Thoughtful Thursdays: How do you review?

Last week, we discussed our reading habits, and I discovered quite a few -- okay, most -- of you are speed readers and about half read a story like it's an audiobook or a movie being enacted in your head. Right on. I love that no two readers are the same.  :)

But that begs the question:  if we all read differently, wouldn't it go without saying that we all review differently? Here's how the typical review goes for me:

1. Acquire book.  Let it sit on review pile until about a month before release.
2. Read book.  Highlight (if egalley) or flag with sticky notes (if ARC/finished copy) as warranted.  (I used to keep a spiral notebook just for review notes, but it's probably been since the first of the year since I used that thing.)
3. Finish book right before bedtime.  Write the best review ever in head while falling asleep.  Wake up and forget everything you'd planned to say.  Attempt to recreate some of that most poignant review using "notes" made while reading.  (It used to take me at least a month to finally write a review, which is why notes were so important in the beginning, but now I usually write my review within a week of finishing a book.  This has helped my stress level immensely.)  Realize only a few passages are highlighted because book was just. That. Good.
4. Commence fangirling:
5. Attempt more coherent review.  Hit on favorite aspects of book, most notably the characters, the romance, and the world-building.  Anything else is just a bonus.  Try for clever closing statement; come off as more of a geek than usual.
6. Proofread review.  Preview review.  Proofread again.  Schedule it.  Realize you forgot to mention something relevant.  Update post.  Proofread.  Preview.  Schedule.
7. Review posts.  Wait for comments.  Re-read review.  Realize you spelled something wrong, despite all of the proofreading.  Update post.  Congratulate self on an awesome read and an awesome review of an awesome read.  Wonder why no one has commented yet. *shrug*
8. Remember to cross-post review and update all spreadsheets.  (This sometimes falls to the wayside...I forgot to do this for the whole month of July.  Whoops.)

And that's the general process I go through with each book.  Obviously, it differs with each one, especially when said book is a disappointment and I have to completely skip #4 in favor of snarking on the book.  But you get the picture.

I know there are some people who read a book, take brilliant notes, write their review almost immediately after finishing the book, and then post their review everywhere for the world to see, garnering them much favor in the book blogging and publishing worlds.  And to those people, I say:

But I work full-time and I'm a mother of a very excitable 5yo, and this is just a hobby of mine.  Granted, a hobby that's taken on a life of its own, but a hobby nonetheless.  So, I do what I can and I manage when I can't.  My whole reading and reviewing process has evolved so much over the last two years, and it's made things a lot simpler.  And I hope I haven't just jinxed myself saying that.  ;0)

So, I'm curious, what's your reviewing process like?  Are you one of those fastidious note-takers, or do you write your reviews by the seat of your pants?  Do you write them shortly after finishing a book? And what's the longest it's taken you to write a review?  Do you review everything you read?  Inquiring minds want to know!

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Labels: read, reading habits, reviewing habits, thoughtful thursdays