about horror and the paranormal but if you have a strong romance plot sub or otherwise, I’d avoid these ladies. The genre’s they read include paranormal, urban fantasy, horror, speculative fiction, science fiction (limitedly), and epic fantasy.

This is an incredibly fun themed site that I just had to include! If you write science/tech-heavy fiction, or spy/secret government related books, this one is for you. The reviews titled “Travel Documents” and posted like a secret file make this one a blast for readers and authors alike. If you’re interested in having your book reviewed by Aces, you’ll have to head over to their facebook page.

This is another author turning to book reviews to help her fellow authors. I love seeing authors reaching out to readers and offering up books they enjoyed. We can’t possibly write enough books for most readers so share the love and write reviews. This is also a science fiction based blog.

Horror Book Review Blogs:

Here are blogs that will review horror books:

Historical Book Review Blogs:

Here are your historical book review blogs:

Young Adult Book Review Blogs:

These websites will review YA books:

Joel of the Fictional Fates website is strictly a young adult and middle-grade reader. He enjoys books in the following genres: fantasy (high, urban & fairy tale retellings), historical fiction, science fiction (sci-fi), contemporary, action/adventure, dystopian, paranormal, and mystery/crime. Note: Joel doesn’t have an eReader yet! So he prefers physical copies.

Middle-Grade Book Review Blogs:

For middle-grade, these blogs will do reviews:

Children’s Book Review Blogs:

If you write children's books , here are websites that will do book reviews:

Mundie kids a great place for MG and Children’s book authors to get some exposure for their books. They are not accepting unsolicited reviews at this time but put it in your calendar to check back in a month or so.

5. Realm of Books

Realm of Books is a great review site for middle-grade and children's book authors. It contains a relatively large volume of detailed, engaging reviews across a variety of genres, and they do accept requests for reviews.

Graphic Novel Review Blogs:

For graphic novels, here are your book review blogs:

Reading for sanity has multiple reviewers and accepts a variety of genres including graphic novels.

Christian Book Review Blogs:

These book review blogs will review Christian books:

This one is all about Christian books. That’s all they do. While Rachel might be a good fit if you have Christian themes or book on Christian living, CIBR is the place for books where Christianity has a more prominent role.

Another great blog that accepts Christian books. They suggest your book be accessible by local libraries so if you’re on Amazon only this may not be the blog for you. If you are on Kobo or Overdrive the library can order your ebook on request.

This blog has expanded from its original book focus to one that encompeses more family and parenting. However, Bethany’s love of reading still shines through and could be a happy home for both children’s books and adult fiction.

Dream by day is a great blog browse the reviews to see if your title would be a good fit. She enjoys a wide variety of books including christian titles and also offers author interviews.

Non-fiction Book Review Blogs:

These non-fiction book review blogs are worth checking out:

Memoir Review Blogs:

Finally, if you wrote a memoir and need reviews, here are book review blogs for you:

Rachel accepts young adult (All Genre), biography, true crime, memoirs, Christian living, non-Fiction (especially if it’s about cults), middle grade, adult fiction, thriller/mystery, comics, graphic novels, history, travel, and feminist literature.

I couldn’t write this post without making a note about bookstagramers. Instagram is a unique social media platform , but one not to be dismissed by authors. The hashtag on Instagram (#bookstagram) is an amazing place to find book reviews and reviewers that are engaged with readers. Most of these blogs had no comments. And I couldn’t find ones that did. I settled for active with more than 1k followers (if they listed their followers) and blogs that were accepting review requests.

With bookstagram you would be sending a physical copy of the book (most of the time) so they can photograph it for their feed and if all goes well you can offer to do a giveaway. They host it on their page and select a winner and you send out a book. (again keep in mind media mail and international shipping costs). The buzz around the give away will help your sales and the Instagrammer can grow their following. It’s that win/win I was talking about.

@ Jennyblogsbooks

@ cakefacerreader

@ inquisitivebookworm

@ 9racereads

For even more book review blogs, please check out the table below. And if you know of any blogs that are missing, please reach out!

How to Get Your Book Reviewed by a Blog

Once you’ve found a book review blog that’s a good fit, you need to dig a little deeper. The first thing you need to check is whether or not they are accepting review requests.

If you want to stand out among the other review requests these bloggers get, look for a way to help them. If someone says “Please review my book” and someone else says “Please review my book, and I’d like to write a guest post for your site” which one do you think will get a yes? The second. If you write a post, that frees up a week of this bloggers time, you’ll be ahead of the game. They might not accept guest posts, so just be looking for a win-win opportunity as you do your research. If you’re website savvy you might offer to help them fix a glitch. Or you could feature their site in your newsletter. Put yourself in their shoes and try to be helpful.

How to Respond if They Say Yes:

If they say yes, you’ll most likely need to send them a copy of your book .

Most reviewers accept ebooks, but some don’t. Make sure you find out before you ask for the review.

Please use some kind of third-party to deliver ebooks. As a reviewer, I’ve received PDF copies of books and they are a pain to get on a Kindle or iPhone. You can also choose to enact DRM on your books, which will help with ARC’s especially.

• BookFunnel – Bookfunnel is an amazing tool to help distribute your books. For $20 dollars a year you can have one pen name , 500 downloads a month, and store 5 books. This is great for beginners. If you want to step it up a notch and use Bookfunnel for collecting email subscribers as well, you can do so for $100 a year.
• Instafreebie – Instafreebie (now Prolific Works) is another option for delivering your book to bloggers. Their free version might be a good option for those just starting out.
• StoryOrigin – When you use StoryOrigin, not only do you join a community of other authors, you basically have all the not-so-fun back end of things taken care of by using them. They help you build your email list, find reviewers, deliver lead magnets and more. Be sure to check them out!

Some reviewers require paperbacks. Bookstagrammers (book bloggers on Instagram covered later) need the physical copy for their pictures and others just prefer the physical book. Whatever the reason, be prepared for this. If you don’t want to send out paperbacks, look for how the book should be delivered in the “Review Policy” section of the blog. Most reviewers who want paperbacks will tell you right there.

NOTE: When mailing paperbacks to reviewers, select media mail at the post office. It’ll save you some money. Also, mailing things internationally is expensive. Keep that in mind when researching reviewers.

• NetGalley – If you are traditionally publishing and have not signed a contract yet, ask them to add at least 100 galley copies to the contract. These will be digital copies of the book you can send to reviewers through NetGalley. If you’re not traditionally published you can still use NetGalley, but you won’t have to worry about a limit on how many you’re allowed to give away.

Move on. Do not respond negatively. If they respond with no, thank them for their time and move on. If they don’t respond you can send one follow-up (unless noted otherwise on their site) then move on. Don’t waste time being upset.

The bottom line here is you need reviews. Amazon rankings and reader buying decisions are affected by them. But don’t freak out about negative reviews. Remember your book isn’t for everyone and when people leave a review saying why they didn’t like it, it will help your ideal readers find you and keep others who would leave negative reviews way.

So do your research, plan your ask, find a win/win, and get your book into the hands of the right readers to get more book reviews .

Dave Chesson

When I’m not sipping tea with princesses or lightsaber dueling with little Jedi, I’m a book marketing nut. Having consulted multiple publishing companies and NYT best-selling authors, I created Kindlepreneur to help authors sell more books. I’ve even been called “The Kindlepreneur” by Amazon publicly, and I’m here to help you with your author journey.

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20 thoughts on “ Ultimate List of the Best Book Review Blogs ”

Great info! Thank you. I just published my first book and did not see Self-Help/Relationships as a genre. Who could I contact?

For book review blogs…hmm..I’m not sure.

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The Literary Edit

Thirteen of the Best Book Blogs to Follow

Finding the best book blogs to follow is becoming more and more popular and while books will always be my go-to, when it comes to my reading material of choice, I also love spending a lazy Saturday morning in bed with the sun streaming through my window catching up on the latest posts from some of my favourite book bloggers.

And while back in the infancy of book blogging, when most blogs about books for book lovers were unsophisticated at best, and downright dreary at worst, these days the best book bloggers are the proud owners of some seriously sophisticated sites. From the crème de la crème of bookish photography, to book memes, sleek lay outs and more, these bloggers are proving that books are anything but boring.  There are a number of fellow book bloggers I’ve been following for a while, but most of my current favourites have been sites I’ve come across in the weeks that have passed since my book blog won the London Book Fair’s Book Blogger of the Year award , meaning there are ample posts for me to read, requiring endless hours in bed as I pour over the best book review blogs.

From the new kid on the book blogging block, to some long-time and firm favourites, I’ve rounded up thirteen of the most stylish book lover blogs to follow. Perfect for anyone wanting to up their reading repertoire or in need of some beautifully bookish inspiration. And so, whether you’re looking for book recommendation blogs or book reviews blogs, book bloggers to follow, the very best new books to read, the latest mystery books, or some inspiration for your next book club, read on for my very favourite and most popular book blogs.

Looking for Abura

A blog about books I’ve come across most recently, has been Looking for Aruba; a beautiful blog featuring books, life and style from Dubai-based Abeer. A self-confessed caffeinated geek who spends most of her time buried under the pages of a book, her blog features everything from photo diaries to book reviews and personal outtakes, and it’s oh-so-easy to lose yourself in the pages of her blog. With a beautiful Bookstagram to boot, it’s easy to see why she’s a book review blogger with such a legion of loyal followers.

Kath Reads is another blog I’ve come across in recent weeks, and suffice it to say I’ve spent many hours since pouring over her plethora of book reviews. A great source of fiction book reviews, Kath is a Filipina living in Germany with her husband, and covers books by everyone from J K Rowling to John Green – from romance books to mystery books and many more besides. And as a fellow chai latte lover, it’s clear the girl has great taste.

With book reviews in both English and Dutch, Netherlands-based Femke reads all things YA, offers readers an intimate insight into her love of books and is one of my favourite book review blogs. She too has a lovely Bookstagram account, that features flowers, fairy lights and the all important cup of tea alongside her current book of choice. Find out which tomes Femke chose for my  Desert Island Book  series.

The Guy with the Book

While no stranger to having an online book-fuelled platform, Faroukh from The Guy with the Book has turned his Bookstagram talents (he recently won the London Book Fair’s Bookstagrammer of the Year) to the world of book blogging. With everything from Instagram tips to The Travelling Biblio Chronicles – a new series in which guest bloggers will be paying homage to a tale set in the city in which they live. Faroukh’s book blog is a fabulous online resource for anyone wanting to up their reading game. Faroukh too has been a great supporter of my book blog, and was also kind enough to share with me his Desert island Books picks which will give you book recommendations a-plenty.

The Book Satchel

I’ve recently featured Resh on my Desert Island Book series and she was one of the first blogs on books I thought of when I began putting this post together. She writes about everything from her predictions when it comes to book prizes to her thoughts on two books by the same author, and with posts covering her 30 books in 30 days challenge, her bookish blog, and captivating book reviews will inspire any avid bookworm to make more time for reading.

Yeldah Yousfi

When it comes to beautiful book blogs, Yeldah Yousfi’s literary and lifestyle blog is undoubtedly one of my very favourites. Fusing travel with books, you’ll find posts on everything from city breaks to her 2018 reading goals, and her stunning Bookstagram account offers some serious bookish inspiration, with pictures taken from Toronto to Paris and everywhere in between.

Lucy the Reader

Book blogger, author and Brontë Society’s Young Ambassador, Lucy Powrie from Lucy the Reader is one of the top book bloggers for all thing YA and definitely one of the best book blogs around. Creator and host of #UKYAChat, Lucy’s YA book blog offers great book reviews for teens and is fresh, vibrant and rich with great content – offering readers everything from book reviews to tips on getting published.

Savidge Reads

An esteemed name in the book blogging world, Simon from Savidge Reads started his book blog to stop boring everyone he met with talk of books, and has certainly come a long way since then. With a recent appearance on the BBC to discuss the Man Booker Prize winner, as well as having been on the judging panel for the 2017 Costa Book Award, he’s one of the most influential book bloggers out there. Alongside his popular book blog, he also has a fabulous Book Tube channel  and is co-host of The Readers Podcast .

Bookish Bronte

With one of the most popular Bookstagram accounts around, Bookish Bronte’s brilliant book blog gives readers an intimate insight into the life behind the lens of a bookish photographer. Having worked on countless campaigns with brands from Cath Kidston to Penguin Random House, Bronte offers readers advice on how to write engaging Instagram captions, to what life as a book blogger and bookish photographer is really like.

Bag Full of Books

Arpita from Bag Full of Books has got armchair travel down to a fine art and was another recent guest on my Desert Island Books . With beautiful visuals, and book reviews a-plenty, Arpita loves nothing more than being stuck in the middle of a good book, and having lived everywhere from India to the US she occasionally writes travel-themed posts, and also has an impressive list of classics she hopes to read her way through by 2021.

Modern Mrs Darcy

Book blogger, author and podcaster extraordinaire, Anne Bogel from Modern Mrs Darcy is the ultimate bibliophile, featuring everything from romance book reviews to a behind the scenes look at her progress from blogger to book, and is one of the best book blogs I’ve read. Host of the much loved What Should I Read Next  podcast, her blog posts cover topics from Expert Tip for a Pretty, Peaceful, Practical Bookshelf , to Discover Graphic Novels with these 8 Favourite Reads.  Putting a timely spin on timeless women’s issues, this beautiful book blog also features tips on house and home and is so much more than a books review blog.

Ink & Fable

One of the most stylish book bloggers in the blogosphere, since discovering Ink and Fable on Instagram a few months ago, I’ve been a huge fan of Patience Randal’s literary blog. With book store articles and book recommendations a key feature of her book blog, she’s also launched a Little Things  series, in which she documents the little things that have made her week.

A Bookish Baker

With a community book club on Instagram where they share cosy fireside reads, Helen from A Bookish Baker has mastered the art of comfort reading, and I loved reading her Desert Island Books picks. Her blog on books and reading captures the essence of al things brilliantly British. Alongside her bookish content you’ll find tips on online storytelling, book reviews, writing, Instagram photography, baking, chicken-keeping and the seasons. One of the top book blogs for when you want to inject some stillness and calm into a chaotic afternoon.

Do you read some amazing blogs for book lovers that I’ve missed here? Be sure to get in touch and let me know so I can update my list of the best blogs about books!

Read my Where the Crawdads Sing review next!

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41 comments on “Thirteen of the Best Book Blogs to Follow”

None of these accounts surprise me. There is so much inspiration to take from each one of them. Also glad you have discovered your blog

Thanks for stopping by Sushma – and I completely agree that there’s a lot of inspiration to be taken from each of the blogs! xo

Thanks for this great resource. Many of these blogs are new to me, and I can’t wait to give them a read.

Thanks for stopping by Andrea – I hope you love them all as much as I do! xo

This was a great resource for me! Thanks for posting. I’ve been looking for inspiration and this helped a lot!

Thanks for stopping by Taylor – so glad you found it helpful! xo

I am glad that I came across this post and blog. I am going to check out these other blogs as well. I love when I am going to come across other book blogs.

Thanks for stopping by Issy! Hope you enjoy the blogs I’ve suggested, and do let me know if there are any others you’d recommend. xo

This is great! I’ve been searching high and low the past few days for blogs that are similar to what I’m trying to do. I love Modern Mrs. Darcy of course but wanted to see what else was out there. Yay! So much good stuff. And your blog is fabulous – love, love, love it. Thanks again for putting together this post – it was perfect 🙂 – Nicolle

Hi Nicole, thanks so much for stopping by and leaving such a lovely comment. I’m so glad you found the post useful! xo

Great list.

I would add readability.com.au too.

It’s much more than a review blog, exploring the issues raised by authors and their books.

Thanks for stopping by Ben – will check out Readability!

These blogs sound amazing! I have a tiny little book blog too, so these blogs will be great for some inspiration. Thank you! The Voracious Bibliophile @ https://thevoraciousbibliophile.wordpress.com

These blogs sound quite interesting, Lucy! I’ll definitely visit them for some inspiration, and I have no doubt that I’ll love them. I have a tiny little book blog too, and I hope you’ll check it out! Thank you!

Hi there – I’m so glad you like the sound of these blogs. I’ll be sure to check yours out too! Lucy xo

Thanks for this awesome list! Some I have heard of, most I am eagerly waiting to finish this comment so I can go check them out! Great job! And love your own blog! It’s clean, dynamic, and full of great content! Thank you!

Thanks for stopping by Benjamin, and for your lovely words about my blog. Hope you have a great time checking out my favourite book blogs! xo

Hi, Nice blog site and great design. I really liked your pick for the best bloggers. Thanks

Thanks for stopping by Alexander. Glad you liked my pick of the best book bloggers!

Thank you for this blog! I have been a blogger for sometime and have been looking for an inspiration…and these blogs will help me to inspire more

Glad to hear it Samadhee! xo

Hey, this is a fantastic post! Thanks for sharing. As a blogger myself, I do appreciate ideas from a diverse range of places. Kudos!

Thanks Madeleine! xo

bookish bronte is the best book blogger of them all, i personally like him a lot

I’m a big fan of Bookish Bronte too – she’s incredibly talented, particularly when it comes to her photography skills!

Hey, my Saturday routine is the same as yours, copious cups of tea catching up on the latest posts from some of my favorite book bloggers :). By the way thanks for this article. Such an informative content!

Great minds thing alike! Glad you enjoyed the article xo

I checked out these blogs and many haven’t had any new posts for months. In fact, only three have posts within the past three months. Perhaps you could only include blogs who consistently post?

Hi Lynne, thanks for stopping by. I collated the list based on the quality rather than frequency of content from the various bloggers. Appreciate your feedback though and hope you have a great week!

Kath Reads is on of my fav!

Great post! I look forward to visiting all of them!. I’m new to the book blogging world and would love to ‘dip my foot in the water’ by getting some inspiration from these blogs 🙂

Thanks for stopping by Patricia – I hope they provide you with lots of literary inspiration xo

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Thanks Rona!

Omg. these accounts are stunning

I would like to say you thank you for such an amazing blog on best books to follow. Keep it up and thank you.

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Hi Lucy, Love this list of beautiful book blogs! I’ll throw out my romance book blog as one for the list: https://www.shereadsromancebooks.com/ I also love how you highlight beautiful bookstores on your blog. I want to visit every one!

Great list of sites. I use a couple of these.

Thanks so much for this list, I’m coming to it late but I’ve started researching book review blogs since I started my own, building it up slowly but I love reading. https://www.imlovingbooks.com

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The 21 Best Book Blogs of 2021

#scribendiinc

Written by  Dana L. Church

Start reading the best books of the year

Want to embrace your inner book nerd but don't know where to begin? Look no further. These book blogs cover a range of genres and topics that will appeal to every kind of book enthusiast. So go ahead and check out the 21 best book blogs of 2021. There's sure to be something that catches your eye.

The 21 best book blogs of 2021

1.  amazon book review.

This book blog topped Scribendi's 2020 list , and it's easy to see why. It's probably the most comprehensive book blog out there for contemporary works, and it covers all kinds of genres. The Editors' Picks seem to have something for everyone.

All of this booky goodness is presented on a bright, easy-to-navigate website. There are even celebrity picks, where "celebrity" encompasses not only film and TV stars but also athletes, musicians, and authors. I must say that this book blog also tops my list when it comes to what's hot off the press and for its sheer variety.

2.  John Pistelli

If you're not concerned about hot topics and current events and are just looking for a good read, then this is the site for you.

John Pistelli is a professor at the University of Minnesota and holds a Ph.D. in English literature. He has also published several works of fiction and poetry. His website provides a new book review every week or so, and his choices are anchored in his personal interests, which center on classic and contemporary fiction. Take a look at his review index for a ton of books to choose from, each with his thoughtful and artful opinions and musings. He covers novels, nonfiction, poetry, drama, and comics, and he even throws in some commercial fiction for good measure.

What also caught my eye is his "lifetime reading list," which includes titles you'd expect to be recommended by an English professor—but also some surprises.

3.  Literary Hub

This book blog has everything you need to keep up to date with the literary world, plus some news and culture on the side. In addition to its numerous resources for both reading and writing, what caught my attention is its "Book Marks" section.

Similar to what "Rotten Tomatoes" does for movies, "Book Marks" compiles book reviews from magazines, newspapers, and websites and averages them into a score of "Rave," "Positive," "Mixed," or "Pan." You can also leave your own comments and reviews. Literary Hub is also a great site for finding your next favorite book-related podcast.

4.  49th Shelf

This site calls itself "the largest collection of Canadian books on the Internet." No kidding! The site is extremely comprehensive but also very easy to navigate. There's something for everyone, and you can sign up for free to contribute your own reviews, comments, and book ratings.

5.  The Broadcast (by Reedsy)

If you like reading lists, you'll love this book blog. From "10 Exciting New Books From Up-and-Coming Authors" to the "40 Best Spy Novels of All Time," you're sure to find a list that interests you.

Moreover, it's easy to get lost in their articles on a wide variety of book-related topics.

6.  A Life in Books

Blogger Susan Osborne has worked in book sales and as a writer and magazine editor. Her book blog is simple and crisp.

Susan provides thoughtful reviews and arranges books into unique categories, such as "Five Books I've Read," where she groups books in fives according to different themes, and "Six Degrees of Separation," where she links seemingly disparate books in clever ways.

7.  The Orangutan Librarian

This blog stands out not only for its unique name and concept but also for its color and charming sketches here and there.

Books are rated using a five-banana rating system and are accompanied by thoughtful—and, at times, philosophical—reviews. The Orangutan also invites comments. There are intriguing lists like "Books that Gave Me a Hangover" and "Forgettable Books—Books I Can't Remember…Though I Definitely Read Them (I Think)."

8.  Vilma Iris

Vilma Iris Gonzalez is an "internationally renowned book blogger and USA Today blog columnist" whose focus is on commercial fiction for a female audience.

She markets lifestyle, home, and beauty, but it's clear her heart is in books. Her site is smart and modern.

9.  From First Page to Last

What caught my eye about this blog, besides its stylish simplicity and plethora of reviews, were its unique categories like "Under the Reader's Radar – Celebrating the Quiet Novel" and "Spotlight on Publishers."

You're likely to spot a gem.

10.  Readability

Reading Fleur Morrison's blog feels like chatting about books with a best friend. She's honest, thoughtful, funny, and engaging.

I was pulled in by her accounts of her struggles with Dostoyevsky and stayed to read about her post-Harry Potter blues.

11.  Jane Friedman  

Jane's book blog stands somewhat apart from the others on this list because it targets writers, the writing life, and the ins and outs of the publishing world.

This site is a treasure trove for anyone looking to perfect their craft and learn more about the publishing industry. In addition to articles and book recommendations, Jane offers online classes and interviews with industry professionals.

12.  Electric Lit

Electric Lit's mission is "to make literature more exciting, relevant, and inclusive." This pleasantly quirky site is filled with unique essays, interviews, and reading lists provided by diverse contributors.

Of particular note are the lists "8 Books About Reckless Decisions" and "Offbeat European Children's Books for Adults."

13.  IndieReader

If you're interested in self-publishing and/or self-published books, this is the site for you.

IndieReader is "run by authors and writers for authors and writers." In addition to an enormous number of book reviews, you can find lots of helpful advice from indie authors as well as resources for how to distribute and market your own book.

In addition, if you do happen to be an indie author, you can sign up to have your book reviewed.

14.  School Library Journal

Confession time: I'm a children's author, and I love to read middle grade and picture books.

I couldn't resist including this blog. The School Library Journal is where it's at for comprehensive lists, reviews, and recommendations for all things kid lit.

15.  The Bibliofile

If you want totally honest and critical book reviews, you must check out Jenn's blog.

She's not afraid to explain why she didn't fall in love with books most people rave about, and she still gives thoughtful and thorough critiques of books she does love. Gotta respect that.

Jenn is a great source for thoughtful, interesting perspectives and viewpoints that make you think more deeply about books.

16.  Quillblog  

Quillblog is the book blog of Canadian literary magazine Quill & Quire . It spotlights literary news articles, prize winners, and, of course, book reviews.

This blog is a great complement to 49th Shelf to help keep you on top of what's happening in the Canadian literary world.

17.  The New Yorker 's Page-Turner  

A book blog from the folks who bring you The New Yorker magazine, this site is filled with thought-provoking articles and reviews of the latest up-and-coming fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and literature.

18.  The Millions  

The Millions is a fresh online magazine packed with reviews, lists, and author interviews. There are lots of recommendations categorized to suit a host of tastes. It's always exciting to check out their "Tuesday New Release Day" feature.

19.  Book Riot  

This website is teeming with book-lover culture. It's splashy, colorful, and full of energy.

You can find articles on various literary topics, assorted interest pieces, book collections, interviews, and examinations of book-to-movie adaptations. There are daily deals, giveaways, podcasts, and even a selection of book-related swag and “bookish things” to satisfy your inner book nerd.

20.  The Book Smugglers

Ana Grilo and Thea James are The Book Smugglers, "specializing in speculative fiction, YA and popgeekery for all ages since 2008." They also run Book Smugglers Publishing, which publishes speculative short fiction and nonfiction. Their blog was born after they started "smuggling" books home to avoid being threatened daily by loved ones for buying too many. Gee, I can't relate at all…

21.  Utopia State of Mind

Lili describes herself as "a scholar at heart, obsessed with SFF" (science fiction and fantasy).

She also focuses on diversity, smaller presses, and indie authors. Now and then, she includes some contemporary reads, too. She has a handy-dandy sortable table in her reviews archives, which makes browsing her site all the more addictive.

Thanks for reading The 21 Best Book Blogs of 2021! Whatever your fancy may be, I'm confident you'll find some great new books to dive into.

If you're an aspiring author yourself, be sure to check out Scribendi's Book Critique service. Our editors are experts at polishing prose to make it shine all the brighter. Moreover, if you're ready to pitch your book, Scribendi can also help you create a query package. There's no time like the present to chase your dreams.

Happy reading!

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Dana L. Church is a recovering academic and In-House STEM Editor at Scribendi. In between being a wife, walking her dog, and answering to “ Mommm! ” from her two kids, she writes middle grade nonfiction. Her first book, The Beekeepers: How Humans Changed the World of Bumble Bees , will be released by Scholastic Focus in March 2021.

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A Book Review Blog

On My Radar: April 2024

Here we are, time for an April 2024 On My Radar post! As usual, there are a lot of book reviews. But it seems a lot of you had a lot of other things to talk about. You can tell this was the case as evidenced by the number of posts in the Discussion and Bookish Miscellany sections. Anyway, have fun hopping around these On My Radar April 2024 posts!

• The Book of Thorns by Hester Fox – Blog Tour, Book Review! by Becky at Becky’s Book Blog
• After the Syzygy by J.D. Sanderson by Jodie at Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub
• Book Review – The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Chris at Biblio Nerd Reflections
• Song of the Huntress by Lucy Holland by Matt at Runalong The Shelves
• The Hemlock Queen – Book Review by Janette at Wicked Witch’s Blog
• Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg by Krysta at Pages Unbound
• Book Review – BLOOD OF THE OLD KINGS by Sung-Il Kim (translated by Anton Hur) by Nick at Out of This World SFF
• Book Review: The Stolen Heir by Holly Black by Athena at One Reading Nurse
• Book Review: To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X. Chang by Mogsy at The BiblioSanctum
• ARC Review: Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan by Rachael at Tea Rex Reads
• Review: CAN’T SPELL TREASON WITHOUT TEA by Rebecca Thorne by Caitlin at Realms of My Mind
• Snowblooded, by Emma Sterner-Radley by Jamedi at JamReads
• The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo by Nathan at Before We Go Blog
• Book Review: Compass and Blade by Rachel Greenlaw by Emma at Never Judge A Book By Its Cover
• Is Anyone Here? My WordPress Stats After 3 Months Of Book Blogging by Laure at Reading Delicacies
• A Guide to Blog Commenting by Jo Linsdell
• Historical Fiction Pros & Cons [Discussion] by Carol at Reading Ladies Book Club
• Why Are We Still Debating if Audiobooks “Count” as Reading? by Briana at Pages Unbound
• Love and the Male Redemption Arc: A Ramble Through Fantasy Literature by Peat at Peat Long’s Blog
• Are Tropes Spoilers? by Krysta at Pages Unbound
• Is It Possible to Separate the Art From the Artist? by Krysta at Pages Unbound

Bookish Miscellany

• Mapping the Route: A Month Until Wyrd & Wonder by Ariana at The Book Nook
• On My Radar: April by Ellie at Curiosity Killed the Bookworm
• Haiku Poetry Day 2024: Indie Authors by Mat at Tiny Elf Arcanist
• Rating Romance Tropes by Nicole at Thoughts Stained With Ink
• What if Chaucer’s  Canterbury Tales  came out today? by James Folta at Literary Hub
• Falling Letters 10th Anniversary Reflections by Jenna at Falling Letters
• Most Anticipated Books Of 2024 – Second Quarter by Tammy at Books, Bones & Buffy

ARC Review: Evocation by S.T. Gibson

Today’s review is about EVOCATION by S.T. Gibson. It’s the first book in Gibson’s new The Summoner’s Circle series. It focuses on the psychic prodigy David Aristarkhov try to shake off an old family bargain with a demon.

Author: S.T. Gibson Series: The Summoner’s Circle, #1 Age Category: Adult Publisher: Angry Robot Publish Date: May 28, 2024 Print Length: 304

Want to support local bookstores? Buy a copy of   Evocation  on  Bookshop.org !*

*These are not affiliate links and I do not make a commission from any purchase made using these links.

ARC Review: Immortal Pleasures by V. Castro

Today’s review is about IMMORTAL PLEASURES by V. Castro. It’s a standalone novel about an ancient Aztec vampire searching for vengeance and love. After centuries of reckoning with her traumatic past during the Spanish conquest of America, Malinalli is finally ready to search for emotional intimacy.

Author: V. Castro Series: None Age Category: Adult Publisher: Del Rey Books Publish Date: April 16, 2024 Print Length: 304

Want to support local bookstores? Buy a copy of  Immortal Pleasures  on  Bookshop.org !*

Sundays In Bed With…Evocation

The Sundays in Bed With… meme, hosted by  Midnight Book Girl , dares to ask what book has been in your bed this morning. Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today!

This Sunday I’m reading an ARC to try and whittle down my May pile. Check it out!

King of Battle and Blood by Scarlett St. Clair

Today’s review is about KING OF BATTLE AND BLOOD by Scarlett St. Clair. It’s the first book in the Adrian x Isolde series. This is a dark fantasy romance with vampires, arranged marriage, and the beginnings of a “truth will out” reveal.

Author: Scarlett St. Clair Series: Adrian x Isolde, 1 Age Category: Adult Publisher: Bloom Books Publish Date: November 30, 2021 Print Length: 400

Want to support local bookstores? Buy a copy of  King of Battle and Blood  on  Bookshop.org !*

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Here are the Books We Love: 380+ great 2023 reads recommended by NPR

November 20, 2023 • Books We Love returns with 380+ new titles handpicked by NPR staff and trusted critics. Find 11 years of recommendations all in one place – that's more than 3,600 great reads.

11 books to look forward to in 2024

December 30, 2023 • The first few months of the year are stacked with exciting and interesting reads. Get ready for big swings from old pros and exciting new debuts.

Novelist John Green says OCD is like an 'invasive weed' inside his mind

April 26, 2024 • Green's YA novel, Turtles All The Way Down, has been recently adapted to film. Green described living with OCD, and how "one little thought" could take over his mind, in this 2017 interview.

The trees in this photo are amazing (and not just because they happen to be growing in a very Instagrammable heart shape around Baker Lake in Quebec, Canada.) Read on for a tree appreciation reading list for Arbor Day. Sebastien St-Jean/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Happy Arbor Day! These 20 books will change the way you think about trees

April 26, 2024 • Trees communicate. They migrate. They protect. They heal. We climbed into the NPR archives to find some of our favorite arboreal fiction, nonfiction, and kids' lit — get ready to branch out.

A new collection of Emily Dickinson's letters has been published by Harvard's Belknap Press, edited by Dickinson scholars Cristanne Miller and Domhnall Mitchell. Three Lions/Getty Images hide caption

This collection may be the closest we'll ever come to a Dickinson autobiography

April 25, 2024 • The Letters of Emily Dickinson collects 1,304 letters, starting with one she wrote at age 11. Her singular voice comes into its own in the letters of the 1860s, which often blur into poems.

Barbara Walters forged a path for women in journalism, but not without paying a price

April 24, 2024 • Walters was the first woman to co-anchor a national news show on prime time television. "The path she cut is one that many of us have followed," says biographer Susan Page, author of The Rulebreaker.

Keary Hines, Prairie View, Texas. Ivan McClellan hide caption

Photography

A photographer documented black cowboys across the u.s. for a new book.

April 24, 2024 • NPR's A Martinez speaks with photojournalist Ivan McClellan about his new book documenting Black cowboys, Eight Seconds: Black Rodeo Culture .

A sample of pages from chapter 9 of the book, which profiles poet and essayist Louise Glück. Penguin Press hide caption

In a collection of 40+ interviews, author Adam Moss tries to find the key to creation

April 24, 2024 • Author Adam Moss interviewed more than 40 creative minds to find out how they went from a blank page to finished work of art.

After decades creating and publishing recipes, cookbook author Joan Nathan has released what she said is likely her final book, a cookbook and memoir called "My Life in Recipes." Michael Zamora/NPR hide caption

After years of documenting Jewish food traditions, Joan Nathan focuses on her family's

April 23, 2024 • Joan Nathan has spent her life exploring in the kitchen, but for the Passover Seder, she sticks with a menu that follows her own family's traditions.

Playwright Ayad Akhtar on stage at the 2023 PEN America Literary Awards in his role as then-president of the organization. Beowulf Sheehan/PEN America hide caption

Book News & Features

Pen america ceremony canceled due to protest, tony kushner will donate prize money.

April 23, 2024 • PEN America has canceled its annual literary awards ceremony after nearly half of the authors nominated withdrew in protest over the organization's response to the Israel-Hamas war.

A voter leaves a voting booth in Concord, N.H., the during primary election on Jan. 23, 2024. Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

How the Founding Fathers' concept of 'Minority Rule' is alive and well today

April 22, 2024 • Journalist Ari Berman says the founding fathers created a system that concentrated power in the hands of an elite minority — and that their decisions continue to impact American democracy today.

Looking for new ways to appreciate nature? 2 new birding books may help

April 22, 2024 • Novelist Amy Tan's The Backyard Bird Chronicles centers on an array of birds that visit her yard, as Trish O'Kane's Birding to Change the World recalls lessons from birds that galvanized her teaching.

Amy Tan, author of The Backyard Bird Chronicles . Kim Newmoney/Penguin Randomhouse hide caption

Interview highlights

Amy tan's bird obsession led to a new book — and keeping mealworms in her fridge.

April 22, 2024 • In The Backyard Bird Chronicles , author Amy Tan charts her foray into birdwatching and the natural wonders of the world.

Picture This

George takei 'lost freedom' some 80 years ago – now he's written that story for kids.

April 20, 2024 • When actor George Takei was 4 years old, he was labeled an "enemy" by the U.S. government and sent to a string of incarceration camps. His new children's book about that time is My Lost Freedom.

'When I Think of You' could be a ripped-from-the-headlines Hollywood romance

April 18, 2024 • Myah Ariel's debut is like a fizzy, angsty mash-up of Bolu Babalola and Kennedy Ryan as the challenges of doing meaningful work in Hollywood threaten two young lovers' romantic reunion.

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Salman Rushdie (April 8, 2024). Nickolai Hammar/NPR hide caption

Consider This from NPR

What happened when the threat of danger became salman rushdie's reality.

April 17, 2024 • Salman Rushdie is probably most closely associated with his 1988 novel The Satanic Verses, a book inspired by the life of the prophet Muhummad. The book was notorious not just for its contents but because of the intense backlash, and the threat it posed to his safety and wellbeing.

In Alua Arthur's 2023 TED Talk , she said her ideal death would happen at sunset. Yeofi Andoh/HarperCollins hide caption

Death doula says life is more meaningful if you 'get real' about the end

April 17, 2024 • Alua Arthur helps people plan for death. A big part of her work is helping them reconcile the lives they lived with the lives they might have wanted. Her memoir is called Briefly Perfectly Human.

5 new mysteries and thrillers for your nightstand this spring

April 17, 2024 • These new books will take you from murder in present-day Texas to cryptography in Cold War Berlin to an online community that might hold the solution to a missing-person case.

Watch: Salman Rushdie on the moment he was attacked on stage, and why he felt lonely

April 17, 2024 • Salman Rushdie is a storyteller. So when you ask him to describe the day, in 2022, when he was attacked and nearly killed by a young man with a knife, Rushdie paints a vivid picture.

Lindsey Anderson sits down to read Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina to her children Orion, 6, Arthur, 4, and Thora Hoke, 1, inside the exhibit inspired by the book inside The Rabbit hOle, an immersive museum dedicated to children's literature, in North Kansas City, Mo. Katie Currid for NPR hide caption

The Picture Show

An immersive museum in kansas city allows kids to explore their favorite books.

April 17, 2024 • A new museum in Kansas City is designed for kids to be immersed in their favorite books, including classics like Goodnight Moon.

Cumulative book bans in the United States, July 1, 2021 - December 31, 2023. See the full PEN America report here. PEN America hide caption

Report: Last year ended with a surge in book bans

April 16, 2024 • According to PEN America, 4,349 books were banned from schools between July and December 2023, more than the entire previous school year. More than 3,000 of those bans were in Florida.

Paralympic medalist Scout Bassett's book describes her journey in finding success on and off the track. Elsa/Getty Images hide caption

'Lucky Girl' is the global journey of a Paralympic medalist

April 16, 2024 • In the book, Lucky Girl , Paralympic medalist Scout Bassett says she felt lost until she found running.

It's a wild ride to get to the bottom of what everyone's hiding in 'A Better World'

April 16, 2024 • A very sinister thriller with a dash of science-fiction and full of inscrutabilities, Sarah Langan's novel is as entreating and creepy as it is timely and humane.

Salman Rushdie says writing Knife allowed him to change his relationship to the attack. "Instead of just being the person who got stabbed, I now see myself as the person who wrote a book about getting stabbed," he says. Rachel Eliza Griffiths/Penguin Random House hide caption

Two nights before the attack, Salman Rushdie dreamed he was stabbed onstage

April 16, 2024 • Rushdie was onstage at a literary event in 2022 when he was attacked by a man in the audience: "Dying in the company of strangers — that was what was going through my mind." His new book is Knife .

Find book review blogs, vlogs, and bookstagrams to promote your book

Reach the most popular book blogs

The book blog sites listed in our directory are vetted for quality: they are active, have clear review policies, and usually have a good following on social media. In fact, the ~1000 book blogs in our catalog have a cumulative following of over 1,000,000 readers . The most popular book review sites in our catalog have between 10,000 and 70,000 followers.

Many of these sites not only review books but also accept guest posts, do cover reveals, and participate in blog tours. While the top book blogs tend be YA book review blogs and romance book review blogs , we also feature less common genres like travel book review blogs , business book review blogs , comic book blogs , and paranormal book blogs .

Increase your response rates

Book promotion blogs are in demand because they provide a valuable service: free book reviews and book promotion. We surveyed ~500 book bloggers and learned that ~25% of book pitches they receive don ' t match their preferences. Some bloggers reported as high as 50%! Not only are book bloggers often getting irrelevant requests, but they are also busy. Book blogging is their spare-time hobby, not their job.

We have curated a large book blogger list so you have the necessary information at your fingertips to craft a personalized and relevant book pitch to book bloggers. These bloggers have opted-in to be in our directory , so they are expecting your email.

Here are some tips to optimize your response rates:

• Address them by their first name. Bonus points if you also peruse their blog and find something in common to break the ice.
• Mention how your book ' s genre fits into their reading preferences. For example, don ' t send your mystery novel to horror book review blogs . Send it to mystery book review blogs instead.
• Provide them a format of your book that they will actually read.

Expedite your reviewer outreach...

• Save time and let us handle the busy work of distributing your book to reviewers and following up.
• Promote your book to bloggers you see here plus thousands more readers who enjoy writing reviews.
• See more honest reviews appear on Amazon / Goodreads while you spend your time writing!

Save time with smart filters

Looking for the top YA book blogs ? Or perhaps you want to connect with Christian book bloggers ? Maybe you want to restrict your search to the best book blogs in the UK? We have you covered. You can start by searching our book blogger directory by genre to see the book blogs which review books in the genre you searched for.

You can further narrow down the search results based on whether the blog is currently open to review requests, is a free book review site, is an ebook blog, is open to self-published authors, and cross posts their book review on Amazon and Goodreads. Best of all, we keep every site ' s preferences up to date, so you can be confident that you are not missing out on potential leads.

We surveyed ~100 indie authors and publicists and learned that the average indie author spends between 6-24 hrs contacting book reviewers to review their book. Our search tool will reduce your time investment considerably, so you can win back your time and do what you do best — write! And best of all, it is free :)

What authors are saying...

Search our book reviewers list for free and find the most influential book reviewers for your book.

the wordy habitat

book recommendations, blogging tips, & asian dramas

11 Ways to Format Book Reviews for Your Blog || A Guide for Book Bloggers

There are several ways to format book reviews and hence it can be hard to pick one. Especially when you're in a blogging slump or don't know how to begin the review.

At such times, seeing other reviews for inspiration or options helps . It can give you an idea of how you want your book review to look and inspire you to start writing it.

This guide will help you write great reviews by listing out ideas, providing examples and inspiration—all in one place. We book bloggers need some help from time to time.

I was actually looking for a guide with book review formats to help with my indecision. When I googled variations of this title, I did not find any posts! So here I am, writing this guide, instead of writing the review that I've been procrastinating on for months 🙂

how to write a book review for your blog

Basic book review layouts, 11. book reviews with annotations, additional elements to level up your reviews, book review checklist.

Yes, this post is about formats but it is good to start with the basics.

The first rule of writing book reviews on your blog is to throw away all the rules that you were taught.

Reviewing books on blogs is very different from what we are taught in school. I definitely don't review the way I was taught. It is because that format is the standard for newspapers. Good formatting is very different for blogs.

Blogs are an entirely different domain with different features and requirements. You can do so much more with reviews on your blog.

Don't worry about going unconventional or trying a new review format. Those are fun . Don't think about sticking to the professional style as well. Shout in your reviews, if you want to! Use all caps, bold, GIFs, images—whatever you like.

It is YOUR blog. The only rules in place are the ones made by you. Instead of seeing how to write reviews that others will read, just write what you want to say. And choose a review format that fits what you want to say.

There are three basic parts in every review— introduction, basic information on the book, and your review.

The introduction is a few lines where you can say how you came across the book, why you picked it up, and a line on whether it surprised you or not. Or, it can be a short catchphrase to hook in readers. For example, "this book blew me away. I was not ready when I picked it up."

Basic information on the book can include title, author name, genre, category, blurb, publisher etc. You can also mention how you acquired it (bought/review copy).

The review part is where you explain your opinions and discuss the book. The 10 review formats that I'll mention soon is for this section.

There are three popular and basic layouts. Most people choose one and stick to it throughout their blog, but you can switch it up if you like.

• The book's information first, introduction, then review body. This is an easy format that a ton of book bloggers go for. Example: Dedra's review of Float Plan .
• Introduction, the book's information, and then review body. This is another fun way because you can give an introduction first without dealing with the blurb etc. Example: my review of The Right Swipe .
• Introduction, review body, and information on the book at the last. Use this when you want your words to be the highlight and stick the basic info at the end, in case people want to see it. Example: Kat's review of Game Changer .

You can skip the basic book info if you want but you'll have to give a brief on the book's plot yourself.

book review format ideas

Now onto the main part of the post. All the suggestions in this post are standard formats that you can take and apply to your reviews easily if your thoughts fit the format.

These ideas are for book reviews as individual blog posts but you can modify them for mini-reviews and social media reviews.

Note : I am NOT mentioning reviews that are free-flowing thoughts because those reviews don't involve a standard format across and are more specific to books and thoughts.

1. divide your review into basic categories

This is the most popular and easy method of formatting reviews. Choose categories and explain your views below the subheadings.

Basic categories are ones that everyone recognizes. For example plot, characters, writing style, and representation. The categories can change based on the genre. Romance books can have "romance" and "chemistry". Fantasy books can have "world-building". Mystery or thriller books can have "suspense".

Example reviews: Erin's review of Fable duology , my review of Drag Me Up

2. CAWPILE rating + review system

This is a rating system devised by Book Roast which makes your decision process easier when rating books. It is a categorized system that is standard across genres so you always have set categories to consider.

It can also extend into a reviewing format as you can mention your individual rating and explain why you gave that rating.

The categories and more are explained by the creator in this video .

Example review: Ursa's review of The Starless Sea , Bianca's review of Dark and Shallow Lies

3. divide into "liked" and "disliked" sections

This format is good if you have clear opinions on what you liked and didn't like. It is not good when you have conflicting thoughts about something.

Additionally, you can also have "liked", "it was okay", and "didn't like" sections .

Another way to phrase this would be "enjoyed" and "didn't enjoy."

Note that this review format is highly subjective so it is good for book reviews where you don't want to talk from a neutral perspective and want to only share your experiences and opinions.

Example: Marie's review of Crier's War

4. divide into pros and cons sections

This is similar to the above review format but it is suitable for more neutral reviews i.e. reviews where you're stating facts like "this exists" which is generally a pro or a con like diversity, plot tropes etc.

To give you an idea, a pro for me is friends-to-lovers romance and con would be a bad/unnecessary third act break up in romance books.

Example reviews: Shealea's review of The Bone Shard Daughter

5. review using book-specific subheadings

Instead of using the basic categories, you can use custom and specific categories for the book. The categories can be "a great character arc", "disappointing ending", "brilliant chemistry" etc.

How to go about writing this review : note down the biggest things you want to talk about like "well-rounded characters", "contradicting plotlines", "plot holes" etc. Make these your subheadings and expand upon each of the points under them.

This does require a little bit of planning before starting the review. But it is a great format if you can't go into a review without a plan.

Examples: Avalinah's review of Skyhunter

6. list reasons why others should read the book

This is a great review format for books that you loved and want people to read. The title is catchy as well, so people are more likely to read your review.

The reasons can act as subheadings and you can expand on the point below the heading.

This also requires planning beforehand about the reasons you want to list. Make some notes with what you liked about the book, see if they can fit into "reasons", make a list of the reasons, and then start writing the review.

Examples: my review of The Henna Wars

7. reviews with discussions

This format is good for book reviews where the book includes a topic that you're very passionate about or you have a lot to say about the topic which is tangentially related to the book . Sometimes the posts may be more discussion than a review of the book, but it's okay! Many times, discussion posts do better than reviews so this would be hitting both categories.

These posts are rarer (from what I've seen, probably because they involve a lot of effort and opinions) but are very interesting to read. They include discussions, rants, and raves along with thoughts on the book. It's a great way to convince people to read a book you love or completely mark off a book you didn't like.

Examples: Anukriti's review of Loveless with a discussion on representation and college life , my review of Fahrenheit 451 discussing books along with annotations

8. "thoughts while reading" reviews

These are almost like vlogs. You take the reader with you on your experience of reading the book. This is a fun way to review books if you want to showcase your feelings/thoughts, especially if the book has a lot of plot twists or invoked a ton of feelings in you. You can annotate when reading or make notes elsewhere and use it for this review.

This would be very fun with spoiler-filled reviews. Doing it spoiler-free would be a bit of a challenge.

Examples: Isabella's review of We Free The Stars , Riza's review of This is How You Lose The Time War

9. spoiler-free and spoiler-filled sections

This is for when you NEED to talk at length about parts in the book that are spoilers but also want to pitch the book to new readers.

Having spoiler-free and spoilers-aplenty sections is very fun. I almost always do it with my Kdrama reviews , and it can be done with book reviews too!

Example reviews: my review of This Is How You Lose the Time War , Mehek's review of Tiny Pretty Things

10. free-flowing thoughts that are loosely categorized

This is a very popular, and sometimes easy, reviewing style. It can make the reader feel like they are having a casual conversation with you as the entire review flows together.

At the same time, there are clearly sections in the review which makes it easier for you to write and for the reader to follow. This format is good whether you plan it beforehand or not. It allows both.

In order to subtly separate the sections of your review where you talk about different topics, you can use quotes as a divider . Quotes that match your points will fit in very well. Some bloggers use their custom post-dividers for this as well.

Note: try to highlight important parts of your review so that it is easier to skim. Yes, we'd love our readers to read every word but sometimes life is just too busy and highlights help.

Examples: my review of American Betiya , Minna's review of The Poppy War

If you annotate your books, you HAVE to try writing reviews with pictures of your annotations. This way, you can share what resonated with you the most as well. Annotating books is very fun and I assure you that people will want to know how you annotate and your annotation process for every book. It doesn't get boring.

Examples: my review of Fahrenheit 451 , Cosette's "annotate with me" post on Babel

Book reviews can be much more than just talking about the book. You can spice it up by including elements that can help the reader know more about the book. These are some suggestions that come to my mind but there are innumerable ideas that you can implement.

content and/or trigger warnings

I'm putting this under additional elements that you can add, but you SHOULD add them . Content and trigger warnings are NOT interchangeable. They mean different things. But you can use "content warnings" as a blanket term for both of them.

Just mention warnings somewhere in your reviews (I generally put them along with basic info) so that readers can be aware of any topics they may want to avoid.

Read this post by Marie to understand more on why you should include warnings.

"let's chat" section at the end

It can be termed "let's chat", "talk to me", "shout your opinions", or whatever else. You can include a section at the end with some questions for the readers. Basically, a call to action.

Book reviews are hard to comment on unless the reader has either read the book or connected to a topic in the book. You can make it easier for them to comment by adding questions to prompt them.

They can be general or specific questions relating to the book. Do include at least one general question as that would be easier to reply to.

your own short version of the blurb

Many bloggers include a few lines on the plot themselves even after including the basic information in order to explain more about the book. This is a grey area because sometimes it is redundant.

If you include the book's blurb in your review, and it explains everything, don't add another version of your own. Only do it if the official blurb is inadequate* or if you are not including the official blurb at all.

*I've seen this happen a lot with romance books which was why I used to write my own blurb. Some books have blurbs like "he is bad for me, yet I wanted him. But I can't have him." It's SO ANNOYING. Many times the book is actually good but the blurbs suck!

diversity/representation overview

Like content and trigger warnings, you can have a small section to mention the various representations present in the book. By representation, I mean factors like disability, mental illness, Asian-American characters, sapphic love etc.

This can be a helpful section if readers are looking for books with specific factors for readathons or challenges . Other times it just signals how diverse the book is.

Example: Gargee's review of American Betiya

custom ratings and rating images

First of all, I believe ratings themselves are optional. I don't use ratings on my book reviews anymore because they are not sufficient to indicate all that I want to say.

If you do include ratings, you can level them up by using images that relate to your blog theme like Leelyn .

You can also use a modified rating system like Shealea or completely switch it up to a system of your own.

links to Own Voices reviews

There is a ton of discussion on using the term "Own Voices" because experiences and views can be wildly different. Not all Indians would relate to my story and vice-versa. The publishing industry has also started to misuse the term which has caused many to stop using the term at all.

Read this post by Camillea to know more about the term "Own Voices" and what "Own Voices review" means.

In the end, I still think the term has its merits when it comes to reviewing. Especially because only Own Voices reviewers can properly point out accurate and problematic representations.

If you're reviewing a book that represents a marginalized group for which you are NOT an Own Voice reviewer, consider linking to Own Voices reviews. They might bring up important points that you would not have noticed.

For example, I quoted and linked Own Voices reviews in my review of Children of Blood and Bone . I simply didn't like the book and noticed some concerns raised when going through other negative reviews so I linked them in my review.

recommended if/avoid if

This is a cool way to end reviews. Readers can quickly make decisions about whether to pick up the book or not based on general tropes and factors.

For example, check out Julia's review of The Guinevere Deception .

mood boards/aesthetics

I've seen some bloggers do this and it is so fun to see! Mood boards and aesthetics can be images or collages that depict the book's setting or the characters.

For example, you can look at Cielo's review of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and Lila's review of Raybearer .

a quotes section

If you don't like adding a few quotes in the middle of the review, or simply have too many that you want to share, you can add a quotes section at the end and share your highlights.

These quotes can sometimes be enough to convince readers to understand the writing style and get hooked on the book.

For example, my review of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone .

When writing book reviews, we can be very focused on putting down our thoughts and might forget to include all the required elements in the review. To help, I've created a handy checklist of elements you should have in every book review to refer to before hitting publish.

If you are already a part of the inner circle, you can directly access the checklist in the resource library . If you're not, you can get instant access by signing up below!

There is no right or wrong way to write a book review , especially on YOUR blog. The mentioned ways to format book reviews for your blog are just my opinions and suggestions. At the end of the day, you write your reviews and you should do it the way you like best.

You also don't have to stick to a format throughout your blog. Sure, it creates a brand, especially if it is a unique reviewing format (like what Kat @ Novels and Waffles uses with on-brand terms like "ingredients", "kitchen of the author", and "cooking directions"). But sometimes, you need the flexibility to choose formats based on the books. Allow yourself to experiment and try out new things.

This is also not an exhaustive list of ways to format book reviews. There are so many unique styles and many more generic formats. These are the ones that are easy to pick up and apply to your reviews if you're stuck.

Related post: How to Make Your Blog Posts More Readable

chat with me!

Are you a book blogger? Do you use any of the review formats that I've mentioned in this post? Do you use any additional elements in your reviews?

What are your favourite kinds of reviews to read? Have I missed any easy review format? If so, do mention it in the comments and I'll mention your comment in the post!

Also, is there any blogger whose reviews you love to read because of their reviewing style or format? Give them a shoutout in the comments so the rest of us can admire them too!

Sumedha spends her days reading books, bingeing Kdramas, drawing illustrations, and blogging while listening to Lo-Fi music. Read more ➔

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99 comments

Thank you! This was very helpful!

glad to help!

Great post! This will be handy for me to start structuring my blog posts!

Thank you for this article. I have a book blog and am working on smoothing out my posts. This was very helpful to me.

Glad you found it helpful!

Thanks for the article. It was great. I'm thinking of translating it into Persian and publishing it on my blog ( https://365book.ir/ ). Is it okay with you?

Hi. I'm glad you liked the post. I do not consent to my content being posted elsewhere, translated or not. Apologies.

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5 Book Reviews You Need to Read This Week

“there are two kinds of novels about american life in the digital age: panoramas and selfies.”.

Our treasure trove of terrific reviews this week includes Ariel Dorfman on Gabriel García Márquez’s Until August , Casey Cep on Russell Banks’ American Spirits , Joshua Ferris on Justin Taylor’s Reboot , Mia Levitin on Eliza Barry Callahan’s The Hearing Test , and the late Helen Vendler on Herman Melville: Complete Poems .

Brought to you by Book Marks , Lit Hub’s home for book reviews.

“Many years later, as I faced the deadline for writing this review, I was to remember that distant afternoon when Gabriel García Márquez showed me the Spanish manuscript of Chronicle of a Death Foretold and then gently refused to let me read the novel until its forthcoming publication … What seems noteworthy today, as one reads his posthumous novel Until August , is that despite his reiterated reverence for the female sex, he never—until now, that is—published a long work of fiction in which a woman was the uncontested protagonist. Exceptional, fully developed female characters abound in his work: the multifarious mothers and grandmothers, sisters and daughters and lovers of the Buendía family in One Hundred Years of Solitude , as well as scores of others in book after book.

And yet, endowed though their mostly tragic lives may be with dignity and agency, they live in a world forged by machos, basically patriarchs, large or small, who determine priorities through their stubborn search for power or their unrelenting lust. The women are there to fix the messes these men leave behind and to service their male nostalgia and desires. This is the world from which the protagonist of Until August , forty-six-year-old Ana Magdalena Bach, strives to escape … It is heartening that even as his memory began to fade, García Márquez risked setting out for new horizons. I can only hope that he would not have wanted his sons to condemn Ana Magdalena Bach to the flames of oblivion no matter how imperfectly she might have been wrought. Surely he would have been dismayed at becoming, from beyond death, an accomplice to the erasure of that struggle of hers to defeat that very death.”

–Ariel Dorfman on Gabriel García Márquez’s Until August ( The New York Review of Books )

“ American Spirits might easily be misread as an effort to explain how the past two Presidential elections turned out, or to predict the outcome of the next one. But the book isn’t an attempt to transform diner journalism into literature. As he did in the novels Continental Drift  and The Reserve , Banks is working here in one of the great points of view in American literature: neighborly omniscience. Like the unnamed narrator who finds Hester Prynne’s scarlet letter in the Salem Custom House and then sets about telling her tale, Banks’s narrators are anonymous busybodies and town gossips, nosy neighbors or observers once removed from the action. They try to account for the recent and ancient past, arraying barstool stories, Facebook posts, rumor-mill secrets, and Nextdoor-style scandals alongside folklore and myth, making sense of their lives in ways that illuminate larger aspects of our communal existence, not only class politics and political extremism but all the tumult that characterizes the past eight-going-on-eighty years of American history …

That cycle of revision, recrimination, and attempted absolution animates American Spirits . All three of its stories draw on recent real-world events, things you may have read about in the news, transposed from their actual Zip Codes to the fictional town of Sam Dent, a place close to Ausable Chasm, in upstate New York, where Banks spent much of his later life and which featured in some of his previous books. They are also all transformed into morality plays of sorts—although, unlike in the Massachusetts Bay Colony of Nathaniel Hawthorne, the morals in Trump’s America are inscrutable. Readers find ourselves, as we so often do in real life, unsure of what anyone should have done or could possibly do now … If the residents of Sam Dent were merely stereotypes of a political movement, then American Spirits wouldn’t have the impressive heft that it does. Instead, they are, to a person, indelible characters, with lives full of meticulously observed details.”

–Casey Cep on Russell Banks’ American Spirits ( The New Yorker )

“There are two kinds of novels about American life in the digital age: panoramas and selfies. The former are surveys of a wired world’s structures and networks, like Dave Eggers’s fictionalization of Big Tech in The Circle  and Jennifer Egan’s interconnected New York in The Candy House . The latter, like Patricia Lockwood’s No One Is Talking About This  and Lauren Oyler’s Fake Accounts , are intimate portraits of the experience of being very online.  Reboot , Justin Taylor’s second novel (after a fine memoir about his father), splits the screen in an ambitious attempt to accommodate both, while also considering gamers, trolls, stans, chuds, the mania of online fandom and that beloved, increasingly baroque, bloody American pastime, the conspiracy theory … the plot is no more the point of Taylor’s book than were the exploding vampires of Sunnydale or the beach-town brawls of Orange County. The point, as always, is to get the gang back together …

Reboot is an anxious book. Crader’s visits to both coasts prompt misgivings about open-carry laws, boorish (male) behavior, status anxiety, parental failure and fanaticisms of all stripes. Taylor’s gently comic tone and kinetic prose make this hard-going travel easier, as do his many clever reinventions … A novelist chases reality. If our current one eludes easy capture, points are rewarded for remaining competitive with an alternate. Taylor earns lots of points. His book is, in part, a performance of culture, a mirror America complete with its own highly imagined myths, yet one still rooted in the Second Great Awakening and the country’s earliest literature … the book seems caught between an honest reckoning with dread and an impulse to reassure. There will be blood, but it’s not as devastating as it deserves to be.”

–Joshua Ferris on Justin Taylor’s Reboot ( The New York Times Book Review )

“‘Novels that leave out technology misrepresent life as badly as Victorians misrepresented life by leaving out sex,’ wrote Kurt Vonnegut in A Man Without a Country (2005). Callahan’s philosophical prose, reminiscent of Fleur Jaeggy and Clarice Lispector, exhibits a quality of attention increasingly rare in our screen-addled era. But despite an anachronistic tone, she naturally weaves technology into the story. Finding solitude preferable at home, the narrator plays tourist via Google Earth, exchanges text messages with a friend in Thessaloniki and has rather matter-of-fact phone sex …

The narrator takes a trip to LA for a clinical trial, staying with her film-maker ex and his new girlfriend, and attends the Venice Biennale with her mother. If the ancillary characters remain somewhat two-dimensional, this is perhaps a reflection of the narrator’s turning inwards: ‘Being in the presence of things made me more aware of the way I was experiencing their absence – everything existed in silhouette’ … There is no moral to the story in The Hearing Test : no lesson of courage in the face of adversity, or the cruelty, or fortune, of fate. As the narrator reflects on her score-keeping, ‘filled with the days, the doses, the decibels,’ she concludes: ‘if you think about something long enough, it will make sense even if you haven’t made any sense of it at all—you’ve just gotten used to it.’”

–Mia Levitin on Eliza Barry Callahan’s The Hearing Test ( Times Literary Supplement )

“Of our chief nineteenth-century poets—among them Whitman and Dickinson—Melville is the least taught, the least known, the least quoted. His poems have languished outside the canon of American classics, a disregard now repaired by the handsome reproduction, by the Library of America, of his Complete Poems …  Those knowing Melville only from his novels and tales will be puzzled by the poems, not only because they embody nineteenth-century historical fact and intense religious dispute but also because they quarrel with our reduced idea of acceptable subjects for lyric verse. At full strength, Melville is a poet of dangerous social and political observation …

To be fair to him as a poet, he was also conducting for himself experiments in conveying real-life war in the stylized forms of lyric verse. Rhymes—yes or no? Tempo—the leisurely pentameter or quick anapests? A backward look at past events or a present-tense resurrection of their terrors? An objective speaker or a soldier-participant? And, centrally, in what language can patriotism speak in a country divided by ‘The Conflict of Convictions’ (as Melville titled one poem)? Or is patriotism impossible in ‘The fair, false, Circe light of cruel War’ (as he writes in ‘Running the Batteries’)? … But Melville was after bigger game than lyric euphony and narrative grace. Two things distinguish his best poems: an original way of beginning them, and his own frequent, if tacit, adoption of God’s omniscience—seeing all, judging much … Melville’s successes, when they occur, are moving precisely because one has to track, as in this example, the motions of a compressed intellectual, historical, and pictorial argument.”

–Helen Vendler on Herman Melville: Complete Poems ( The New York Review of Books )

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9 New Books We Recommend This Week

Suggested reading from critics and editors at The New York Times.

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Parenting and its attendant anxieties underlie a number of our recommended books this week, from Jonathan Haidt’s manifesto against technology in the hands of children to Emily Raboteau’s essays about mothering in an age of apocalypse to Clare Beams’s novel about a haunted hospital for expectant mothers.

Also up: a double biography of the Enlightenment-era scientists and bitter rivals who undertook to catalog all of life on Earth, a book arguing that the ancient Greeks’ style of debate holds valuable lessons for the present, and a surprising history of America before the Civil War that shows how German philosophers helped shape abolitionist thinking. In fiction, we recommend an Irish novel about a bungled kidnapping, a political novel based on Barack Obama’s first presidential campaign and a three-part novel of ideas about the hidden costs of our choices. (That one also deals with parenting anxieties, in its way.) Happy reading. — Gregory Cowles

EVERY LIVING THING: The Great and Deadly Race to Know All Life Jason Roberts

Most of us have heard of the 18th-century taxonomist Carl Linnaeus and his systems of categorization; less familiar is his rival, the French mathematician and naturalist Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon. In Roberts’s view, this is an injustice with continued repercussions for Western views of race. His vivid double biography is a passionate corrective.

“Roberts stands openly on the side of Buffon, rather than his ‘profoundly prejudiced’ rival. He’s frustrated that human society and its scientific enterprise ignored the better ideas — and the better man.”

From Deborah Blum’s review

Random House | $35

THE ANXIOUS GENERATION: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness Jonathan Haidt

In “The Coddling of the American Mind,” Haidt took a hard stand against helicopter parenting. In this pugnacious follow-up, he turns to what he sees as technology’s dangers for young people. Haidt, a digital absolutist, cedes no ground on the issue of social media. Sure to provoke both thought and discussion, his book rejects complacency.

“Erudite, engaging, combative, crusading. … Parents, he argues, should become more like gardeners (to use Alison Gopnik’s formulation) who cultivate conditions for children to independently grow and flourish.”

From Tracy Dennis-Tiwary’s review

Penguin Press | $30

AN EMANCIPATION OF THE MIND: Radical Philosophy, the War Over Slavery, and the Refounding of America Matthew Stewart

In this absorbing intellectual history of the lead up to the Civil War, Stewart shows how German philosophers like Ludwig Feuerbach and Karl Marx influenced the American abolition movement.

“Engaging and often surprising. … Two decades before the outbreak of war, abolitionism was still a skulking pariah, a despised minority in the North as well as the South. The abolitionists clearly needed help. Enter the Germans.”

From S.C. Gwynne’s review

Norton | $32.50

CHOICE Neel Mukherjee

Narratives linked to a frustrated London book editor explore the gap between wealth and poverty, myopia and activism, fact and fiction, in an exquisitely droll heartbreaker of a novel.

“Full of characters deciding how much truth to tell. … To be in the company of his cool, calm, all-noticing prose is to experience something like the helpless wonder his characters experience.”

From Jonathan Lee’s review

Norton | $28.99

THE ANCIENT ART OF THINKING FOR YOURSELF: The Power of Rhetoric in Polarized Times Robin Reames

To bridge our nation’s political divide, we must learn to argue not less but better, contends Reames, a professor of rhetoric, in this wryly informative primer on ancient Greek and Roman oratorical techniques and the Sophists and sages who mastered them.

“Reames’s conceit for the book is intriguing. … In our era of Fox News and chants of ‘from the river to the sea,’ it is difficult not to gaze in admiration upon a people so committed to soberly debating ideas rather than settling for sloganeering.”

From John McWhorter’s review

Basic Books | $30

LESSONS FOR SURVIVAL: Mothering Against “The Apocalypse” Emily Raboteau

The perils — political, racial, climatic — multiply fast in this collection of elegant and anguished essays, by Raboteau, a writer and mother struggling to retain hope for the future while bearing witness to the encroaching threats all around her.

“A soulful exploration of the fraught experience of caretaking through crisis. … Her central concern is how to parent responsibly in perilous times, when the earth is warming, the country is divided and even the grown-ups feel lost and afraid.”

From Tiya Miles’s review

Holt | $29.99

THE GARDEN Clare Beams

Maternal body horror finds its eerie apotheosis in Beams’s pleasingly atmospheric novel, in which an isolated home for expectant mothers circa 1948 turns out to contain more life-giving powers than its medical staff lets on. (If you’re thinking “Pet Sematary” meets “Rosemary’s Baby” with a literary sheen, carry on.)

“The genius of the novel is the way Beams continually intertwines fictional elements with true-to-life obstetric practices. … Humor blooms at the least expected junctures. [But] make no mistake, this is a serious story.”

From Claire Oshetsky’s review

Doubleday | $28

WILD HOUSES Colin Barrett

In Barrett’s debut novel, a poorly planned kidnapping upends the lives of several young characters in a rural Irish town. Barrett, the author of two standout story collections, shifts gracefully between the kidnappee, who’s being held in a basement by two unstable brothers, and his intrepid girlfriend, who sets out to find him.

A “heartbreaker of a debut. … The lives of a small collective of mournful souls become vibrant before us, and their yearning is depicted with wistfulness, no small amount of humor and one dangerously ill-tempered goat.”

From Dennis Lehane’s review

Grove | $27

GREAT EXPECTATIONS Vinson Cunningham

In this impressive first novel, a Black campaign aide coolly observes as aspiring power players angle to connect with a candidate who more than resembles Barack Obama.

“Dazzlingly written. … Captures the grind and the mundanity of the campaign with precision and humor.”

From Damon Young’s review

Hogarth | $28

Explore More in Books

Want to know about the best books to read and the latest news start here..

How did fan culture take over? And why is it so scary? Justin Taylor’s novel “Reboot” examines the convergence of entertainment , online arcana and conspiracy theory.

Jamaica Kincaid and Kara Walker unearth botany’s buried history  to figure out how our gardens grow.

A new photo book reorients dusty notions of a classic American pastime with  a stunning visual celebration of black rodeo.

Two hundred years after his death, this Romantic poet is still worth reading . Here’s what made Lord Byron so great.

Harvard’s recent decision to remove the binding of a notorious volume  in its library has thrown fresh light on a shadowy corner of the rare book world.

Bus stations. Traffic stops. Beaches. There’s no telling where you’ll find the next story based in Accra, Ghana’s capital . Peace Adzo Medie shares some of her favorites.

Each week, top authors and critics join the Book Review’s podcast to talk about the latest news in the literary world. Listen here .

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Samira Allioui

April 24th, 2024, being human in digital cities – review.

0 comments | 4 shares

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

In   Being Human in Digital Cities ,  Myria Georgiou explores how technology reshapes urban life, transforming how we relate to ourselves, each other and the space around us. Examining the digital order’s influence, including datafication, surveillance and mapping, Georgiou’s essential book advocates for centring humans through the paradigm of the “right to the city” based on social justice, equity, democracy and sustainability, writes Samira Allioui .

Being Human in Digital Cities.  Myria Georgiou. Polity. 2023.

Myria Georgiou’s Being Human in Digital Cities addresses the question, how do digital cities change what it means to be human in relation to digital urbanism and digital justice? It has never been more urgent to understand how the digital order functions and its implications for controlled cities and lives. The city is where so many hopes and fears emerge for the future of humanity, and therefore studying its changing nature in a digitalised world is crucial. Moreover, the relationship between the transformation of cities and the right to the city has not yet been seriously explored.

It has never been more urgent to understand how the digital order functions and its implications for controlled cities and lives.

Intrigued by the growing symbolic power of technology in regulating the city, Georgiou demonstrates how an unstable but tenacious urban order is planned, performed, and sometimes resisted on platforms and networks to sustain the social order in cities that experience perpetual crisis. Georgiou’s principal thesis is that the digital order reflects the revived and contradictory mobilisation of humanist values across different quarters of the city. Human-centric conceptions of technology are at the heart of an emerging digital urban order. According to Georgiou, these values are gaining renewed currency by imagining and planning relationships between humans and data.

The book identifies the rhetorics and performances of the digital order as core elements of processes of change in the relational constitution of cities, technologies, and power (42). The book’s generative force comes from Georgiou’s assertion that a dynamic comeback of humanist values in and for the digital city is underway. Her central argument is that humanism matters when it mobilises (populist humanism), normalises (demotic humanism) and contests (critical humanism) power (143-144). Considering the various implications of being human in digital cities is a critical topic at a time when declarations and manifestos have emerged worldwide claiming to protect citizens’ digital rights. Digital rights are a range of protections regarding access to the internet, privacy, transparency regarding how data is used, control over how data is used and democratic participation in municipal technology decisions. They need to be protected because they represent the bridge that links our traditional human rights with the complexities of the online world, ensuring that our digital identities, decisions, and interactions are treated with the same protection and respect as in the physical world.

[Digital rights] link our traditional human rights with the complexities of the online world, ensuring that our digital identities, decisions, and interactions are treated with the same protection and respect as in the physical world.

The digital order has become a post-neoliberal response to neoliberal crises, and it breaks from the strategies of neoliberalism in different ways (31). It is a new order which “emerges because of widespread pressures to recognize the sacredness of life and the value of society” (30). Through “the promotion of unpredictability, openness and diversity, the digital order integrates instability into stability” (31). The author subtly explains why she privileges the category of the human and consequently rehumanisation-dehumanisation in understanding the digital order. Since technology is more and more infiltrating our consciousness, we become addicted to our devices that distract us and feed us information. But paradoxically, while these changes drive us to retreat to corners of comfort, we try to conquer divisiveness by cultivating communities. A research journey across eight cities of the global North and South – from London to Seoul, and from Los Angeles to Athens – over seven years has shaped Georgiou’s understanding of the digital order. From this grounding, she explains how she adopts a decentred conception of the city which privileges a transnational and transurban vision and practice. Georgiou’s methodological choice of a critical humanist approach promotes an open, creative, and participant-led approach that includes the perspectives of humans.

Georgiou adopts a decentred conception of the city which privileges a transnational and transurban vision and practice.

Her compelling research reveals two paradoxes. First, migrants’ experiences, gathered through interviews conducted with 60 teens in Athens and Los Angeles, present rehumanisation-dehumanisation as a continuum rather than a blunt proposition. Second, the Global South is ever present in cities of the Global North (113). Georgiou’s findings suggest that becoming urban reinforces autonomy. For example, migrants’ everyday experiences, mediated and linked through urban migration and technology, reveal their acute awareness that the development of autonomy protects them from certain kinds of dehumanisation such as exclusion Moreover, during this research conducted in the context of a European project on young people’s digital lives , Georgiou witnessed sentiments of enthusiasm and relief when participants were talking about a commonly used urban technology: Google Maps, including Google Earth and Street View (115). Participants were relieved because “becoming urban is not only about learning but also about being an autonomous subject in navigating city”.

Her work evidences the value of everyday technologies (namely, smartphones and apps) and the concept of “secret city” (117) for those excluded from so many other spaces of representation. A secret city only exists in a sociotechnical imagination. As a place of consumption, it is imaginary in the sense that it remains discovered and consumed through technical devices. In fact, as smart cities begin to become dehumanised realms and behavioural data is neglected, the place of humans risks being devalued. Georgiou’s research is an invaluable attempt to claim and interrogate human experiences in their entanglement with the digital in urban settings.

Georgiou describes predictive policing, the practice of using algorithms to analyse massive amounts of information to predict and help prevent potential crimes as a mundane form of symbolic violence regularly applied in the city (126). This is part of a wider trend of states’ increasing the surveillance of citizens , with surveillance understood as any personal data acquisition for management influence or entitlement. Predictive policing systems have been empirically shown to create feedback loops, where police are frequently sent back to the same neighbourhoods, regardless of the true crime rate. In the US, predictive policing tends to disproportionately target more African Americans , areas with higher concentrations of Latinos and  Black, Asian and Minority ethnic (BAME) people .

In response to these trends of profiling and surveillance, the right to the city emerges as a new paradigm that provides an alternative framework with which to rethink cities and human settlements based on the principles of social justice, equity, democracy and sustainability.

In response to these trends of profiling and surveillance, the right to the city emerges as a new paradigm that provides an alternative framework with which to rethink cities and human settlements based on the principles of social justice, equity, democracy and sustainability . According to Georgiou, it presents “a revamped moral vision which points to potentially democratising processes that recognize and address urban injustices” (97). It is worth noting that Georgiou, unlike other authors, prefers to address the concept of the right to the city rather than the “ right to a smart city ”, her research does not advocate an approach focused on “smart citizens”, “smart citizenship” and “smart cities”. She avoids a citizen-centred approach and instead privileges life, freedom, and wellbeing, expanding her framework to include all humans in urban settings, whether they are citizens or migrants.

Finally, the book, brimming with secondary research, opens new critical avenues into techno-political research on digital cities. More precisely, knowing that humans are less studies as agents involved in the creation of digital, the book sheds light on urban humanity which often remains an opaque category. It highlights humans as agents of change and the displacement of questions of power but also of rights to the city. She investigates essential questions about what it means to be human in digital cities, suggesting that “the most compelling claims to humanism come from those who experience dehumanisation”. Such offerings beg the question of readers, who is and isn’t seen as fully human within city spaces and how does the dawn of the digital city affect those boundaries?

Note: This review gives the views of the author, and not the position of the LSE Review of Books blog, or of the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Image credit:  Goldilock Project  on Shutterstock .

About the author

Samira is a research fellow at the Centre d'études internationales et européennes at the University of Strasbourg. Her PhD examined the impact of ECtHR's new procedural rules on individual applicants. Previously, she worked as a legal research assistant in various institutions and holds a degree in international law (Lyon/Montreal) and comparative law (Lyon 3).

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April 28, 2024 by Betsy Bird Leave a Comment

Review of the Day: Being Home by Traci Sorell, ill. Michaela Goade

April 28, 2024 by Betsy Bird   Leave a Comment

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Being Home By Traci Sorell Illustrated by Michaela Goade Edited by Namrata Tripathi Designed by Jasmine Rubero Kokila (an imprint of Penguin Random House) $18.99 ISBN: 9781984816030 Ages 4-7 On shelves May 7th

Here’s a little insider-y librarian info. You know when you walk into a children’s room in a library and you look around the space? In the libraries where things have remained fairly unchanged for decades upon decades, you’ll find the picture book area to be alphabetical by author. That’s fairly standard. If the library is a bit more creative, they may experiment with their cataloging and shelving systems. For example, they might try to shelve books by subject. That way you can find all the pirate picture books in one area, and all the weather or dinosaur or ballerina books in others. Sometimes these areas will focus on big life events. You might find a death/bereavement section or a section on big emotions. You might even find a section on moving to a new home. After all, there are loads of books that cover this very subject every year. They may vary slightly to one degree or another (my personal favorite is Bad Bye, Good Bye by Deborah Underwood, ill. Jonathan Bean) but on the whole they all do the same thing: reassure kids that this move is not the end of the world. You know what kind of book you almost never see in this section? Books where the kids in the picture book aren’t just happy to be moving, they’re thrilled! Delighted! On the back of Being Home by Traci Sorell, do you want to know what it says? “Yay, it’s moving day!” Add in the jaw-dropping art and stellar storytelling, and this book may serve to upend everything you thought you knew about moving day picture books. And you won’t have to go to a fancy children’s room that’s split into subject areas to find it either.

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“Here, cars rush, crowds collect. Etsi says this is not our rhythm.” Living in a crowded city, a young girl has reasons to rejoice. Though until now they’ve lived far from family and animals, today is moving day! They pack their things, bid farewell to house and swings, and jump in their car. Along the way they, “change our tempo,” back to their ancestors’ land and their people. Finally arrived, family unloads the van and then it’s time to play and explore and romp. “No more busy streets… No more crowded spaces… No more faraway family…”As the girl declares, looking up at the sky (and actually seeing the stars), “I love the rhythm of being home.”

Just as happy moving day books are a bit of a rarity on our shelves, so too are books that don’t particularly care for big bustling urban landscapes. I suppose, since the vast majority of our children’s books are siphoned through New York City (a place where a huge host of our children’s book creators also tend to hang/live), that may have something to do with why it’s often seen as the nadir of living. Books that don’t simply eschew that life in favor of rural living exist, but few go as far as to say that it’s better. When I try to conjure them up, I tend to first think of older titles like The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton (the ultimate tale of urban encroachment). Which is sort of funny when you think about it, since the dirty-old-city idea is as old as… well… dirty old cities. Watching the pendulum swing between city and country has as much to do with the state of national attitudes towards those locations as it does personal shifting preferences. I suppose that normally it’s done from an ecological p.o.v. so Sorell’s take is of particular interest since it comes from a distinct family AND nature AND spiritual place. It swerves into the narrative from a place that shouldn’t be, yet feels, new.

Sorell, tribally enrolled as a Cherokee Nation citizen, is, as of this writing, best known for her nonfiction titles like We Are Still Here! Native American Truths Everyone Should Know . Still, it’s her fiction that’s been intriguing me more, lately. In 2024 she’s not only produced Being Home (not “Going Home”, which is I think is an interesting distinction and would love to hear her pick that choice apart) but also the singular board book On Powwow Day which I believe to be one of the finest of the year. Her fiction shift works as well as it does, in part, because she has mastered the art of brevity. I cannot stress to you enough the difficulty it takes to tell a complete story well with select, brief wordplay. Being Home is a magnificent example of just precisely that. It isn’t just that the book is set as a denial of cities. If that were the case then it would feel like some kind of negative downer or, worse, like it was sneering at urban living. To avoid that feeling, Sorell in the second half of the book (after the arrival) has to zero in on the aspects of why this move is such a wonderful experience for a kid. Imagine having woods to explore, loads of cousins to play with, and the kind of freedom that comes with all of that. Reading this book I was reminded years ago of trying to read the book A Time to Keep by Tasha Tudor to my daughter. It’s also about hanging out with all your cousins in a country setting. We got through it once but when I tried a second time she exclaimed, “Why are you showing me a book of cool stuff that I can never do?” Hopefully Being Home will thread the needle a bit better, making a kid feel like THEY are there doing these things, and not just as an outsider viewing a life they may never have.

A couple years ago I was in Bologna, Italy at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair (the world’s largest international children’s literature fair) looking at the different exhibits. One that particularly caught my eye was a selection of books and pictures that contained “fluorescent art”. I was a bit baffled by this terminology, and had to investigate it a little more closely before I discovered what they meant. These books weren’t just from one single country. All over the world, people have been increasingly comfortable with using bright fluorescent colors in their illustrations. Not long ago I asked artist Beatrice Alemagna about when she started using fluorescent pink in her pictures, and she admitted that when she first began using the colors she was afraid of them drawing too much attention to themselves. Yet when used correctly and precisely, they can give a book precisely the kick it needs. I’ve read many a fine Michaela Goade picture book over the years, but Being Home felt like she too was slowly sinking deep into an abiding comfort with the virulent color. And like Alemagna, Goade thinks pink. You can see it in the very letters on the cover and the images at the bottom of the book jacket. In the book itself it becomes the touchstone color for our girl narrator. Indeed, our very first glimpse of her house amidst the jumble of the city depicts her window is glowing bright and pink, drawing the reader’s eye instantly. As she and her move drive away, her sketches populate the landscape, each one of them made of hot pink lines. Indeed, the more you notice the pink, the more you’re unable to look away from it. Even as Sorell is telling one story, Goade is almost telling another one in tandem with the text. The pink is the pink of home. It’s watermelons and picnic blankets, and then, at the very end, the setting sun has turned literally everything into that pink. Goade’s use of the color is no mere trend. It’s a systematic, smartly wrought method of wordless storytelling.

For me, the book harkens to older books as well. I got some keen Vera B. Williams vibes ( Three Days On a River in a Red Canoe ) when I looked at the map that the girl was drawing. Or when the whole family pitches in to help unload the moving van ( A Chair for My Mother ). The tone too reminded me of Ultra-Violet Catastrophe by Margaret Mahy and Brian Froud. It’s like these books, and also absolutely NOTHING like these books. It is its own. And what makes it ultimately work so well for me is just how fun the whole enterprise is. From the glorious art to the idea of having so many friends/relatives and a wilderness as your playground. Of getting the wrong rhythm out of your heart, and the right rhythm in. This is a celebration of nature, an appreciation of it even, that anyone could understand. An absolute glory of a book.

On shelves May 7th.

Source: Final copy sent from publisher for review.

Filed under: Best Books , Best Books of 2024 , Review 2024 , Reviews

About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

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The 18 best ways to make money by reading, from submitting book reviews for cash to narrating audiobooks

• Zulie Rane earns six figures as a freelance content creator.
• She always wanted to earn money from reading books, but said the best way to do that doesn't exist.
• Rane said one of the funnest ways to make money by reading books is to create a social media page.

When I was younger, it was always my dream to become a professional reader. I wanted my entire day job to be reading books, thinking critically about what was good, what was bad, and what I would change, and then sharing my thoughts with other people. I really expected this to be a full-time job.

Unfortunately, there's no book-reading degree. You can't get a nine-to-five job as a professional book reader. (At least not yet.) But it is possible to make money by reading books online and offline. I've got 18 ways listed right here. Some of these are pretty typical, and some of these are a little more unconventional, but all of these will result in you earning money from reading books. 

I've separated these into four different categories of ways to make money from reading books: social media, jobs, review sites, and others. 

Make money reading books for social media

One of the most standard and fun ways to make money by reading books is to create a social media profile where you gain a reputation for reading books, having interesting thoughts, and influencing others to read or not read particular books.

All you need to get started is a way to post. You don't even need to buy books at first – use a library card or a Hoopla account to read books for free.

Here are a few of the best ways to make money by reading books using social media.

1. Post your video thoughts on BookTok (and BookTube, and BookStagram)

TikTok gets a bad rap, but it's actually boosting literacy rates in America. I personally have read plenty of BookTok books that I loved, including The Hating Game, anything by Emily Henry, and The Song of Achilles, to name a few. 

The good news is that BookTok is one of the best ways to make money by reading books. 

Here's how it works. This process is similar to any of the video-format book reviews.

First, create an account. Make it clear that it's about book reviews. Explain what genre of books you like.

Then, start reviewing books. This requires a bit of thought - how can you make your videos stand out? How can you gain a reputation as a thoughtful, trustworthy Bookfluencer? 

After that, join the creator fund whenever you're eligible. In 2021, Cait Jacobs went on the record to state that TikTok's creator fund only nets you 2 to 4 cents per 1,000 views, so you'd need between 25,000 to 50,000 views to earn just a dollar. 

However, sponsorships are also a lucrative and potential source of income.

Create the video once, then cross-post it on all three video channels to get the most bang for your buck. It may take some time, but you can earn money by reading books this way.

2. Write your review on a blog to earn money by reading books

What better way to make money by reading than penning an homage to the book with the written word? Blogs are a great way to make money by reading books. It's a less demanding schedule than video content, so you can post once or twice a week as you read and review books, and slowly gain an audience that way.

Whack ads on that bad boy and you're good to go. It may take a while to start gaining traction, but if you truly love books, you're reading them anyway, just post your reviews on your own website instead of (or in addition to) Goodreads.

3. Post about books on Medium

Medium has a royalty payment scheme. The way it works is when a paying Medium member reads your post, you earn a small portion of their monthly membership fee. More views = more money.

Post your book reviews on a publication like Books Are Our Superpower and make money by reading books that way.

This is a really great way to do it because it's simple. You don't need to do any SEO to get money from ad views. You don't even need to host your own website. Just post your thoughts, get 100 followers, and start making money by reading books and posting your thoughts.

4. Podcast it, baby

Podcasts work similarly to BookTok or Bookstagram to make money by reading books, except instead of recording both voice and face, it's just your voice.

Grab a cohost or DIY. Share your latest thoughts on the books you read. Earn money through sponsorships.

Right now, most podcasts don't earn money through anything by ads, but if your podcast grows bigger, you can leverage your audience to get Patreon support, sell bonus content, or get some kind of exclusive deal with a podcasting company.

5. Use affiliate links

Affiliate links kind of pervade all these methods, but they're big enough that I'm giving them their own category as one of the best ways to make money by reading books.

Here's how you can make money reading books by using affiliate links.

First, join an affiliate program like Bookshop.org (my personal fave). 

Then, read a book.

Find the book on Bookshop.org.

Make a recommendation to a friend, on your blog, podcast, social media post, or newsletter.

When someone buys that book thanks to your recommendation, you earn 10% of the sale. 

That's it! It's highly scalable – you can make a few bucks right away with just a single sale, and then as your platform grows, you'll earn more and more. 

Freelance or jobs

What if you don't want to get a whole new social media profile? What if you want to be paid today, not in three months when the first ad revenue trickles in, or your first sponsor comes through?

Consider a career pivot or a side hustle. Freelance gigs or actual jobs are some of the best ways to make money by reading books. Pros: money right away. Cons: not as much control over the books you read.

Here are your options. I've included both full-time, 9-5 career options as well as more casual pay-as-you-go gigs to make money by reading books.

6. Narrate audiobooks

Who amongst us has never heard the dulcet tones of an audiobook reader? Nobody. (My personal fave? Moira Quirk's rendition of  Gideon the Ninth .)

The good news is that if you're in possession of a dulcet tone of your own, you are in high demand as an audiobook narrator. You can make money reading books aloud. Fun fact: Audiobooks are becoming more and more popular. Over the last 10 years, the proportion of U.S. adults who have read an audiobook has doubled . No wonder you can get paid to read books for Audible.

Here are two programs where you can upload a few samples, get contracts, and get paid for reading books (or narrating them). 

With ACX , which is Amazon's/Audible's program, you can choose a royalty share or a per-finished-hour rate. Rates typically go for around $250 PFH or more. Amazon – read books for money.

Findaway Voices is a similar program. The rates are similar. You can sign up, upload samples, and get picked based on your accent or liveliness. One thing I prefer about Findaway Voices versus ACX is that FV helps authors get books into libraries. Not only do I love libraries, but this also helps you get extra money. 

I recommend you do both.

7. Indulge your grammar nerd and become an editor

This is both a career option and a freelance option. Depending on how much education you have, you can either apply for full-time editing jobs or just post your gig on a platform like Upwork or Fiverr.

(I've talked about whether Fiverr is good for beginners here if you want to read more.)

Editing can be both grammatical pickups, but also more structural or developmental editing. This is a great way to get paid to read books because it'll actually strengthen your craft, too.

8. Become a literary agent

This is a career option. It's a very romantic way to make money by reading books if you ask me. It's your job to pick out the finest, overlooked manuscripts, read them, and make them shine. Behind every single one of your favorite books is a literary agent who believed in it long before you did.

If you don't have the right qualifications, I recommend you start with an internship. Start networking heavily, because your job is knowing the right people. Understand the publishing process inside and out. Then get paid for reading books, even if they're unpublished. 

TCK Publishing has a good guide on how to get started. 

9. Translate books

Know more than one language? Amazing news – you can get paid to read books in English, Spanish, or any other language and translating them. I love reading books in Spanish, German, and English, so I'm very grateful to the translators who help share works in other languages with me. 

Alternatively, you can also proofread books in another language. Places like FlexJobs , Fiverr , Upwork , Babelcube , and Ulatus are good places to look for these kinds of jobs. 

This can be a career or just a gig, depending on your passion for the job. 

10. Proofread books

This can be a full-time career, but more commonly it's a side hustle. I think it's one of the best ways to make money reading books because, by the time a proofreader comes aboard, the book is typically more polished and ready for publishing. Editors have to deal with the raw material, but proofreaders are just looking for small errors. 

You need a critical eye and an active grammar checker in your head at all times, but it's possible to make money reading books this way. 

11. Design book covers

This one's a curveball! Do you have good design instincts? Maybe you're even a graphic designer? Then this is one of the best ways to make money by reading books for you.

You'll get to read books, think about how you'd convey the main vibe, design a book cover, and get paid.

You can go in both directions here – either go freelance or apply for in-house jobs as a book cover designer. Either will result in a great way to make money by reading books.

Again, this is later on in the process so you'll get to read an almost ready-for-publish book. I also consider this to be a big deal for the author. Your cover will be one of the most influential factors in the book's success.

Submit reviews

Onto method three: submitting reviews for cash. This is probably the simplest method since it involves just three steps: you read a book, you pen your thoughts, and you submit to one of the five platforms I'm about to suggest to you. Boom, you've made money by reading books. This is probably the fastest way to get paid $200 to read books.

You probably already know typical places like Kirkus Reviews pay for reading books, so here are five more unheard-of five platforms I think are best to make money by reading books. 

12. Booklist

Can you write 150 to 175 words about why you liked or didn't like a book? You need to be able to describe the plot and suggest an ideal audience. If so, Booklist may be for you. Here are some examples.

These pay $15 each. You don't need a library degree, just a familiarity with books and libraries to apply.

13. The US Review of Books

This is more of a freelance position that you can tackle later on in your career as a paid book reader. You'll need to contact the editor with a resume, sample work, and at least two professional references. 

They ask that your review be 250-300 words long, with a summary as well as additional insights from the book. Check out examples here . The reviews are paid, but they don't say exactly how much.

Reedsy operates a little differently. Rather than paying you for reviews, you get paid for reading books when you earn a tip. Basically, you write a review, post it on the site, and wait. If a reader loves your review, they may tip you $1, $3, or $5. 

15. Bookbrowse

Bookbrowse is another great place to submit reviews. They promise a "modest payment," and normally assign one review per month to their reviewers. They also ask that you come armed to your application having read some sample reviews and with a few quality samples of at least 300 words yourself. 

16. Online Book Club

For your first review, you won't actually earn any cash – you'll just be sent a free book. Not so bad, right? 

But after your first sample book, you'll be eligible for paid book review opportunities. You can earn anywhere between $5 to $60 per book review. 

You don't have to apply – just enter your email address and sign up. I was able to sign up and nab a free book within about a minute. After that, you have to confirm the download within an hour and submit a review within 14 days. 

Miscellaneous ways of making money by reading books

These two are still great, but they didn't fit neatly into the other categories of the best ways to make money by reading books. Hence, they get their own category.

17. Create a paid book club

For this one, you just need friends (or a social circle). Pick a book, create some buzz, request a small payment for organizing, and set up a book club.

I pay $5/month for membership to my local book club, and I consider it money well spent. Once a month, I get an evening with pals, talking about a book. I didn't have to organize it at all. The organizer, Alice, earns between $25-75 a month depending on how many folks come.

This won't make you rich, but it is a great way to make money reading books because you'll get to read books you actually love and are excited to read. Plus, you get to hang out with friends.

18. Join apps that pay you to read

Booksta claims to let you "get paid to read." Sounds promising! This was the only "read and earn money" app I could find. 

The way it works is you read a book, take a quiz on Booksta, and then earn Booksta coins based on your score. 

Booksta coins are valued at $5/coin. There's some confusion on the site about whether the coin is actually transferable to real USD, or whether it's simply a guess for what that coin will be worth once it's all "on a Blockchain platform as a currency."  

I'm leery whenever I see the word "Blockchain," but don't let my suspicions hold you back!

The best way to make money by reading books doesn't exist yet

In my dreams, there is a future utopia. In that future, I read the books I want comfortably, and earn a living wage by doing so. However, we are not yet in that utopia. Today, the main best ways to make money by reading books are:

Posting content on social media

Getting freelance gigs editing, designing, or proofreading

Submitting reviews to paid platforms

A few other rogue options like starting a paid book club or trying out novelty apps

Maybe one day my utopia will exist. Until then, I hope this article helps you find the best ways to make money by reading books.

Zulie Rane is a freelance content creator who writes and blogs.

Get your book reviewed by a professioanl reviewer for $50!

Get your book reviewed by a professional reviewer

Submit your book to Reedsy Discovery for $50.

Best Science Fiction Book Review Blogs in 2024

Showing 106 blogs that match your search.

Reader Views Book Reviews

https://readerviewsarchives.wordpress.com/

Reader Views started in 2005 as a book review service. We quickly identified a need for indie author representation in the literary world and expanded into offering a variety of services to help capture the attention of potential readers.

Blogger : Reader Views Team

Genres : Science Fiction

🌐 Domain authority: 40

👀 Average monthly visits: 100 p/mo

💌 Preferred contact method: Website contact form

⭐️ Accepts indie books? Yes

Utopia State of Mind

https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/

My name is Lili and I am a scholar at heart, obsessed with SFF and always carrying a book wherever I go. I did my Masters and BA in Women’s Studies and English Literature. I am obsessed with diversity and use USOM to champion books I feel deserve more praise and attention (including smaller presses and indie authors).

Blogger : Lili

🌐 Domain authority: 27

👀 Average monthly visits: 14,000 p/mo

💌 Preferred contact method: Email

http://bookpage.com/

BookPage reviews almost every category of new books, including literary and popular fiction, nonfiction, children's books, audiobooks and gift books. We rarely review poetry or scholarly books, and we do not give review consideration to self-published books, print-on-demand titles or books from presses that lack major distribution.

Blogger : Book Page Contributors

🌐 Domain authority: 67

👀 Average monthly visits: 135,000 p/mo

💌 Preferred contact method: Mail

⭐️ Accepts indie books? No

The Chrysalis BREW Project

https://thechrysalisbrewproject.com/

The Chrysalis Books, Reviews, and Everything Written (BREW) Project is an up-and-coming platform that aims to help content creators and audiences to grow, thrive, and soar through reviews, interviews, features, news, press releases, podcasts, and promotions. BREW hosts the monthly and annual BREW Readers' Choice Awards, the annual BREW Book Excellence Awards, and the quarterly and annual BREW International Blog Awards.

Blogger : Esperanza Pretila

🌐 Domain authority: 18

Worlds In Ink

http://worldsinink.blogspot.com/

I prefer to review print copies of books whenever possible. I am also able to review EPUB formatted ebooks by special arrangement. Print copies will be given precedence due to the cost involved in getting them to me.

Blogger : KJ Mulder

🌐 Domain authority: 26

👀 Average monthly visits: 3,000 p/mo

Alternative-Read

https://alternative-read.com

Please feel free to contact me via my contact page, should you have any PR questions.

Blogger : Brit

🌐 Domain authority: 32

👀 Average monthly visits: 5,000 p/mo

A Little Blog Of Books

http://www.alittleblogofbooks.com/

It may not come as a surprise to you that I like books and I read quite a lot of them Ð mostly contemporary, literary and translated fiction. I love stories with unreliable narrators and my greatest fear is running out of books to read. I don't accept review copies of self-published books. However, do feel free to contact me with all queries via email or Twitter. Please be aware that I may not be able to respond straight away.

Blogger : Clare

👀 Average monthly visits: 7,000 p/mo

Eye-Rolling Demigod's Book Blog

https://www.eyerollingdemigod.com/

Hi! My book review blog is dedicated primarily to fantasy and sci-fi books. I also feature promo’s, excerpts, and interviews. I primarily read books geared towards audiences at the middle-grade and young adult levels. I also occasionally read contemporary romance books. While these are the genres I tend to drift to, I’m open to giving most books a chance.

Blogger : Dusty

🌐 Domain authority: 29

👀 Average monthly visits: 1,000 p/mo

The Roarbots

https://theroarbots.com/

The Roarbots is a celebration of geek culture, representing a diversity of voices that covers a broad swath of the nerdy landscape.

Blogger : Jamie Greene

💌 Preferred contact method: Social media

Fresh Fiction

http://freshfiction.com/

Many of the books for FreshFiction's reviews are unsolicited. We can't guarantee that a particular book will be reviewed (since we receive many more books than we can review), but review / advance copies are always welcome.

Blogger : The FF Team

🌐 Domain authority: 53

👀 Average monthly visits: 71,000 p/mo

The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog

https://tcl-bookreviews.com/

If you’re looking for the next great read, or you’ve heard of a book I’ve read and you want to know if you should read it too, you are the person I’m writing this blog for – so please, sign up to follow me using the links provided on the site.

Blogger : Davida

🌐 Domain authority: 22

Bookish Santa

https://www.bookishsanta.com/blogs/booklings-world

Bookish Santa's blog will help you find your next read! Read book reviews, find best book recommendations, learn more about your favorite authors, their lifestyle, and so much more.

Blogger : Bookish Santa

👀 Average monthly visits: 23,501 p/mo

By The Letter Book Reviews

http://www.bytheletterbookreviews.com/

Please be aware that I get a lot of requests and will only reply to people on the books that I can commit myself to. If you have not had a reply within 2 days of sending me an email it will more than likely be that I am unable to take on more books at the present time.

Blogger : Sarah

🌐 Domain authority: 36

Geeky Galaxy

https://geekygalaxy.co.uk

Geeky Galaxy is a blog dedicated to science-fiction and fantasy books and games. It's run by Lorraine: a twenty-something geek from South-West England. As a sci-fi obsessed gamer and reader, she’s spent most of her life with her nose in a book, or a game controller. In 2020, Geeky Galaxy was longlisted in the UKYA Blogger and Vlogger Awards.

Blogger : Lorraine

🌐 Domain authority: 17

The Creative Muggle

https://www.thecreativemuggle.com/

The Creative Muggle is a place for anyone who wants to read books. You can find fascinating reading lists to have a productive reading time in your busy life. From charming romance novels to propulsive thrillers, you are in for a literary treat!

Blogger : Stephy George

🌐 Domain authority: 20

👀 Average monthly visits: 20,500 p/mo

So you want to find a book blog?

If you’re a voracious reader, you might think of a book blog as an oasis in the middle of the desert: a place on the Internet that brims with talk about books, books, and more books.

Well, good news — we built this directory of the 200 of the best book blogs  to satiate your thirst. Take a walk around, use the filters to narrow down your search to blogs in your preferred genre, and feel free to bookmark this page and come back, as we do update it regularly with more of the best book blogs out there. 

If you’re an aspiring author, you might see a book blog more as a book review blog: a place where you can get your yet-to-be published book reviewed. In that case, you’ll be glad to know that most of the book blogs in our directory are open to review requests and accept indie books! We expressly designed this page (and our book marketing platform, Reedsy Discovery ) to be useful to indie book authors who need book reviews. If you’re wondering how to approach a book blog for a review request, please read on. 

You’ve found a book blog. Now what? 

Let’s say that you’re an author, and you’ve found a couple of book blogs that would be perfect fits to review your book. What now? Here are some tips as you go about getting your book reviews:

• Be sure to read the review policy. First, check that the book blog you’re querying is open to review requests. If that’s the fortunate case, carefully read the blog’s review policy and make sure that you follow the directions to a T.  
• Individualize your pitches. Book bloggers will be able to immediately tell apart the bulk pitches, which simply come across as thoughtless and indifferent. If you didn’t take the time to craft a good pitch, why should the blogger take the time to read your book? Personalize each pitch to up your chances of getting a response. 
• Format your book in a professional manner before sending it out. Ensure that your manuscript isn’t presented sloppily. If the book blogger asks for a digital ARC, you might want to check out apps such as Instafreebie or Bookfunnel. 
• Create a spreadsheet to track your progress. Wading through so many book blogs can be troublesome — not to mention trying to remember which ones you’ve already contacted. To save yourself the time and trouble, use a simple Excel spreadsheet to keep track of your progress (and results). 

Looking to learn even more about the process? Awesome 👍 For a detailed guide, check out this post that’s all about getting book reviews . 

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