Everyone’s heard about writer’s block and the many ways that writers fight it and try to get past it. It’s something that every single writer experiences at one time or another and each time it’s a matter of either pushing past it or waiting it out. Sometimes the words just don’t want to come and forcing them makes it even more difficult.
Lately I’ve started to wonder…is there a similar experience for reviewers? Let’s call it “reviewer’s block” for lack of a better term. Reviewing is most definitely a form of writing so it makes sense that at times it would be…well difficult. I’ve experienced this myself quite a few times and am curious to see if others agree with me. I’ve noticed that my reading patterns definitely have a cyclical nature to them, but so does my ability/motivation to review. There have been times where writing a review comes easilyand I could whip out several in the span of just a few days. Hell I’ve had a couple months in the past where I wrote a review every single day! Then there are the other times when it seems close to impossible to form thoughts about a book to put together a review. Where each word is like pulling teeth.
I’ve read several books recently that I haven’t reviewed and I’ve been pondering why. It’s possibly because the books just didn’t elicit very much of a reaction from me. They weren’t bad by any means, but they were okay reads, something to pass the ungodly number of hours I spend on the train commuting. A few years ago it would have been nothing to read the book, decide I’m never going to read it again, pass it on and never give it a second thought. But since I entered the world of reviewing, I’ve gotten to the point where I feel actual guilt for each book I read that I don’t review! But then I think of how there just aren’t enough hours in the day and wonder why I feel like I must torture myself to write a review when I feel like there really isn’t much to say beyond, “It was an okay read but nothing spectacular.”
At the same time, I’ve definitely learned something about myself that I had a suspicion about but now I know it’s fact. I don’t really enjoy having a long list of books I must review. The more books I have to review, the slower I seem to go!! It might be because it seems like an unsurmountable task to get through, even though I can logically admit that slowly but surely I’d make it through. My brain instead gets sidetracked on other books or other projects and the poor books I’m meant to review don’t get finished. And the books I do read don’t get reviewed either! Rock, meet hard place, y’all have a lot in common.
As the weather improves and we enter the awesomeness of summer, at least in my hemisphere, I don’t think my pace with reviewing will necessarily increase, but right now I’m hoping to get over the top of the hill and go back to a steady pace of reviewing. I will defeat my reviewer’s block! Right?
Are there others out there that have had the same kind of experiences? Do you find that you go through phases where you just can’t put together a review to save your life? What did you do to get back into the reviewing groove? Do you think it’s possible to simply burn out on reviewing?
No I’m not talking about elections, especially since politics is at the very top of my list of topics that I like to stay away from. Instead what I’d like to discuss for a bit are the sites out there that provide a water cooler of sorts for readers to gather and discuss books, and how the ratings seem to be a bit skewed at times.



Then a few years ago something happened to greatly intensify my addiction. I discovered ebooks. What a brilliant concept!! I can buy books to my heart’s content and not have to worry about bookshelves that are going to crack under the combined weight of too many books. Perfect! Or is it?


Title: Miles to Go: A Rennie Vogel Intrigue