Book reviews are now a regular feature on this blog. If you are interested in having a book reviewed by me, please contact me at k.l.allendoerfer.author at gmail.com. The easiest way is to send an ebook in kindle or nook format.
Why book reviews?
I started out looking for more things to blog about. Then I met fellow bloggers who were also writing books, and read their work. I joined a Facebook group for Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors and read two books a month for their promotional “King of the Hill” game. I participated in this game even though I don’t have a novel of my own ready to go yet because I find that the reading and review process is teaching me a lot about writing. It has also gotten me reading more regularly again. And, I like to read while traveling, on planes and trains and even in cars. The game is over, but it gave me the boost I was looking for.
Schedule and Policy
So I’ve decided to publish approximately one book review a week, on the weekend. Occasionally I might skip a week, or it might be a different day, but that’s my target schedule. I review books related to the themes of this blog: science fiction and eco-fiction, and non-fiction related to science, the environment, science education, and Unitarian-Universalism. (And geocaching. Anything about geocaching can fit (or can be made to fit ;-)) into science or environmental education). Some of these topics might venture into politics, and that’s okay, but no books supporting or bashing individual candidates or political parties, please.
Two of my favorite Word Press book review sites are Ajoobacats Blog and Nerdy Book Club. Ajoobacats has a great policy on reviews here, which I like, and mostly plan to follow myself, except that: 1. I don’t read as fast or as prolifically as she does; and 2. I rarely give out 5 stars, so I anticipate publishing primarily 3- and 4-star reviews. I might give a 1- or 2-star review on Amazon or Goodreads if I think there is value to making a particular point or warning readers, but my goal on this blog is not to be negative, rude, or make political points. Rather, I hope to learn something for myself about writing and critiquing, and I hope to provide honest feedback that can help other authors improve their work.
Reviews on my blog are also published on Amazon and Goodreads, and are shared on my Twitter and Google+ accounts.
Here are examples of books I have reviewed so far, and the kinds of reviews you can expect:
Science Fiction/Eco-fiction
- 2047: Short Stories from Our Common Future, edited by Tanja Bisgaard
- Mindclone, by David T Wolf
- Six Sisters, by PJ Lazos
- American War, by Omar El Akkad
Non-fiction
- Strangers in their Own Land, by Arlie Hochschild
- This Changes Everything, by Naomi Klein
- The Third Reconstruction, by William J Barber II
- Walden Warming, by Richard Primack
I have also recently joined Inkitt as a blogger and plan to review more Inkitt books in the future. Inkitt is the world’s first “reader-powered book publisher”. Read my review of Catalyst Moon: Incursion by Lauren L Garcia, published by Inkitt, here.
For a complete collection of reviews, click on “Book Reviews” in the word cloud, or for the Goodreads versions, on “see all of my reviews” at the bottom of a review post.
A Thousand Finds 
I am concerned about our democracy, our environment, and our working class. Drawing from economics, history, and neuroscience, my book addresses how income inequality grew to its current extreme, and how it must now be corrected.
We Can Fix It: Reclaiming the American Dream is a short book, less than 150 pages. It’s an interdisciplinary overview for general audiences. The book avoids partisanship while urging civil action.
I believe in what I’ve written but it’s hard to get noticed online. I could use your help. Please take a look. If you like the free eBook, please help me by mentioning it in a class, blog, email, or perhaps in a short review. Requesting it for your library would also help. Give your librarian this ISBN: 9781370300471. The advance print edition will be available, upon request, for review prior to its summer release.
iTunes http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/we-can-fix-it-reclaiming-the-american-dream/id1353601735
Barnesandnoble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/we-can-fix-it-v-o-diedlaff/1128074932
Kobo http://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/we-can-fix-it-reclaiming-the-american-dream
Smashwords http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/797218
LikeLike
Virginia, could you please send me this information in an email? k.l.allendoerfer.author@gmail. com
LikeLike
Hi K.L. This is interesting information. I’m not posting to any FB groups for readers, and I need to join those. I am blogging book reviews on Thursdays. I often do a guest review or pressed review to promote others’ reviews. I don’t think reviews get enough traffic by themselves. I’d love to post one of your reviews on my blog with your permission, and lots of links back, of course!:) 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’d love that! Let me know which review or reviews you’d like to crosspost. I’d be happy to post one of yours too. I usually post a review on Saturday or Sunday (missed this past week because of Christmas, but usually).
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’d love that! Let me go through them and choose. You are welcome to look through mine, too. Choose any that you like. 😀😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Since you’re a historian, I think you might like the book (and, I hope, the review of) Walden Warming. It’s a unique use of the historical documents of Thoreau’s journals to document the effects of the warming environment over 150 years.
LikeLike
Here is the Walden Warming review: https://klallendoerfer.wordpress.com/2016/08/31/book-review-walden-warming-by-richard-b-primack/
LikeLike