I received an email the other day asking me how I handle bad reviews, and it's not the first email I've received that question. I actually like hearing it because I think that it shows readers aren't simply giving trigger-pull responses to the books they read, but rather taking the time to accurately assess what is and isn't working for them in the novels they read. 

I absolutely never take pleasure in giving bad reviews. As an aspiring author, it pulls at my heartstrings to tell a writer that their book simply didn't work for me, but it happens. For example, back in 2010, I was on tour for Bumped by Megan McCafferty - a favourite author of mine. This book was so hyped in the world of dystopians that I was certain I'd love it, but I ended up barely making it through. Since I was going to feature an author interview, I spoke with Ms. McCafferty ahead of time, and we ended up focusing the interview around those issues I had with the book. It was probably the most insightful interview I've ever featured, and it convinced me that someday I should read the book the book again.

^^^ Just a few of the books I've given negative reviews in the past 4 years.

Some of the most major drama and conflict in the book blogosphere the past couple years has revolved around reviews, Goodreads and how we, as bloggers, actually impact the sale of books - if at all. Here's the thing though, I think that we do, and we need to take the time to truly watch our words and post reviews that are thoughtful, insightful and honest - even if that means a negative review. Here are the five things I focus on when writing a negative review.

1. Why didn't the book work for you?  By sitting back and taking the time to identify the exact elements of the story that didn't work for me, I'm able to give a comprehensive and thorough overview of what didn't work for me in the novel. In doing so, I'm able to show other readers what might and might not work for them.

2. Do I have any sort of bias that is affecting my review? Let's be honest here. This does happen, whether we want to admit it or not. Writing a clear, honest and insightful negative review means putting aside all biases and taking the high road.

3. What is your ratio of opinion to fact in your review? I've found over time that it needs to be a delicate balance of the two, or your negative review is skewed in the general direction of pettiness. When writing a negative review, only after assessing the elements that were flawed to I feel the right to insert my opinion.

4. Are your assertions backed by elements of the story? If I were to write a negative review but provide no context for it, it would seem like an awfully one-sided review. To make sure that my negative review makes sense and offers truth, I make certain to provide examples and reasoning for each assertion that I make.

5. Are you being fair with your review? I truly believe there is merit to a good negative review. It provides balance and insight, and it also helps readers differentiate between what does and doesn't work for them. Writing a negative review, however, requires a delicate touch of honesty and fairness. Never do I want to cross a line of sarcasm and pettiness in a negative review, or I only serve to compromise my own reviewing integrity.

I am absolutely no expert on book reviewing, but I do believe there is something to be said for writing the negative reviews and calling out the difference between the good, bad and great novels out there. At the end of the day, it's our opinion, but I'd rather my opinion be taken serious than as something petty and malicious.

Do you write negative reviews? What is your take on writing them, or how do you go about writing a good negative review?

Now that I've been blogging for more than four years, I can honestly say I think that I'm finally getting a hang of this book blogging thing. I have a clear voice for my reviews, I feel comfortable in giving less than favourable reviews and I finally feel like I can put aside my fangirling enough to actually ask relatively insightful questions of authors. But it hasn't been any easy ride all the time.  Sometimes you need to take an 8-month hiatus (whoops).

But, through that time, I learned what I consider to be some pretty valuable lessons, and you won't hear me complaining too much because, at the end of the day, I've been having a blast. So, without further ado, here are the top five things I've learned through book blogging.

If you don't love it, don't do it. I felt burned out by book blogging by the time I took my hiatus. I felt too pressured to provide a certain number of reviews. I felt defined by the number of page views or ARCs I received in the mail, and I really struggled to actually enjoy it as I had in the beginning. Most of all though, I let my fun hobby turn into a chore, so I stopped. Luckily, I rediscovered why I loved it in the first place, and I taught myself that if I wasn't going to love it, it was no longer worth it. 

You are not defined by the number of ARCs you receive in the mail. This is one of those tricky ones that I'm sure most book bloggers have grappled with at some time or another. I see some of my favourite bloggers receive incredible books, and why I'm happy for them, there's always a twinge of "what am I doing wrong" that crosses through my mind. I've learned that it's not so much what I'm doing wrong as it is that the other blogs just have a little something else that they might be looking for. And, at the end of the day, publishers and authors are incredibly generous towards me and i swim for oceans, so I have nothing to complain about.

Give yourself some space. I think that if you force yourself to get up a certain number of posts a week, or a certain number of categories, that's when it starts becoming too much. Bear in mind, I have a job outside of book blogging, as most of you do, as well, and it can become incredibly overwhelming. However, when I came back, I committed to doing what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it, and it's been liberating. I don't feel so many obligations anymore.

Remember to be kind. Not everyone is going to take kindly to a poor review. Heck, you'll probably receive an email or two that condemn your reviews (yes, it's happened), but as long as you maintain your integrity in your reviews, you can feel confident in it. I remembered my first bad review, but I also knew that I didn't want to BS my readers. If I don't like a book, that's fair…but I still need to explain why it didn't work for me. There is nothing to be gained from simply tearing a book apart for fun.

Don't get bogged down by the drama that will inevitably exist in the blogosphere. Guys, in my time book blogging, I've seen everything from authors trashing bloggers, to bloggers trashing authors, to people plagiarizing full novels and pretty much everything else you can imagine in between. In the end, there is nothing we can do to stop that. These days, I simply focus on making sure that what I provide it the best of my abilities - nothing more, nothing less. Live and let live.

What sort of things have you learned through book blogging?

Let's Talk is a weekly feature here at i swim for oceans. I think it's important that we all have our say, and there's something to be said for raising our voices. Simply put, here on the little old blog, I like to host some of my very own discussion posts because, well, I like to converse with you all.

And so, Let's Talk will feature questions or prompts, which I will answer, too. Love it or hate it, weigh in or don't, it's my hope that Let's Talk will at least get you thinking...and maybe even get you discussing with the rest of us!

How would you describe your reading habits?

This might sound like a complicated question, but it really isn't. I was thinking about it the other day, and I discovered that I have rather strange reading habits. I read rather sporadically, at best, and at odd hours of the day. I do most of my reading either very early in the morning, or rather late at night. I simply struggle to read in the middle of the afternoon.

Furthermore, I have a bit of a rough time if I force myself to sit and read for a long time. Rather, if I allow myself to read whenever and wherever I please, I find I'm able to read for far longer. Plus, I do my very best to read both for pleasure and for reviews more often than not. If I don't, I seriously lack balance.

There's also the matter of what I read since I began blogging again. I used to only read books sent by publishers and authors for review. These days, however, I'm not so afraid to turn down a book that is offered for review if it doesn't spark my interest. I read what I want and, for the most part, when I want.  I think it's important not only for me, but also for my blog. I'm proud to feature titles that don't always have the most hype.

Above all else though, I read for enjoyment these days. If I am really struggling with a book, I don't finish it. I don't think it's fair for me to taint my reviews with the struggle I faced reading them. This just means that I feature books I'm proud to share with my thoughts, whatever they may be, with my readers.

What about you? How would you describe your reading habits these days?