If you would like me to review or promote one of your books, please send me a message at jonar.reads@gmail.com.
Books I review. I have a wide range of interests: sports, politics (emphasis on the U.S., Asia, and Philippines), general fiction, biography, poetry (English and Filipino). As such, any book that I receive that falls under the categories I listed would be more than welcome. As for books not within my interest, I will only read them if a friend recommends them to me, or if someone I do not know makes an impassioned plea for a review. I prefer hard copies, but e-books in PDF or Adobe Digital format are also welcom.
How I review books. I am able to read and finish a typical book within a week, although the actual review time will also depend on the other things that keep me occupied, like my day job or band schedule. There are some books that I am not able to finish; in such cases, either the book is excruciatingly difficult to understand, or I have just decided that there are other things worth doing. However, such occasions are very rare.
A review will include a picture of the book's cover and a short summary. I reserve the right to include spoilers in the review, but you may rest assured that the said right will be used judiciously. I will then give my opinion, which or may not be favorable. It goes without saying that all opinions have their built-in biases, and I have a left-of-center political orientation. However, I applaud brilliance, even if it comes from the opposite end of the spectrum.
(Note: This does not mean that I always have a favorable opinion regarding agit-prop. Good writing, I believe, should at least let someone form an opinion, not seek to make an automaton out of the reader.)
There will be times when I quote other reviewers, but these shall be used only for the sake of clarity and reference.
My personal Twitter account will contain very short reviews on books and announcements regarding posts in this blog. I may also write and post reviews for other websites upon request.
How I rate books. I do not claim to be an expert book critic. However, just to make things simple, this is my rating system:
* ★★★★★ : SUPER-CAFFEINE-OVERDOSE-READING. You'll risk sleeping at 4 AM, getting up after the morning talk shows, and making it to work an hour late. You'll recommend it to your colleagues, the guy who drives the cab, and the guard who checks your bag. Before lunch.
* ★★★★☆ : FIRST-THING-IN-THE-MORNING READING. You just can't shrug it off, but the sandman was calling. Now, you can't wait to pick up where you left off.
* ★★★☆☆ : BEDSIDE READING. Read it before sleeping, forget about it when you wake up.
* ★★☆☆☆ : HMM. Worthy of a browse, but not worth taking to the check-out counter.
* ★☆☆☆☆ : BLAH. Leave it on the bookshelf. Not even worth browsing through.
* ☆☆☆☆☆ : [expletive deleted] How did this even get on the shelf?
Again, all opinions posted in this blog are mine and mine alone. I do not claim to be an arbiter of taste or what-have-you. There are just some books that I like better than others, that's all.
An important announcement regarding Advance Readers' Copies (ARCs). Some authors send advance readers' copies (ARCs) of their books to reviewers. This generosity has been hijacked by certain unscrupulous individuals who are engaged in the sale of ARCs to readers. With this in mind, I want to emphasize that any and all ARCs that I receive will only add to my personal collection, and will never be sold or exchanged for any form of material gain.
Again, please be reminded that the sale and purchase of ARCs are illegal.
Books I review. I have a wide range of interests: sports, politics (emphasis on the U.S., Asia, and Philippines), general fiction, biography, poetry (English and Filipino). As such, any book that I receive that falls under the categories I listed would be more than welcome. As for books not within my interest, I will only read them if a friend recommends them to me, or if someone I do not know makes an impassioned plea for a review. I prefer hard copies, but e-books in PDF or Adobe Digital format are also welcom.
How I review books. I am able to read and finish a typical book within a week, although the actual review time will also depend on the other things that keep me occupied, like my day job or band schedule. There are some books that I am not able to finish; in such cases, either the book is excruciatingly difficult to understand, or I have just decided that there are other things worth doing. However, such occasions are very rare.
A review will include a picture of the book's cover and a short summary. I reserve the right to include spoilers in the review, but you may rest assured that the said right will be used judiciously. I will then give my opinion, which or may not be favorable. It goes without saying that all opinions have their built-in biases, and I have a left-of-center political orientation. However, I applaud brilliance, even if it comes from the opposite end of the spectrum.
(Note: This does not mean that I always have a favorable opinion regarding agit-prop. Good writing, I believe, should at least let someone form an opinion, not seek to make an automaton out of the reader.)
There will be times when I quote other reviewers, but these shall be used only for the sake of clarity and reference.
My personal Twitter account will contain very short reviews on books and announcements regarding posts in this blog. I may also write and post reviews for other websites upon request.
How I rate books. I do not claim to be an expert book critic. However, just to make things simple, this is my rating system:
* ★★★★★ : SUPER-CAFFEINE-OVERDOSE-READING. You'll risk sleeping at 4 AM, getting up after the morning talk shows, and making it to work an hour late. You'll recommend it to your colleagues, the guy who drives the cab, and the guard who checks your bag. Before lunch.
* ★★★★☆ : FIRST-THING-IN-THE-MORNING READING. You just can't shrug it off, but the sandman was calling. Now, you can't wait to pick up where you left off.
* ★★★☆☆ : BEDSIDE READING. Read it before sleeping, forget about it when you wake up.
* ★★☆☆☆ : HMM. Worthy of a browse, but not worth taking to the check-out counter.
* ★☆☆☆☆ : BLAH. Leave it on the bookshelf. Not even worth browsing through.
* ☆☆☆☆☆ : [expletive deleted] How did this even get on the shelf?
Again, all opinions posted in this blog are mine and mine alone. I do not claim to be an arbiter of taste or what-have-you. There are just some books that I like better than others, that's all.
An important announcement regarding Advance Readers' Copies (ARCs). Some authors send advance readers' copies (ARCs) of their books to reviewers. This generosity has been hijacked by certain unscrupulous individuals who are engaged in the sale of ARCs to readers. With this in mind, I want to emphasize that any and all ARCs that I receive will only add to my personal collection, and will never be sold or exchanged for any form of material gain.
Again, please be reminded that the sale and purchase of ARCs are illegal.
