In the week that kept on giving, I was forced to socialise not once, not twice but THREE BLOODY TIMES and I’m not sure I’ll ever recover! Good grief. How are there people out there who think this is fun?!
So of course my reading took a beating. All those precious hours wasted on people and small talk. Ew. 😂
Books I’ve read this week
A measly four. 😭 And once again behind on my schedule. I was doing so well!
Books I’ve bought this week
Only two. That’s not too shabby. I wasn’t going to buy any but Inge @ The Belgian Reviewer made me buy Jar of Hearts and I can apparently not just buy the one book so I added another one.
I also finally (!!!) received the first two books from my Goldsboro Book of the Month Club membership thing. That’s right. The books for June and July arrived this week. I wonder when the one for August will get here. I’m thinking November. 😂
ARC’s received via Netgalley
One for blog tour purposes (by our very own Ronnie Turner! So exciting!), though not until October. One because I could. One finally approved and still not entirely sure it was worth the wait. Three still pending! 🙄
On the blog this past week
Monday : Reviewed Close to Home by Cara Hunter
Tuesday : Shared my thoughts on Fatal Inheritance by Rachel Rhys
Wednesday : Posted my review for The Zig Zag Girl by Elly Griffiths and shared my Week in Books
Thursday : Reviewed The Defence by Steve Cavanagh
Friday : Shared an extract from Keep You Safe by Rona Halsall for my stop on the blog tour
Saturday : Posted my review for A Different Kind of Evil by Andrew Wilson
Sunday : Weekly Wrap-Up
Next week on Novel Deelights
I could have sworn I was slowing down in the weeks leading up to my holiday. 🤔 Although I would like to point out there’s only one blog tour review. Maybe I’m finally learning 😉
Monday : Blog tour | Guest Post | The Edge of Sanity by Chris Thomas
Monday : Review | Vox by Christina Dalcher
Tuesday : Blog tour | Extract | Deceive and Defend by Marilyn Cohen de Villiers
Wednesday : Review | Cross Her Heart by Sarah Pinborough
Thursday : Review | Him by Clare Empson
Friday : Blog tour | Review | The Wife Before Me by Laura Elliott
Saturday : Blog tour | Guest Post | The Glass Diplomat by S.R. Wilsher
Sunday : Weekly Wrap-Up
And that’s it. Thank goodness this week is over. I look forward to next week where I shall be hiding away in my wee bubble, surrounded by books, no socialising in sight. I will hurt anyone who dares to try and thwart my plans!
First though, must catch up on reviews. Which takes me to …
Question of the week : How quickly do you write your reviews? Do you write them straight after finishing a book? Or do you let them pile up? Do you take notes you can fall back on?
I try to take notes but fail miserably. Especially when I’m reading a gripping page-turner. I’m just so lost in the pages that scribbling notes doesn’t even occur to me. For the most part, I also try to write a review immediately after finishing a book. But sometimes I just don’t feel like it and I’ll pick up another book instead. I currently have three reviews to write. Did I mention I don’t have notes? Eek.
Best get to it. Books await me!
Have an absolutely fantastic week and lots of happy reading! See you next Sunday! xx
Novel Deelights 
Goldsboro Books aren’t the quickest😂 they are forgiven though because of the books. I try and write a review within a few days at the most. I wrote one yesterday and will draft another in few minutes. I usually draft in a notebook, occasionally take notes or highlight something in the kindle. I find if I have more than one to write I get them mixed up😳🤣
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No, they aren’t! But like you say, worth the wait.
Oh, you’re not alone! I sometimes have to check the Goodreads description and then go “oh, yes! Now I remember what it was about” 😳
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I like to mull over what I’ve read before I write a review, although I will start a draft post so I don’t completely forget when I start reading another book. I do make notes as I’ve learnt the hard way of knowing I enjoyed a book but can’t really remember why!
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Yes, me too. Sometimes I’ll just write down words. You know, the usual ones : gripping, tense, page-turner, blah blah. Then come back to it and wonder how to turn it into a decent review 🙄
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I don’t take notes but I use those reusable sticky post it label things to mark paragraphs I might want to remember and on Kindle I bookmark. Sometimes I write the review the next day or it might be a week or so later. Some of my reviews have been written months after reading the book (and I’m sure it shows!)
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I’m sure it doesn’t! But if you’re worried, give me a heads-up next time so I can put them under the microscope 😂
I’ve not gone months yet, though. I’m pretty sure I’d never write them then. Two weeks has been my limit so far and that was a humongous struggle.
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Oh poor you! I get paid to socialise, otherwise I would be a hermit! 😎
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Hermits have the right idea, if you ask me! 😄
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I hope you like Call of the Curlew as I really enjoyed that one. I’m on the blog tour for The Glass Diplomat as well but I’m doing a review so I’m reading it at the moment. I read his previous book and really enjoyed it but I have to say I think this one is even better – and I’m learning an awful lot about the politics of Chile during the time of Pinochet which is dark to say the least.
On your question, if I’m reading a physical copy of a book I do make notes as I’m reading and note down page numbers for quotes or any especially illuminating thoughts I have (or that seem illuminating at the time, lol). When reading on my Kindle I love the highlighting facility and use that a lot. I don’t always write my reviews right after finishing a book..unless of course I’m supposed to be on a blog tour the next day! I got a bit behind last week having been away for the weekend but I find there’s nothing like the feeling of knowing you’re completely up-to-date with your reviews!
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I didn’t have time to squeeze in a review and to be honest, the setting of Chile didn’t really appeal to me but now you have me questioning my decision.
It’s a fantastic feeling to know you’re up-to-date. It’s been a long time since that’s happened to me. My main concern is always my reading schedule. I will finished a book and think of books x, y and z I should be reading right NOW and just figure the reviews can wait. But with no notes to fall back on, it’s not exactly the right approach.
I do know about that highlighting ability on the kindle app and it’s fantastic. I just never remember to use it 😄
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Well I feel kind of invested in the success of The Glass Diplomat tour because it was me who suggested the idea of a blog tour to the author after I reviewed his previous book AND recommended Rachel to organize it. Expect to see me sharing and retweeting like mad next week!
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I sometimes write notes and sometimes I forget but ever since I got Evernote app in my phone, I regularly keep notes in that. It doesn’t have to be while you’re reading, just write your thoughts whenever they pass through. In my case, I mostly write notes before I go to bed or when I take a break. I have this habit of thinking over what i have read throughout the day and what I will mention in my reviews about it. I write final review as soon as i finish reading with bit of addition and deletion and restructuring those notes. Mostly I write final reviews in the morning when I’m in fresh mood, that helps more than any other time of the day.
It took long time to understand my own habits and mood when it comes to writing something!
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I do do that sometimes. Just scribble down some initial notes when I’ve finished a book and then try to turn them into some kind of coherent review later on. Doesn’t always work. But yes, it’s a process to finding out what works best for you and it’s not always the same for someone else 🙂
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I set out with the best of intentions to make notes, but… the flesh is weak.
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And my brain is apparently only capable on focusing on one thing at a time 😄
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I try to write up pretty much as soon as I’m finished, before I start another book, but it’s not always possible. I make notes in my phone as I go which I then copy over and use as the basis of my review.
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I’m on a couple of the tours you’re on! Lol I am behind on my reading again 🤦🏻♀️ I give up! I have learned to say no a bit more now lol
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Aww I feel touched 😉 I take it as a big compliment you bought Jar of Hearts because of me :-). You better not make me feel guilty now by not enjoying it ;-). I always want to take notes but I sometimes forget and it often happens I finish a novel on Sunday and Monday morning I’m already reading a new one in the train and I become so invested in that one that a few weeks later… you get the picture ;-).
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Looking forward to hearing what you thought of Vox – I’ve seen some very different opinions of it so far! In theory I write reviews straight away – in fact, I have one still waiting since June! Fortunately, for that one I did take notes… I actually think taking notes makes me lazy about writing the review though. When I don’t take them I know I have to write the review quickly or I’ll have forgotten everything I wanted to say.
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I totally hear you when it comes to socializing. I would really rather not do it. Three times in one week is excessive in my opinion lol 🙃
I hope you get lots of reading time coming up.
In regards to your question. I also put little stickies in the books that I’m reading which helps me if it’s going to be a little while before I write the review.
I do prefer to write them right away but I’m usually behind.
Great post and question! I hope you have a great weekend. 😀
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No notes. No post its and I write when I remember and usually when I have no choice as a tour deadline is looming. Could be weeks or even months after reading lol
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haha I feel the same about socializing! I am glad to hear that Inge convinced you to get A Jar of Hearts, its a brilliant read! I usually try and write the first draft of my reviews, immediately after reading a book then flesh it out with time. All the best and have a fab week 🙂
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