Tips On How To Write A Book Review

Do you need to write a review but you don't know the proper book review format? Don't stress! It is very simple. Here is the format to a good book review...

1. Start with a simple summary of your book. Normally, people want to get a good idea of what the book is about to see if they are interested enough to read the book. Your summary shouldn't have a lot of details (you don't want to give the whole book away!) but just a few plots and characters (in other words, write the summary as if you were taking notes in class.)

The first sentence of your summary should introduce the title of your book as well as the author's name. Example: Twilight, by Stephanie Meyer, is about...

2. The second thing you want to include in your review is your opinion of the book, and explain why you have your opinion. If you liked the book, people want to know what there is to like about it. If you hated the book, people want to know why. Remember, you are trying to persuade people to read or not to read the book.

3. This step is optional. I never do this just because I think it's really cheesy, but depending on who you're writing your review for, you may have to add this to your review. The third item you might add to your review is what you think the author could do to improve the book, or what you thought the author did really well. (Yeah, I know it's repetitive; that's why I always skip this part.)

4. The last thing you want to have in your book review format is whether or not you plan on reading any more of the author's books or if the book has been made into a movie, whether or not you plan on seeing the movie. I don't always put this in my reviews but sometimes I do.

If the book is part of a series, you will want your readers to know. If the book is a movie, your readers may want to watch the movie before or after reading the book. Again, this is another optional step, but it does make your review better.

5. End your review with a well-done conclusion. State whether or not you recommend the book and why. This is where you tie everything together so it makes sense. I always end my reviews with "read it," but that's a trademark thing I do. I recommend you come up with a better-crafted sentence.

Well, that's all you need to know to write a book review in the proper book review format. Easy, huh? Yeah, I know. If you want some more tips on how to make your book review better than anybody else's, then just scroll on down the page and I will give you some more tips to improve your book review format.

1. Add other review comments to the review. Usually, if you use comments from the New York Times, or other sources, it makes your persuasion more reliable. Make sure you use quotations, and give the name of the source. You wouldn't want to get sued for plagiarism, now would you? Another tip here--don't use comments that oppose your opinion of the book. You want supporting comments.

2. Remember, your review is all about you and what you thought of the book. Don't be afraid to put "I" and "me" in the review, unless you are told to do otherwise. Don't hold back on what you truly think of the book. If you really loved it, tell your readers why you're so passionate about the book. If you hated the book, tell your readers the book is the worst thing in the world. Your audience wants your true opinion. Your readers will love the review more if you relate it to yourself. Go all out! Don't hold back!

3. Stay away from using elementary words such as "like" or "hate." If you have to, fine, but if you don't, use synonyms. Using different vocabulary words makes the reader feel as if you really know what you're talking about. On the plus side, it makes your review less dull, and it makes the reader more interested. Trust me, when it comes to writing, making the reader feel comfortable is what it's all about. Just be careful not to use vocabulary words in the wrong context.

4. Make sure you have proper grammar in your book review format. Use spell check on your computer, or grab a friend or teacher to check it out for you. If you have grammar issues in your review or if it doesn't make sense, it makes your review less liable. Plus, if you're writing it for a class, then it lowers your grade on the review.

Well, these are all the tips I have for you now. If I come up with more, I'll add them to this page. If you come up with some, then tell me by sending me a comment on my comments page. Good luck and have fun writing your reviews in the proper book review format.

Nonfiction book reviews in this section include self-help books written to help both the readers and the author cope with things going on in his/her life.

The first self-help book that I think of is The Last Lecture, written by Randy Pausch for his three young children after he found out he would soon die from a rare form of cancer.

I first heard of him on Good Morning America. Diane Sawyer interviewed him there and again on a Prime Time Live. Interestingly, he just passed away in August of 2008. Randy spoke of how his parents encouraged him and allowed him to do all sorts of things that parents do not normally allow children to do, like paint little pictures and words on the walls of his room that are still there today from when he was a little boy.

If you have not heard of this inspirational and totally not boring college professor, check out his Last Lecture on YouTube.

The following nonfiction book reviews are from television shows.

Donald Trump became popular in the eyes of teens and young adults just a few years ago when he started the reality show, The Apprentice. He has written several books on how to make money and my brother, Matthew, loves them all. I will review How To Get Rich.

Martha Stewart had an Apprentice show for one season and grabbed the attention of a lot of younger people a few years ago with it. Since then, she wrote The Martha Rules, a book that tells you how to succeed in business.

I am sure you have all seen Survivor on TV. Its creator, Mark Burnett, wrote a book called Dare To Succeed, telling his story of succeeding in life and in Hollywood that I think will be inspirational to you.

As I run across more of these inspirational books, I will read them and put reviews up for you.