Review policy + ratings

Review policy and rating system at (un)Conventional Bookworms:

The following statements are valid for both Brandee and Linda. They are written in first person because we both adhere to our review policy and rating system.

*My reviews are personal reflections of what I read and take notes of. It is in no way meant to dissuade a person from reading a book from authors who put a lot of work into their stories. I do not get paid for my reviews nor have I been asked to give my opinions concerning these books.*

For the time being, I can unfortunately not respond to authors who would like me to review books, I have a big back-log, and I need to get both my reviews for my ARCs from Netgalley and Edelweiss, and my reviews for my purchased books out of the way before I can accept any new books. Just e-mailing me an e-copy of your book will not automatically ensure that I will read or review it. Also, because this review policy clearly explains that I am not accepting review requests, I do not answer e-mails with review requests, as my time is spent reading the books I already have, then reviewing those books.

I love reading, and to share my love of books I love to review the books I read as well.  When I post a review, I post my personal opinion of a book, what worked for me, and what didn’t work for me. I try to always be respectful of the author when I write a review, and my review is of the book itself, not about the author.

I realize that it is a lot of hard work to write a book, and then to get it published. This does not mean that I think it is right to only post reviews of the books I love, and I will be honest in my assessment when I review. My opinion is just that, though, and I would never try to dissuade other readers from reading a book.

If I am reading a book I really can’t enjoy, I will feel free to stop reading it at any moment, even if it is a review copy. I may not always post DNF (did not finish) reviews here on (un)Conventional Bookworms, however, I do  Goodreads, with just a line or two about why I stopped reading and when. If I stop reading a review copy, I will send feedback through Edelweiss or Netgalley, so the publisher will know that there might not be a full review by me on that particular title.

What I like in a book could be what someone else doesn’t like, and what I don’t like could be exactly what someone else is looking for, that’s why I try to share exactly what I liked or didn’t like in each book I review. I have also discovered that the way I review and rate the books I read are largely based on my emotions. If I am happy or sad while reading a book, and the writing is good with good editing as well, I will often give a high rating and a good review. If I am bored while reading, it doesn’t bode very well for the book, as I read to ‘be’ in another world than the one I live in. There doesn’t have to be a lot of excitement, but I have to feel involved in some way.

I am not sharing my ARCs with anyone. I read the book, review it, and then delete the e-ARC from my device