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The Ultimate List Of Amazing Adjectives To Describe A Book

If you’re wondering how to describe a book but can’t find the right words, you’ve come to the right place.

Doing it well is an art and can lead to more sales.

So today, we’re breaking down adjectives to describe books to make them as appealing as possible.

We’ve broken it down by genre, but don’t be afraid to play with words.

The more compelling the adjectives, the more likely people will pick up the title.

Let’s get to it.

Why You Need This List of Words to Describe Books

Book adjectives for action and adventure, book adjectives for classics, book adjectives for comic book / graphic novel, book adjectives for detective and mystery, book adjectives for fantasy, book adjectives for historical fiction, book adjectives for horror, book adjectives for literary fiction, book adjectives for romance, book adjectives for science fiction, book adjectives for suspense and thrillers, book adjectives for women’s fiction, book adjectives for biography / autobiography / memoir.

Authors love words and love writing. But not all authors are great copywriters. Copywriting is a unique skill set and requires choosing and combining words in a pithy, descriptive, and enticing way.   

Even if you are a great copywriter, having a list of book-focused adjectives at your fingertips is always handy. Remember…

  • Vibrant language sells books, no matter the genre.
  • When writing back cover descriptions, you need to paint a picture to appeal to potential buyers.
  • If you’re self-publishing, you’ll write sales copy for Amazon and other online book retailers.
  • If you write about books or review them, you need fresh ideas to make your content stand out.

Keep this list in a place you can easily access, and allow the words to spark your imagination and creativity. One relevant word can lead you to a flood of ideas to describe your book or another author’s.

The Ultimate List Of Adjectives To Describe A Book 

We’ve taken the legwork out of word research and curated a list of adjectives describing books in various genres. If you can’t find what you’re looking for in this list – well, look again!

The words you’re searching for are here, waiting for you to claim them. 

Good action and adventure books keep you on the edge of your seat. In most cases, the protagonist must vanquish a dangerous foe and overcome considerable obstacles thrown in their way.

Sometimes it’s to save the world; other times, the goal is to save themselves.   

  • Adventurous
  • Awesome 
  • Breathtaking
  • Exhilarating
  • Heart-pounding
  • High-stakes
  • Nail-biting
  • Page-turning

They’ve been around for decades, yet they’re still “required reading.” Why? Because they’re timeless, had a huge impact on society, or pushed literary limits. 

  • Descriptive
  • Exceptional
  • Extraordinary
  •  Ponderous
  • Sophisticated
  • Unprecedented
  • Quintessential

As their names suggest, comic books and graphic novels use illustrations and typography to tell stories. Dialogue is usually presented in “word bubbles.”

  • Fantastical
  • Illustrated
  • Imaginative
  • Paradoxical
  • Spellbinding

Detective and mystery novels revolve around crimes and inexplicable events. Memorable and beloved ones usually incorporate elements of humor, wit, and problem-solving. 

  • Captivating
  • Inquisitive
  • Unpredictable

Fantasy books are about the unknown, the mythical, and the supernatural. Some take place in wholly made-up worlds. Others are set in our world with added mystical elements.

  • Allegorical
  • Hallucinatory
  • Penetrating
  • Otherworldly
  • Swashbuckling
  • Transcendent
  • Unconventional

Do you love period dramas and history? Then you’re the perfect candidate for historical fiction. Combining historical events with imagined dialogue, historical fiction is an engaging way to interact with the past. 

  • Compassionate (i.e., a compassionate take)
  • Entertaining
  • Far-Reaching
  • Forgiving 

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Horror books are meant to scare and terrify! If you enjoy jump scares, surprises, and a tinge of discomfort, horror is the genre for you.

  • Agoraphobic

Today’s literary fiction novels are tomorrow’s classics. They’re well-written, lyrical stories with evocative themes that usually include social and cultural commentary. 

  • Coming-of-age
  • Conversational
  • Spectacular

Romance novels are all about love and happy endings. Book snobs often turn their noses up at romance titles, but they’re the most-read books on today’s novel market.

  • Lovey-dovey
  • Picturesque
  • Starry-eyed
  • Traditional

Science fiction books challenge us to imagine the world in a new light. While they’re similar to fantasy titles, most sci-fi works incorporate technology and futuristic themes.

  • Accomplished
  • Atmospheric
  • Electrifying
  • Forward-thinking
  • Impassioned
  • Mesmerizing
  • Provocative
  • Transfixing
  • Ultramodern

If you like a mental puzzle, then thrillers and suspense books are for you. Cliffhangers and emotional manipulation are the mainstays of the genre.

  • Complicated
  • Enthralling
  • Idiosyncratic
  • Tantalizing
  • Thought-provoking

Women’s fiction focuses on female issues. Some people mistake it for romance. And while there are romantic elements in some women’s fiction novels, issues related to confidence, sexism, health — both physical and mental — and friendship are also common themes.

  • Astonishing
  • Contemplative
  • Cooperative
  • Encouraging
  • Magnificent

Biographies and autobiographies tell the stories of individual lives. The former is when someone else writes the book; autobiographies are written by the subject.

Memoirs are always written by the subject, are more personal, and don’t necessarily chronicle every moment. Instead, they focus on significant moments and convey messages and ideas the writer wants to convey.

  • Autobiographical
  • Biographical
  • Educational
  • Emancipated
  • First-person
  • Influential
  • Introspective
  • Resourceful

Writing book descriptions is an essential part of book marketing. Using the right adjectives has the power to boost sales. So take your time and choose your words wisely!

How would you describe a book? Find out some words to use in this list of adjectives to describe a book and use some next time.

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25 of the Best Words to Describe a Book for Your Book Review

By: Author Hiuyan Lam

Posted on Last updated: October 20, 2023

Categories Vocabulary Boosters

25 of the Best Words to Describe a Book for Your Book Review

Even the best book readers suffer from writer’s block, when finding the words to describe a book you just read can be an uphill task.

A book review needs to express your opinion coherently and authoritatively, and this can only be achieved using the best possible words to describe a book.

We have some examples below for different categories.

Best words to describe a book: a praising review for a book you liked

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Best words to describe a book: a review of a book you didn’t like

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  Book reviewers need to employ the best words to describe a book. They do this to project authority, but they also do this so that they can drastically improve (or disprove) the book’s reception.   If you have just finished a book and you can’t find the right words for your review, then we hope the classic words to describe a book and associated phrases listed above will help to inspire your next book review .  

Jimmy Knapp

Saturday 30th of March 2024

This blog post is packed with great content!

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  • Conjunctions
  • Prepositions

Enhance Your Book Descriptions with Powerful Adjectives

book reviews adjectives

When it comes to describing a book, the right adjectives can make all the difference. As an avid reader and book lover, I’ve come across countless words that perfectly capture the essence of a great book. In this article, I’ll be sharing some of my favorite adjectives that can bring a book to life and entice readers from the very first page.

From captivating and thought-provoking to heartwarming and suspenseful, the adjectives we use to describe books can paint a vivid picture in the minds of readers. Whether you’re looking for a thrilling mystery, a heartwrenching romance, or an inspiring non-fiction read, the right adjectives can help you find exactly what you’re looking for. Join me as we explore a wide range of adjectives that will help you navigate the vast world of books and discover your next literary adventure.

So, without further ado, let’s dive into the fascinating world of adjectives for books and uncover the perfect words to capture the magic and allure of the written word. Whether you’re a bookworm or just starting your reading journey, this article will equip you with the language you need to express your love for books and find your next literary gem.

Table of Contents

How to Describe Book? – Different Scenarios

When it comes to describing a book, choosing the right adjectives can make a big difference. The words you use can paint a vivid picture in the minds of readers and help them decide if the book is right for them. Let’s explore some different scenarios where describing a book is important:

  • For book recommendations : When recommending a book to someone, it’s crucial to capture its essence with just a few adjectives. Here are some examples:
  • For selling books : Whether you’re a bookstore owner or an author promoting your own work, using descriptive adjectives can help attract readers. Consider these examples:
  • For book reviews : When writing a book review, your goal is to provide an honest and informative evaluation. Here are some adjectives that can help you describe the book accurately:

Remember, the key is to choose adjectives that align with the book’s qualities and resonate with your audience. By using descriptive and accurate adjectives, you can effectively convey the essence of a book in a way that engages readers and helps them find their next literary adventure.

Examples of Adjectives for Describing Books :

Describing Words for Book in English

When it comes to describing books, the right choice of adjectives can make all the difference in capturing the interest and excitement of potential readers. As an experienced writer, I understand the importance of using powerful and engaging words to convey the essence of a book. In this section, I’ll provide you with a selection of descriptive adjectives that will help you effectively describe books in English.

Exciting : An exciting book is one that keeps readers on the edge of their seats, eager to find out what happens next. Whether it’s a thrilling mystery or an action-packed adventure, describing a book as exciting will instantly grab the attention of readers.

Heartwarming : A heartwarming book evokes feelings of warmth, love, and connection. These are the stories that tug at our heartstrings and leave us with a sense of hope and joy. Describing a book as heartwarming is perfect for those seeking a comforting and uplifting read.

Intriguing : An intriguing book is one that keeps readers guessing and constantly wanting to uncover the secrets within its pages. The element of mystery and suspense leaves readers intrigued and captivated, turning page after page to unravel the story’s twists and turns.

Engrossing : An engrossing book is one that completely absorbs and immerses the reader into its world. With vivid descriptions, compelling characters, and a well-crafted plot, an engrossing book is difficult to put down. It envelops readers in a captivating narrative, compelling them to lose themselves in its pages.

These are just a few examples of adjectives that can effectively describe books and entice readers to pick them up. Remember to choose adjectives that align with the qualities and genre of the book, resonating with your target audience.

Adjectives for Book

As an avid reader and book enthusiast, I understand the importance of finding the perfect words to describe a book. Adjectives play a crucial role in capturing the essence of a book and attracting readers. In this section, I’ll discuss both positive and negative adjectives that can help you effectively convey the qualities of a book to your audience.

Positive Adjectives for Book with 12 Example Sentences

When it comes to recommending or reviewing a book, positive adjectives can be your best friend. They help create an enticing image of the book and generate excitement among readers. Here are twelve examples of positive adjectives that can make your book descriptions shine:

By incorporating these positive adjectives into your descriptions, you can entice readers and help them discover their next literary adventure.

Negative Adjectives for Book with 5 Example Sentences

While it’s important to highlight the positive aspects of a book, sometimes negative adjectives can also be useful in providing a well-rounded review. Here are five examples of negative adjectives that can convey the downsides of a book:

Including these negative adjectives in your reviews can provide a balanced perspective and help readers make informed decisions.

Adjectives have the power to paint a vivid picture of a book and spark curiosity in potential readers. By selecting the right adjectives that align with the book’s qualities and resonate with your audience, you can effectively convey the essence of a book and help readers find their next literary journey. Keep in mind that the adjectives you choose should always be objective, truthful, and tailored to your target audience.

Synonyms and Antonyms with Example Sentences

Synonyms for book.

When it comes to describing books, using a variety of adjectives can make a big difference in capturing the essence of a story. Here are some synonyms for the word “book” that can help add depth and nuance to your descriptions:

  • Novel : A long fictional narrative that takes readers on a journey through captivating storytelling. Example sentence: “This novel transports readers to a world of magic and adventure.”
  • Tome : A large, heavy book, often with a scholarly or academic focus. Example sentence: “This tome offers an in-depth exploration of ancient civilizations.”
  • Volume : A book that is part of a larger set or series. Example sentence: “This is the third volume in an epic fantasy series.”
  • Publication : A book that has been released and made available for public consumption. Example sentence: “This publication offers insightful perspectives on global politics.”
  • Manuscript : A handwritten or typed document that serves as the original version of a book. Example sentence: “This recently discovered manuscript sheds new light on historical events.”

Antonyms for Book

In addition to using positive adjectives to describe books, incorporating antonyms can provide a balanced perspective in your descriptions. Here are some antonyms for the word “book” that can help convey the opposite qualities:

  • Unpublished : Referring to a piece of writing that has not been released for public consumption. Example sentence: “This unpublished work remains a hidden gem.”
  • Blank : Describing a book that has no content or has yet to be filled with words. Example sentence: “The pages of this blank book are waiting to be filled with creativity.”
  • Abandoned : Signifying a book that has been left unfinished or neglected. Example sentence: “The abandoned book lay forgotten on the dusty shelf.”
  • Digital : Pertaining to books that exist in an electronic or digital format. Example sentence: “With the rise of digital books, traditional print editions face competition.”

By incorporating these synonyms and antonyms into your descriptions, you can add depth and variety to your language, making your book recommendations, selling strategies, or book reviews more engaging and informative. Remember to choose adjectives that align with the book’s qualities and resonate with your audience to effectively convey the essence of a book and help readers find their next literary adventure.

Using a variety of adjectives to describe books is essential for capturing the true essence of a story. By incorporating synonyms such as novel, tome, volume, publication, and manuscript, we can add depth and variety to our language when discussing books. Additionally, including antonyms provides a balanced perspective and allows us to effectively convey the qualities of a book.

Choosing the right adjectives that align with a book’s qualities and resonate with the audience is crucial for conveying its essence. Whether we are making book recommendations, selling strategies, or writing book reviews, using the appropriate adjectives can help readers find their next literary adventure.

So, let’s remember the importance of utilizing a wide range of adjectives when describing books. By doing so, we can enhance our language, captivate our audience, and truly bring a book to life through our words. Happy reading and exploring the wonderful world of literature!

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Book reviews Structure and language

Book reviews are sometimes used on undergraduate courses, and frequently appear in academic journals. This page considers what a book review is , how to structure one , and provides some language for writing a book review .

What is a book review?

A book review describes and critically evaluates a (usually recent) book. Like any kind of review, for example a review of a film or television programme, it will offer a description of the main points, consider the strengths and weaknesses, and give an overall evaluation, in order to allow the reader to decide whether or not it will be of interest to them and therefore a good investment of their time and money. Book reviews are sometimes used as assignments on undergraduate courses, and are a common component of academic journals. They are typically short pieces of work, around 500-750 words in length. They may sometimes be shorter or longer, but will rarely exceed 1000 words. A book review should not be confused with a book report, which is a relatively short and purely descriptive assignment, common in high school (rather than university) courses.

Structure of book reviews

A book review will usually begin with bibliographic information . This means details such as the name of the book, the name(s) of the author(s), and the publisher. Other details may be helpful, for example date and place of publication, format, edition, number of pages, price and ISBN.

The text of the review should begin with an introduction . As the review will be fairly brief, it is common to begin with an anecdote or quotation which captures the main idea of the book. The introduction will identify the author and title, specify the type of book, and state the book's subject matter. Further background detail to place the book in context may be given, for example previous work by the author in the same field, prior work by other writers in the same field, or information about the book series (if the book is part of a series). The thesis of the book, i.e. its specific contribution, may also be given, along with your own thesis, i.e. your initial appraisal of the work and key observations.

The main body of the review will provide description and critical evaluation of the text. These may be dealt with separately, with description first and evaluation next, or in combination. Although the evaluation is the more important part, the description may still take up half or two thirds of the content of the main body, in order to lay the foundation for the evaluation.

The description of the text will summarise the book. Evidence from the book, such as quotations, may be used to support the points. This part might give information on the following areas, which can later be used as criteria for evaluating the book:

  • content of the book (possibly by chapter-by-chapter);
  • the author's purpose;
  • the intended audience;
  • the author's arguments and themes;
  • sources used in the book;
  • how the book is organised or laid out.

The critical evaluation will present your reaction to the book. You might compare it to other (similar) books in the field, and consider its relative strengths and weaknesses. In this part you may respond to the areas above by considering key questions, as follows, to further highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the book.

  • Content of the book . Is everything included? Is there too much information? Is anything essential left out?
  • The author's purpose . Has the author succeeded in their purpose?
  • The intended audience . Is the book appropriate for the intended audience? Why (not)? Who else might benefit from reading it?
  • The author's arguments and themes . How valid or effective are the arguments and themes? Do you agree with the author's opinions? Why (not)?
  • Sources used in the book . How strong are the sources? Are there enough?
  • How the book is organised or laid out . Is it organised in a logical or useful way? Are there any problems? Is the layout clear and easy to use?

Finally, there should be a conclusion to the book review. This will sum up your thoughts on the book. This means summarising the book's strengths and weaknesses, indicating whether this is a useful book, whether it will make a lasting contribution to its field, whether you recommend it, and who will benefit from reading it.

Note that the above is the structure for a book review for a non-fiction work, which is the most common kind of review for university study. For a work of fiction, a similar approach can be used, though in place of the points for argument and sources, you would consider setting, plot, characters, use of language and voice when describing the book, and consider how effective each of these elements are when evaluating it.

Language for book reviews

It is important is to make sure that your views are distinct from the author's. This can be done by using the author's name, or referring to 'The author' or 'The book'.

The following phrases might be useful for summarising the contents of the book.

  • The book is divided into the following parts.
  • This text is divided into four main chapters focusing on...
  • Section one of the book details...
  • The opening chapter focuses on...
  • The second section explores...
  • Chapter three...
  • The next chapter...
  • The final chapter...

The following phrases can be used to highlight weaknesses.

  • The book would benefit from...
  • A nice addition to the book would be...
  • The weakest area of the book is...
  • The only/main/greatest weakness/drawback of the book is...

The following phrases can be used to indicate a suitable audience for the book.

  • The book should appeal to those who...
  • This book is applicable to...
  • It would be an excellent resource for...
  • The book is particularly interesting for...
  • The book will be of interest to...
  • This book is highly recommended to...
  • ... are likely to find the book useful.
  • ... would find it valuable.

The following adjectives can be used to give a positive review (negatives of these can be used for a negative review).

  • informative
  • interesting
  • well-organised
  • substantial
  • comprehensive

Example review

An example book review, as well as exercises for book reviews, can be found in the book Academic Writing Genres: Essays, Reports & Other Genres , part of the EAP Foundation series of books. You can use the form below to download a sample of the book .

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Below is a checklist for book reviews. Use it to check your own writing, or get a peer (another student) to help you.

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17 Book Review Examples to Help You Write the Perfect Review

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17 book review examples to help you write the perfect review.

17 Book Review Examples to Help You Write the Perfect Review

It’s an exciting time to be a book reviewer. Once confined to print newspapers and journals, reviews now dot many corridors of the Internet — forever helping others discover their next great read. That said, every book reviewer will face a familiar panic: how can you do justice to a great book in just a thousand words?

As you know, the best way to learn how to do something is by immersing yourself in it. Luckily, the Internet (i.e. Goodreads and other review sites , in particular) has made book reviews more accessible than ever — which means that there are a lot of book reviews examples out there for you to view!

In this post, we compiled 17 prototypical book review examples in multiple genres to help you figure out how to write the perfect review . If you want to jump straight to the examples, you can skip the next section. Otherwise, let’s first check out what makes up a good review.

Are you interested in becoming a book reviewer? We recommend you check out Reedsy Discovery , where you can earn money for writing reviews — and are guaranteed people will read your reviews! To register as a book reviewer, sign up here.

Pro-tip : But wait! How are you sure if you should become a book reviewer in the first place? If you're on the fence, or curious about your match with a book reviewing career, take our quick quiz:

Should you become a book reviewer?

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What must a book review contain?

Like all works of art, no two book reviews will be identical. But fear not: there are a few guidelines for any aspiring book reviewer to follow. Most book reviews, for instance, are less than 1,500 words long, with the sweet spot hitting somewhere around the 1,000-word mark. (However, this may vary depending on the platform on which you’re writing, as we’ll see later.)

In addition, all reviews share some universal elements, as shown in our book review templates . These include:

  • A review will offer a concise plot summary of the book. 
  • A book review will offer an evaluation of the work. 
  • A book review will offer a recommendation for the audience. 

If these are the basic ingredients that make up a book review, it’s the tone and style with which the book reviewer writes that brings the extra panache. This will differ from platform to platform, of course. A book review on Goodreads, for instance, will be much more informal and personal than a book review on Kirkus Reviews, as it is catering to a different audience. However, at the end of the day, the goal of all book reviews is to give the audience the tools to determine whether or not they’d like to read the book themselves.

Keeping that in mind, let’s proceed to some book review examples to put all of this in action.

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Book review examples for fiction books

Since story is king in the world of fiction, it probably won’t come as any surprise to learn that a book review for a novel will concentrate on how well the story was told .

That said, book reviews in all genres follow the same basic formula that we discussed earlier. In these examples, you’ll be able to see how book reviewers on different platforms expertly intertwine the plot summary and their personal opinions of the book to produce a clear, informative, and concise review.

Note: Some of the book review examples run very long. If a book review is truncated in this post, we’ve indicated by including a […] at the end, but you can always read the entire review if you click on the link provided.

Examples of literary fiction book reviews

Kirkus Reviews reviews Ralph Ellison’s The Invisible Man :

An extremely powerful story of a young Southern Negro, from his late high school days through three years of college to his life in Harlem.
His early training prepared him for a life of humility before white men, but through injustices- large and small, he came to realize that he was an "invisible man". People saw in him only a reflection of their preconceived ideas of what he was, denied his individuality, and ultimately did not see him at all. This theme, which has implications far beyond the obvious racial parallel, is skillfully handled. The incidents of the story are wholly absorbing. The boy's dismissal from college because of an innocent mistake, his shocked reaction to the anonymity of the North and to Harlem, his nightmare experiences on a one-day job in a paint factory and in the hospital, his lightning success as the Harlem leader of a communistic organization known as the Brotherhood, his involvement in black versus white and black versus black clashes and his disillusion and understanding of his invisibility- all climax naturally in scenes of violence and riot, followed by a retreat which is both literal and figurative. Parts of this experience may have been told before, but never with such freshness, intensity and power.
This is Ellison's first novel, but he has complete control of his story and his style. Watch it.

Lyndsey reviews George Orwell’s 1984 on Goodreads:

YOU. ARE. THE. DEAD. Oh my God. I got the chills so many times toward the end of this book. It completely blew my mind. It managed to surpass my high expectations AND be nothing at all like I expected. Or in Newspeak "Double Plus Good." Let me preface this with an apology. If I sound stunningly inarticulate at times in this review, I can't help it. My mind is completely fried.
This book is like the dystopian Lord of the Rings, with its richly developed culture and economics, not to mention a fully developed language called Newspeak, or rather more of the anti-language, whose purpose is to limit speech and understanding instead of to enhance and expand it. The world-building is so fully fleshed out and spine-tinglingly terrifying that it's almost as if George travelled to such a place, escaped from it, and then just wrote it all down.
I read Fahrenheit 451 over ten years ago in my early teens. At the time, I remember really wanting to read 1984, although I never managed to get my hands on it. I'm almost glad I didn't. Though I would not have admitted it at the time, it would have gone over my head. Or at the very least, I wouldn't have been able to appreciate it fully. […]

The New York Times reviews Lisa Halliday’s Asymmetry :

Three-quarters of the way through Lisa Halliday’s debut novel, “Asymmetry,” a British foreign correspondent named Alistair is spending Christmas on a compound outside of Baghdad. His fellow revelers include cameramen, defense contractors, United Nations employees and aid workers. Someone’s mother has FedExed a HoneyBaked ham from Maine; people are smoking by the swimming pool. It is 2003, just days after Saddam Hussein’s capture, and though the mood is optimistic, Alistair is worrying aloud about the ethics of his chosen profession, wondering if reporting on violence doesn’t indirectly abet violence and questioning why he’d rather be in a combat zone than reading a picture book to his son. But every time he returns to London, he begins to “spin out.” He can’t go home. “You observe what people do with their freedom — what they don’t do — and it’s impossible not to judge them for it,” he says.
The line, embedded unceremoniously in the middle of a page-long paragraph, doubles, like so many others in “Asymmetry,” as literary criticism. Halliday’s novel is so strange and startlingly smart that its mere existence seems like commentary on the state of fiction. One finishes “Asymmetry” for the first or second (or like this reader, third) time and is left wondering what other writers are not doing with their freedom — and, like Alistair, judging them for it.
Despite its title, “Asymmetry” comprises two seemingly unrelated sections of equal length, appended by a slim and quietly shocking coda. Halliday’s prose is clean and lean, almost reportorial in the style of W. G. Sebald, and like the murmurings of a shy person at a cocktail party, often comic only in single clauses. It’s a first novel that reads like the work of an author who has published many books over many years. […]

Emily W. Thompson reviews Michael Doane's The Crossing on Reedsy Discovery :

In Doane’s debut novel, a young man embarks on a journey of self-discovery with surprising results.
An unnamed protagonist (The Narrator) is dealing with heartbreak. His love, determined to see the world, sets out for Portland, Oregon. But he’s a small-town boy who hasn’t traveled much. So, the Narrator mourns her loss and hides from life, throwing himself into rehabbing an old motorcycle. Until one day, he takes a leap; he packs his bike and a few belongings and heads out to find the Girl.
Following in the footsteps of Jack Kerouac and William Least Heat-Moon, Doane offers a coming of age story about a man finding himself on the backroads of America. Doane’s a gifted writer with fluid prose and insightful observations, using The Narrator’s personal interactions to illuminate the diversity of the United States.
The Narrator initially sticks to the highways, trying to make it to the West Coast as quickly as possible. But a hitchhiker named Duke convinces him to get off the beaten path and enjoy the ride. “There’s not a place that’s like any other,” [39] Dukes contends, and The Narrator realizes he’s right. Suddenly, the trip is about the journey, not just the destination. The Narrator ditches his truck and traverses the deserts and mountains on his bike. He destroys his phone, cutting off ties with his past and living only in the moment.
As he crosses the country, The Narrator connects with several unique personalities whose experiences and views deeply impact his own. Duke, the complicated cowboy and drifter, who opens The Narrator’s eyes to a larger world. Zooey, the waitress in Colorado who opens his heart and reminds him that love can be found in this big world. And Rosie, The Narrator’s sweet landlady in Portland, who helps piece him back together both physically and emotionally.
This supporting cast of characters is excellent. Duke, in particular, is wonderfully nuanced and complicated. He’s a throwback to another time, a man without a cell phone who reads Sartre and sleeps under the stars. Yet he’s also a grifter with a “love ‘em and leave ‘em” attitude that harms those around him. It’s fascinating to watch The Narrator wrestle with Duke’s behavior, trying to determine which to model and which to discard.
Doane creates a relatable protagonist in The Narrator, whose personal growth doesn’t erase his faults. His willingness to hit the road with few resources is admirable, and he’s prescient enough to recognize the jealousy of those who cannot or will not take the leap. His encounters with new foods, places, and people broaden his horizons. Yet his immaturity and selfishness persist. He tells Rosie she’s been a good mother to him but chooses to ignore the continuing concern from his own parents as he effectively disappears from his old life.
Despite his flaws, it’s a pleasure to accompany The Narrator on his physical and emotional journey. The unexpected ending is a fitting denouement to an epic and memorable road trip.

The Book Smugglers review Anissa Gray’s The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls :

I am still dipping my toes into the literally fiction pool, finding what works for me and what doesn’t. Books like The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray are definitely my cup of tea.
Althea and Proctor Cochran had been pillars of their economically disadvantaged community for years – with their local restaurant/small market and their charity drives. Until they are found guilty of fraud for stealing and keeping most of the money they raised and sent to jail. Now disgraced, their entire family is suffering the consequences, specially their twin teenage daughters Baby Vi and Kim.  To complicate matters even more: Kim was actually the one to call the police on her parents after yet another fight with her mother. […]

Examples of children’s and YA fiction book reviews

The Book Hookup reviews Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give :

♥ Quick Thoughts and Rating: 5 stars! I can’t imagine how challenging it would be to tackle the voice of a movement like Black Lives Matter, but I do know that Thomas did it with a finesse only a talented author like herself possibly could. With an unapologetically realistic delivery packed with emotion, The Hate U Give is a crucially important portrayal of the difficulties minorities face in our country every single day. I have no doubt that this book will be met with resistance by some (possibly many) and slapped with a “controversial” label, but if you’ve ever wondered what it was like to walk in a POC’s shoes, then I feel like this is an unflinchingly honest place to start.
In Angie Thomas’s debut novel, Starr Carter bursts on to the YA scene with both heart-wrecking and heartwarming sincerity. This author is definitely one to watch.
♥ Review: The hype around this book has been unquestionable and, admittedly, that made me both eager to get my hands on it and terrified to read it. I mean, what if I was to be the one person that didn’t love it as much as others? (That seems silly now because of how truly mesmerizing THUG was in the most heartbreakingly realistic way.) However, with the relevancy of its summary in regards to the unjust predicaments POC currently face in the US, I knew this one was a must-read, so I was ready to set my fears aside and dive in. That said, I had an altogether more personal, ulterior motive for wanting to read this book. […]

The New York Times reviews Melissa Albert’s The Hazel Wood :

Alice Crewe (a last name she’s chosen for herself) is a fairy tale legacy: the granddaughter of Althea Proserpine, author of a collection of dark-as-night fairy tales called “Tales From the Hinterland.” The book has a cult following, and though Alice has never met her grandmother, she’s learned a little about her through internet research. She hasn’t read the stories, because her mother, Ella Proserpine, forbids it.
Alice and Ella have moved from place to place in an attempt to avoid the “bad luck” that seems to follow them. Weird things have happened. As a child, Alice was kidnapped by a man who took her on a road trip to find her grandmother; he was stopped by the police before they did so. When at 17 she sees that man again, unchanged despite the years, Alice panics. Then Ella goes missing, and Alice turns to Ellery Finch, a schoolmate who’s an Althea Proserpine superfan, for help in tracking down her mother. Not only has Finch read every fairy tale in the collection, but handily, he remembers them, sharing them with Alice as they journey to the mysterious Hazel Wood, the estate of her now-dead grandmother, where they hope to find Ella.
“The Hazel Wood” starts out strange and gets stranger, in the best way possible. (The fairy stories Finch relays, which Albert includes as their own chapters, are as creepy and evocative as you’d hope.) Albert seamlessly combines contemporary realism with fantasy, blurring the edges in a way that highlights that place where stories and real life convene, where magic contains truth and the world as it appears is false, where just about anything can happen, particularly in the pages of a very good book. It’s a captivating debut. […]

James reviews Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight, Moon on Goodreads:

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown is one of the books that followers of my blog voted as a must-read for our Children's Book August 2018 Readathon. Come check it out and join the next few weeks!
This picture book was such a delight. I hadn't remembered reading it when I was a child, but it might have been read to me... either way, it was like a whole new experience! It's always so difficult to convince a child to fall asleep at night. I don't have kids, but I do have a 5-month-old puppy who whines for 5 minutes every night when he goes in his cage/crate (hopefully he'll be fully housebroken soon so he can roam around when he wants). I can only imagine! I babysat a lot as a teenager and I have tons of younger cousins, nieces, and nephews, so I've been through it before, too. This was a believable experience, and it really helps show kids how to relax and just let go when it's time to sleep.
The bunny's are adorable. The rhymes are exquisite. I found it pretty fun, but possibly a little dated given many of those things aren't normal routines anymore. But the lessons to take from it are still powerful. Loved it! I want to sample some more books by this fine author and her illustrators.

Publishers Weekly reviews Elizabeth Lilly’s Geraldine :

This funny, thoroughly accomplished debut opens with two words: “I’m moving.” They’re spoken by the title character while she swoons across her family’s ottoman, and because Geraldine is a giraffe, her full-on melancholy mode is quite a spectacle. But while Geraldine may be a drama queen (even her mother says so), it won’t take readers long to warm up to her. The move takes Geraldine from Giraffe City, where everyone is like her, to a new school, where everyone else is human. Suddenly, the former extrovert becomes “That Giraffe Girl,” and all she wants to do is hide, which is pretty much impossible. “Even my voice tries to hide,” she says, in the book’s most poignant moment. “It’s gotten quiet and whispery.” Then she meets Cassie, who, though human, is also an outlier (“I’m that girl who wears glasses and likes MATH and always organizes her food”), and things begin to look up.
Lilly’s watercolor-and-ink drawings are as vividly comic and emotionally astute as her writing; just when readers think there are no more ways for Geraldine to contort her long neck, this highly promising talent comes up with something new.

Examples of genre fiction book reviews

Karlyn P reviews Nora Roberts’ Dark Witch , a paranormal romance novel , on Goodreads:

4 stars. Great world-building, weak romance, but still worth the read.
I hesitate to describe this book as a 'romance' novel simply because the book spent little time actually exploring the romance between Iona and Boyle. Sure, there IS a romance in this novel. Sprinkled throughout the book are a few scenes where Iona and Boyle meet, chat, wink at each, flirt some more, sleep together, have a misunderstanding, make up, and then profess their undying love. Very formulaic stuff, and all woven around the more important parts of this book.
The meat of this book is far more focused on the story of the Dark witch and her magically-gifted descendants living in Ireland. Despite being weak on the romance, I really enjoyed it. I think the book is probably better for it, because the romance itself was pretty lackluster stuff.
I absolutely plan to stick with this series as I enjoyed the world building, loved the Ireland setting, and was intrigued by all of the secondary characters. However, If you read Nora Roberts strictly for the romance scenes, this one might disappoint. But if you enjoy a solid background story with some dark magic and prophesies, you might enjoy it as much as I did.
I listened to this one on audio, and felt the narration was excellent.

Emily May reviews R.F. Kuang’s The Poppy Wars , an epic fantasy novel , on Goodreads:

“But I warn you, little warrior. The price of power is pain.”
Holy hell, what did I just read??
➽ A fantasy military school
➽ A rich world based on modern Chinese history
➽ Shamans and gods
➽ Detailed characterization leading to unforgettable characters
➽ Adorable, opium-smoking mentors
That's a basic list, but this book is all of that and SO MUCH MORE. I know 100% that The Poppy War will be one of my best reads of 2018.
Isn't it just so great when you find one of those books that completely drags you in, makes you fall in love with the characters, and demands that you sit on the edge of your seat for every horrific, nail-biting moment of it? This is one of those books for me. And I must issue a serious content warning: this book explores some very dark themes. Proceed with caution (or not at all) if you are particularly sensitive to scenes of war, drug use and addiction, genocide, racism, sexism, ableism, self-harm, torture, and rape (off-page but extremely horrific).
Because, despite the fairly innocuous first 200 pages, the title speaks the truth: this is a book about war. All of its horrors and atrocities. It is not sugar-coated, and it is often graphic. The "poppy" aspect refers to opium, which is a big part of this book. It is a fantasy, but the book draws inspiration from the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Rape of Nanking.

Crime Fiction Lover reviews Jessica Barry’s Freefall , a crime novel:

In some crime novels, the wrongdoing hits you between the eyes from page one. With others it’s a more subtle process, and that’s OK too. So where does Freefall fit into the sliding scale?
In truth, it’s not clear. This is a novel with a thrilling concept at its core. A woman survives plane crash, then runs for her life. However, it is the subtleties at play that will draw you in like a spider beckoning to an unwitting fly.
Like the heroine in Sharon Bolton’s Dead Woman Walking, Allison is lucky to be alive. She was the only passenger in a private plane, belonging to her fiancé, Ben, who was piloting the expensive aircraft, when it came down in woodlands in the Colorado Rockies. Ally is also the only survivor, but rather than sitting back and waiting for rescue, she is soon pulling together items that may help her survive a little longer – first aid kit, energy bars, warm clothes, trainers – before fleeing the scene. If you’re hearing the faint sound of alarm bells ringing, get used to it. There’s much, much more to learn about Ally before this tale is over.

Kirkus Reviews reviews Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One , a science-fiction novel :

Video-game players embrace the quest of a lifetime in a virtual world; screenwriter Cline’s first novel is old wine in new bottles.
The real world, in 2045, is the usual dystopian horror story. So who can blame Wade, our narrator, if he spends most of his time in a virtual world? The 18-year-old, orphaned at 11, has no friends in his vertical trailer park in Oklahoma City, while the OASIS has captivating bells and whistles, and it’s free. Its creator, the legendary billionaire James Halliday, left a curious will. He had devised an elaborate online game, a hunt for a hidden Easter egg. The finder would inherit his estate. Old-fashioned riddles lead to three keys and three gates. Wade, or rather his avatar Parzival, is the first gunter (egg-hunter) to win the Copper Key, first of three.
Halliday was obsessed with the pop culture of the 1980s, primarily the arcade games, so the novel is as much retro as futurist. Parzival’s great strength is that he has absorbed all Halliday’s obsessions; he knows by heart three essential movies, crossing the line from geek to freak. His most formidable competitors are the Sixers, contract gunters working for the evil conglomerate IOI, whose goal is to acquire the OASIS. Cline’s narrative is straightforward but loaded with exposition. It takes a while to reach a scene that crackles with excitement: the meeting between Parzival (now world famous as the lead contender) and Sorrento, the head of IOI. The latter tries to recruit Parzival; when he fails, he issues and executes a death threat. Wade’s trailer is demolished, his relatives killed; luckily Wade was not at home. Too bad this is the dramatic high point. Parzival threads his way between more ’80s games and movies to gain the other keys; it’s clever but not exciting. Even a romance with another avatar and the ultimate “epic throwdown” fail to stir the blood.
Too much puzzle-solving, not enough suspense.

Book review examples for non-fiction books

Nonfiction books are generally written to inform readers about a certain topic. As such, the focus of a nonfiction book review will be on the clarity and effectiveness of this communication . In carrying this out, a book review may analyze the author’s source materials and assess the thesis in order to determine whether or not the book meets expectations.

Again, we’ve included abbreviated versions of long reviews here, so feel free to click on the link to read the entire piece!

The Washington Post reviews David Grann’s Killers of the Flower Moon :

The arc of David Grann’s career reminds one of a software whiz-kid or a latest-thing talk-show host — certainly not an investigative reporter, even if he is one of the best in the business. The newly released movie of his first book, “The Lost City of Z,” is generating all kinds of Oscar talk, and now comes the release of his second book, “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI,” the film rights to which have already been sold for $5 million in what one industry journal called the “biggest and wildest book rights auction in memory.”
Grann deserves the attention. He’s canny about the stories he chases, he’s willing to go anywhere to chase them, and he’s a maestro in his ability to parcel out information at just the right clip: a hint here, a shading of meaning there, a smartly paced buildup of multiple possibilities followed by an inevitable reversal of readerly expectations or, in some cases, by a thrilling and dislocating pull of the entire narrative rug.
All of these strengths are on display in “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Around the turn of the 20th century, oil was discovered underneath Osage lands in the Oklahoma Territory, lands that were soon to become part of the state of Oklahoma. Through foresight and legal maneuvering, the Osage found a way to permanently attach that oil to themselves and shield it from the prying hands of white interlopers; this mechanism was known as “headrights,” which forbade the outright sale of oil rights and granted each full member of the tribe — and, supposedly, no one else — a share in the proceeds from any lease arrangement. For a while, the fail-safes did their job, and the Osage got rich — diamond-ring and chauffeured-car and imported-French-fashion rich — following which quite a large group of white men started to work like devils to separate the Osage from their money. And soon enough, and predictably enough, this work involved murder. Here in Jazz Age America’s most isolated of locales, dozens or even hundreds of Osage in possession of great fortunes — and of the potential for even greater fortunes in the future — were dispatched by poison, by gunshot and by dynamite. […]

Stacked Books reviews Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers :

I’ve heard a lot of great things about Malcolm Gladwell’s writing. Friends and co-workers tell me that his subjects are interesting and his writing style is easy to follow without talking down to the reader. I wasn’t disappointed with Outliers. In it, Gladwell tackles the subject of success – how people obtain it and what contributes to extraordinary success as opposed to everyday success.
The thesis – that our success depends much more on circumstances out of our control than any effort we put forth – isn’t exactly revolutionary. Most of us know it to be true. However, I don’t think I’m lying when I say that most of us also believe that we if we just try that much harder and develop our talent that much further, it will be enough to become wildly successful, despite bad or just mediocre beginnings. Not so, says Gladwell.
Most of the evidence Gladwell gives us is anecdotal, which is my favorite kind to read. I can’t really speak to how scientifically valid it is, but it sure makes for engrossing listening. For example, did you know that successful hockey players are almost all born in January, February, or March? Kids born during these months are older than the others kids when they start playing in the youth leagues, which means they’re already better at the game (because they’re bigger). Thus, they get more play time, which means their skill increases at a faster rate, and it compounds as time goes by. Within a few years, they’re much, much better than the kids born just a few months later in the year. Basically, these kids’ birthdates are a huge factor in their success as adults – and it’s nothing they can do anything about. If anyone could make hockey interesting to a Texan who only grudgingly admits the sport even exists, it’s Gladwell. […]

Quill and Quire reviews Rick Prashaw’s Soar, Adam, Soar :

Ten years ago, I read a book called Almost Perfect. The young-adult novel by Brian Katcher won some awards and was held up as a powerful, nuanced portrayal of a young trans person. But the reality did not live up to the book’s billing. Instead, it turned out to be a one-dimensional and highly fetishized portrait of a trans person’s life, one that was nevertheless repeatedly dubbed “realistic” and “affecting” by non-transgender readers possessing only a vague, mass-market understanding of trans experiences.
In the intervening decade, trans narratives have emerged further into the literary spotlight, but those authored by trans people ourselves – and by trans men in particular – have seemed to fall under the shadow of cisgender sensationalized imaginings. Two current Canadian releases – Soar, Adam, Soar and This One Looks Like a Boy – provide a pointed object lesson into why trans-authored work about transgender experiences remains critical.
To be fair, Soar, Adam, Soar isn’t just a story about a trans man. It’s also a story about epilepsy, the medical establishment, and coming of age as seen through a grieving father’s eyes. Adam, Prashaw’s trans son, died unexpectedly at age 22. Woven through the elder Prashaw’s narrative are excerpts from Adam’s social media posts, giving us glimpses into the young man’s interior life as he traverses his late teens and early 20s. […]

Book Geeks reviews Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love :

WRITING STYLE: 3.5/5
SUBJECT: 4/5
CANDIDNESS: 4.5/5
RELEVANCE: 3.5/5
ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 3.5/5
“Eat Pray Love” is so popular that it is almost impossible to not read it. Having felt ashamed many times on my not having read this book, I quietly ordered the book (before I saw the movie) from amazon.in and sat down to read it. I don’t remember what I expected it to be – maybe more like a chick lit thing but it turned out quite different. The book is a real story and is a short journal from the time when its writer went travelling to three different countries in pursuit of three different things – Italy (Pleasure), India (Spirituality), Bali (Balance) and this is what corresponds to the book’s name – EAT (in Italy), PRAY (in India) and LOVE (in Bali, Indonesia). These are also the three Is – ITALY, INDIA, INDONESIA.
Though she had everything a middle-aged American woman can aspire for – MONEY, CAREER, FRIENDS, HUSBAND; Elizabeth was not happy in her life, she wasn’t happy in her marriage. Having suffered a terrible divorce and terrible breakup soon after, Elizabeth was shattered. She didn’t know where to go and what to do – all she knew was that she wanted to run away. So she set out on a weird adventure – she will go to three countries in a year and see if she can find out what she was looking for in life. This book is about that life changing journey that she takes for one whole year. […]

Emily May reviews Michelle Obama’s Becoming on Goodreads:

Look, I'm not a happy crier. I might cry at songs about leaving and missing someone; I might cry at books where things don't work out; I might cry at movies where someone dies. I've just never really understood why people get all choked up over happy, inspirational things. But Michelle Obama's kindness and empathy changed that. This book had me in tears for all the right reasons.
This is not really a book about politics, though political experiences obviously do come into it. It's a shame that some will dismiss this book because of a difference in political opinion, when it is really about a woman's life. About growing up poor and black on the South Side of Chicago; about getting married and struggling to maintain that marriage; about motherhood; about being thrown into an amazing and terrifying position.
I hate words like "inspirational" because they've become so overdone and cheesy, but I just have to say it-- Michelle Obama is an inspiration. I had the privilege of seeing her speak at The Forum in Inglewood, and she is one of the warmest, funniest, smartest, down-to-earth people I have ever seen in this world.
And yes, I know we present what we want the world to see, but I truly do think it's genuine. I think she is someone who really cares about people - especially kids - and wants to give them better lives and opportunities.
She's obviously intelligent, but she also doesn't gussy up her words. She talks straight, with an openness and honesty rarely seen. She's been one of the most powerful women in the world, she's been a graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law School, she's had her own successful career, and yet she has remained throughout that same girl - Michelle Robinson - from a working class family in Chicago.
I don't think there's anyone who wouldn't benefit from reading this book.

Hopefully, this post has given you a better idea of how to write a book review. You might be wondering how to put all of this knowledge into action now! Many book reviewers start out by setting up a book blog. If you don’t have time to research the intricacies of HTML, check out Reedsy Discovery — where you can read indie books for free and review them without going through the hassle of creating a blog. To register as a book reviewer , go here .

And if you’d like to see even more book review examples, simply go to this directory of book review blogs and click on any one of them to see a wealth of good book reviews. Beyond that, it's up to you to pick up a book and pen — and start reviewing!

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How to Write a Book Review: A Comprehensive Tutorial With Examples

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You don’t need to be a literary expert to craft captivating book reviews. With one in every three readers selecting books based on insightful reviews, your opinions can guide fellow bibliophiles toward their next literary adventure.

Learning how to write a book review will not only help you excel at your assigned tasks, but you’ll also contribute valuable insights to the book-loving community and turn your passion into a professional pursuit.

In this comprehensive guide,  PaperPerk  will walk you through a few simple steps to master the art of writing book reviews so you can confidently embark on this rewarding journey.

What is a Book Review?

A book review is a critical evaluation of a book, offering insights into its content, quality, and impact. It helps readers make informed decisions about whether to read the book.

Writing a book review as an assignment benefits students in multiple ways. Firstly, it teaches them how to write a book review by developing their analytical skills as they evaluate the content, themes, and writing style .

Secondly, it enhances their ability to express opinions and provide constructive criticism. Additionally, book review assignments expose students to various publications and genres, broadening their knowledge.

Furthermore, these tasks foster essential skills for academic success, like critical thinking and the ability to synthesize information. By now, we’re sure you want to learn how to write a book review, so let’s look at the book review template first.

Table of Contents

Book Review Template

How to write a book review- a step by step guide.

Check out these 5 straightforward steps for composing the best book review.

Step 1: Planning Your Book Review – The Art of Getting Started

You’ve decided to take the plunge and share your thoughts on a book that has captivated (or perhaps disappointed) you. Before you start book reviewing, let’s take a step back and plan your approach. Since knowing how to write a book review that’s both informative and engaging is an art in itself.

Choosing Your Literature

First things first, pick the book you want to review. This might seem like a no-brainer, but selecting a book that genuinely interests you will make the review process more enjoyable and your insights more authentic.

Crafting the Master Plan

Next, create an  outline  that covers all the essential points you want to discuss in your review. This will serve as the roadmap for your writing journey.

The Devil is in the Details

As you read, note any information that stands out, whether it overwhelms, underwhelms, or simply intrigues you. Pay attention to:

  • The characters and their development
  • The plot and its intricacies
  • Any themes, symbols, or motifs you find noteworthy

Remember to reserve a body paragraph for each point you want to discuss.

The Key Questions to Ponder

When planning your book review, consider the following questions:

  • What’s the plot (if any)? Understanding the driving force behind the book will help you craft a more effective review.
  • Is the plot interesting? Did the book hold your attention and keep you turning the pages?
  • Are the writing techniques effective? Does the author’s style captivate you, making you want to read (or reread) the text?
  • Are the characters or the information believable? Do the characters/plot/information feel real, and can you relate to them?
  • Would you recommend the book to anyone? Consider if the book is worthy of being recommended, whether to impress someone or to support a point in a literature class.
  • What could improve? Always keep an eye out for areas that could be improved. Providing constructive criticism can enhance the quality of literature.

Step 2 – Crafting the Perfect Introduction to Write a Book Review

In this second step of “how to write a book review,” we’re focusing on the art of creating a powerful opening that will hook your audience and set the stage for your analysis.

Identify Your Book and Author

Begin by mentioning the book you’ve chosen, including its  title  and the author’s name. This informs your readers and establishes the subject of your review.

Ponder the Title

Next, discuss the mental images or emotions the book’s title evokes in your mind . This helps your readers understand your initial feelings and expectations before diving into the book.

Judge the Book by Its Cover (Just a Little)

Take a moment to talk about the book’s cover. Did it intrigue you? Did it hint at what to expect from the story or the author’s writing style? Sharing your thoughts on the cover can offer a unique perspective on how the book presents itself to potential readers.

Present Your Thesis

Now it’s time to introduce your thesis. This statement should be a concise and insightful summary of your opinion of the book. For example:

“Normal People” by Sally Rooney is a captivating portrayal of the complexities of human relationships, exploring themes of love, class, and self-discovery with exceptional depth and authenticity.

Ensure that your thesis is relevant to the points or quotes you plan to discuss throughout your review.

Incorporating these elements into your introduction will create a strong foundation for your book review. Your readers will be eager to learn more about your thoughts and insights on the book, setting the stage for a compelling and thought-provoking analysis.

How to Write a Book Review: Step 3 – Building Brilliant Body Paragraphs

You’ve planned your review and written an attention-grabbing introduction. Now it’s time for the main event: crafting the body paragraphs of your book review. In this step of “how to write a book review,” we’ll explore the art of constructing engaging and insightful body paragraphs that will keep your readers hooked.

Summarize Without Spoilers

Begin by summarizing a specific section of the book, not revealing any major plot twists or spoilers. Your goal is to give your readers a taste of the story without ruining surprises.

Support Your Viewpoint with Quotes

Next, choose three quotes from the book that support your viewpoint or opinion. These quotes should be relevant to the section you’re summarizing and help illustrate your thoughts on the book.

Analyze the Quotes

Write a summary of each quote in your own words, explaining how it made you feel or what it led you to think about the book or the author’s writing. This analysis should provide insight into your perspective and demonstrate your understanding of the text.

Structure Your Body Paragraphs

Dedicate one body paragraph to each quote, ensuring your writing is well-connected, coherent, and easy to understand.

For example:

  • In  Jane Eyre , Charlotte Brontë writes, “I am no bird; and no net ensnares me.” This powerful statement highlights Jane’s fierce independence and refusal to be trapped by societal expectations.
  • In  Normal People , Sally Rooney explores the complexities of love and friendship when she writes, “It was culture as class performance, literature fetishized for its ability to take educated people on false emotional journeys.” This quote reveals the author’s astute observations on the role of culture and class in shaping personal relationships.
  • In  Wuthering Heights , Emily Brontë captures the tumultuous nature of love with the quote, “He’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.” This poignant line emphasizes the deep, unbreakable bond between the story’s central characters.

By following these guidelines, you’ll create body paragraphs that are both captivating and insightful, enhancing your book review and providing your readers with a deeper understanding of the literary work. 

How to Write a Book Review: Step 4 – Crafting a Captivating Conclusion

You’ve navigated through planning, introductions, and body paragraphs with finesse. Now it’s time to wrap up your book review with a  conclusion that leaves a lasting impression . In this final step of “how to write a book review,” we’ll explore the art of writing a memorable and persuasive conclusion.

Summarize Your Analysis

Begin by summarizing the key points you’ve presented in the body paragraphs. This helps to remind your readers of the insights and arguments you’ve shared throughout your review.

Offer Your Final Conclusion

Next, provide a conclusion that reflects your overall feelings about the book. This is your chance to leave a lasting impression and persuade your readers to consider your perspective.

Address the Book’s Appeal

Now, answer the question: Is this book worth reading? Be clear about who would enjoy the book and who might not. Discuss the taste preferences and circumstances that make the book more appealing to some readers than others.

For example:  The Alchemist is a book that can enchant a young teen, but those who are already well-versed in classic literature might find it less engaging.

Be Subtle and Balanced

Avoid simply stating whether you “liked” or “disliked” the book. Instead, use nuanced language to convey your message. Highlight the pros and cons of reading the type of literature you’ve reviewed, offering a balanced perspective.

Bringing It All Together

By following these guidelines, you’ll craft a conclusion that leaves your readers with a clear understanding of your thoughts and opinions on the book. Your review will be a valuable resource for those considering whether to pick up the book, and your witty and insightful analysis will make your review a pleasure to read. So conquer the world of book reviews, one captivating conclusion at a time!

How to Write a Book Review: Step 5 – Rating the Book (Optional)

You’ve masterfully crafted your book review, from the introduction to the conclusion. But wait, there’s one more step you might consider before calling it a day: rating the book. In this optional step of “how to write a book review,” we’ll explore the benefits and methods of assigning a rating to the book you’ve reviewed.

Why Rate the Book?

Sometimes, when writing a professional book review, it may not be appropriate to state whether you liked or disliked the book. In such cases, assigning a rating can be an effective way to get your message across without explicitly sharing your personal opinion.

How to Rate the Book

There are various rating systems you can use to evaluate the book, such as:

  • A star rating (e.g., 1 to 5 stars)
  • A numerical score (e.g., 1 to 10)
  • A letter grade (e.g., A+ to F)

Choose a rating system that best suits your style and the format of your review. Be consistent in your rating criteria, considering writing quality, character development, plot, and overall enjoyment.

Tips for Rating the Book

Here are some tips for rating the book effectively:

  • Be honest: Your rating should reflect your true feelings about the book. Don’t inflate or deflate your rating based on external factors, such as the book’s popularity or the author’s reputation.
  • Be fair:Consider the book’s merits and shortcomings when rating. Even if you didn’t enjoy the book, recognize its strengths and acknowledge them in your rating.
  • Be clear: Explain the rationale behind your rating so your readers understand the factors that influenced your evaluation.

Wrapping Up

By including a rating in your book review, you provide your readers with an additional insight into your thoughts on the book. While this step is optional, it can be a valuable tool for conveying your message subtly yet effectively. So, rate those books confidently, adding a touch of wit and wisdom to your book reviews.

Additional Tips on How to Write a Book Review: A Guide

In this segment, we’ll explore additional tips on how to write a book review. Get ready to captivate your readers and make your review a memorable one!

Hook ’em with an Intriguing Introduction

Keep your introduction precise and to the point. Readers have the attention span of a goldfish these days, so don’t let them swim away in boredom. Start with a bang and keep them hooked!

Embrace the World of Fiction

When learning how to write a book review, remember that reviewing fiction is often more engaging and effective. If your professor hasn’t assigned you a specific book, dive into the realm of fiction and select a novel that piques your interest.

Opinionated with Gusto

Don’t shy away from adding your own opinion to your review. A good book review always features the writer’s viewpoint and constructive criticism. After all, your readers want to know what  you  think!

Express Your Love (or Lack Thereof)

If you adored the book, let your readers know! Use phrases like “I’ll definitely return to this book again” to convey your enthusiasm. Conversely, be honest but respectful even if the book wasn’t your cup of tea.

Templates and Examples and Expert Help: Your Trusty Sidekicks

Feeling lost? You can always get help from formats, book review examples or online  college paper writing service  platforms. These trusty sidekicks will help you navigate the world of book reviews with ease. 

Be a Champion for New Writers and Literature

Remember to uplift new writers and pieces of literature. If you want to suggest improvements, do so kindly and constructively. There’s no need to be mean about anyone’s books – we’re all in this literary adventure together!

Criticize with Clarity, Not Cruelty

When adding criticism to your review, be clear but not mean. Remember, there’s a fine line between constructive criticism and cruelty. Tread lightly and keep your reader’s feelings in mind.

Avoid the Comparison Trap

Resist the urge to compare one writer’s book with another. Every book holds its worth, and comparing them will only confuse your reader. Stick to discussing the book at hand, and let it shine in its own light.

Top 7 Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Writing a book review can be a delightful and rewarding experience, especially when you balance analysis, wit, and personal insights. However, some common mistakes can kill the brilliance of your review. 

In this section of “how to write a book review,” we’ll explore the top 7 blunders writers commit and how to steer clear of them, with a dash of  modernist literature  examples and tips for students writing book reviews as assignments.

Succumbing to the Lure of Plot Summaries

Mistake: Diving headfirst into a plot summary instead of dissecting the book’s themes, characters, and writing style.

Example: “The Bell Jar chronicles the life of a young woman who experiences a mental breakdown.”

How to Avoid: Delve into the book’s deeper aspects, such as its portrayal of mental health, societal expectations, and the author’s distinctive narrative voice. Offer thoughtful insights and reflections, making your review a treasure trove of analysis.

Unleashing the Spoiler Kraken

Mistake: Spilling major plot twists or the ending without providing a spoiler warning, effectively ruining the reading experience for potential readers.

Example: “In Metamorphosis, the protagonist’s transformation into a monstrous insect leads to…”

How to Avoid: Tread carefully when discussing significant plot developments, and consider using spoiler warnings. Focus on the impact of these plot points on the overall narrative, character growth, or thematic resonance.

Riding the Personal Bias Express

Mistake: Allowing personal bias to hijack the review without providing sufficient evidence or reasoning to support opinions.

Example: “I detest books about existential crises, so The Sun Also Rises was a snoozefest.”

How to Avoid: While personal opinions are valid, it’s crucial to back them up with specific examples from the book. Discuss aspects like writing style, character development, or pacing to support your evaluation and provide a more balanced perspective.

Wielding the Vague Language Saber

Mistake: Resorting to generic, vague language that fails to capture the nuances of the book and can come across as clichéd.

Example: “This book was mind-blowing. It’s a must-read for everyone.”

How to Avoid: Use precise and descriptive language to express your thoughts. Employ specific examples and quotations to highlight memorable scenes, the author’s unique writing style, or the impact of the book’s themes on readers.

Ignoring the Contextualization Compass

Mistake: Neglecting to provide context about the author, genre, or cultural relevance of the book, leaving readers without a proper frame of reference.

Example: “This book is dull and unoriginal.”

How to Avoid: Offer readers a broader understanding by discussing the author’s background, the genre conventions the book adheres to or subverts, and any societal or historical contexts that inform the narrative. This helps readers appreciate the book’s uniqueness and relevance.

Overindulging in Personal Preferences

Mistake: Letting personal preferences overshadow an objective assessment of the book’s merits.

Example: “I don’t like stream-of-consciousness writing, so this book is automatically bad.”

How to Avoid: Acknowledge personal preferences but strive to evaluate the book objectively. Focus on the book’s strengths and weaknesses, considering how well it achieves its goals within its genre or intended audience.

Forgetting the Target Audience Telescope

Mistake: Failing to mention the book’s target audience or who might enjoy it, leading to confusion for potential readers.

Example: “This book is great for everyone.”

How to Avoid: Contemplate the book’s intended audience, genre, and themes. Mention who might particularly enjoy the book based on these factors, whether it’s fans of a specific genre, readers interested in character-driven stories, or those seeking thought-provoking narratives.

By dodging these common pitfalls, writers can craft insightful, balanced, and engaging book reviews that help readers make informed decisions about their reading choices.

These tips are particularly beneficial for students writing book reviews as assignments, as they ensure a well-rounded and thoughtful analysis.!

Many students requested us to cover how to write a book review. This thorough guide is sure to help you. At Paperperk, professionals are dedicated to helping students find their balance. We understand the importance of good grades, so we offer the finest writing service , ensuring students stay ahead of the curve. So seek expert help because only Paperperk is your perfect solution!

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Business Book Reviews

List of Adjectives That Describe a Book or Magazine

This list of Adjectives That Describe a Book or Magazine is the ultimate guide to write a review for a product, book, magazine, and more.  In this post, we will know Genres, Verbs, and Adjectives which help us to write a better review. free PDF download and don’t forget to share it with your contacts.

autobiography

children’s

independent

kids’

non-fiction

photography

cult classic

short story

special interest

central character

character development

character study

characterization

comedic timing

compilation

exploration

narrative voice

observation

originality

page-turner

personification

perspective

point of view

preoccupation

protagonist

rave reviews

representation

inspiration

interaction

interpretation

intricacies

juxtaposition

literary culture

literary device

literary genius

main character

manipulation

masterpiece

sensitivity

sentimental

subconscious

subject matter

transformation

understanding

use of language

vehicle for

be taken in

bring to life

bring to light

characterize

communicate

contemplate

incorporate

makes you think

orchestrate

piece together

give life to

accomplished

adventurous

astonishing

autobiographical

avant-garde

award-winning

awe-inspiring

beautifully written

best-selling

canon-worthy

character-driven

charismatic

coming-of-age

contemplative

contemporary

controversial

conversational

deeply thoughtful

emotionally charged

emotionally resonant

entertaining

exceptional

extraordinary

fascinating

first person

heartwarming

highly original

illustrated

imaginative

immensely talented

impassioned

inspirational

intellectual

intellectually invigorating

intelligent

interesting

introspective

light-hearted

magniloquent

metaphorical

page-turning

paradoxical

plot-driven

recommended

resourceful

sophisticated

spellbinding

stimulating

substantive

suspenseful

third person

thought-provoking

traditional

true-to-life

unconventional

unforgettable

unpredictable

well-conceived

well-crafted

well-researched

well-written

widely acclaimed

Check similar post:  List of Descriptive Words and Phrases For Book Reviews

I always write my reviews on Amazon , 3ee , and Social Media such as Facebook , Instagram , Twitter , Linked In , Telegram , and Google+ .

If you also have read this book, please share your review below, we greatly appreciate your comment, and let’s talk about it!

Amin Rezaei

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Book Review Adjectives

Screenshot from Book Review Adjectives

This Word Bank provides a range of adjectives suitable for use in a book review or when writing the blurb for a novel.

The words are arranged in alphabetical tabs.

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book reviews adjectives

This Reading Mama

Books with Adjectives

Books that Teach and Model Adjectives

These are some of our favorite books with adjectives. Some of them are teaching books that explain adjectives and how you use them and others are books that have a good number of adjectives in them. My kids enjoy listening to me read them aloud. Afterwards, we sometimes do “adjective hunts”, looking for places where the author has used a good deal of adjectives.

*This post contains affiliate links.

Books that TEACH about Adjectives

Books that model adjectives.

grouchy ladybug

Poetry is also a GREAT place to find descriptive language. One of our favorite read aloud poetry books for doing this is The 20th Century Children’s Poetry Treasury selected by Jack Prelutsky.

Activities that Teach Adjectives

  • Jazzy Words – using your five senses to describe nouns
  • Descriptive Writing Graphic Organizer
  • Roll & Write Adjectives – a SILLY way to practice using adjectives

Oxford House

  • How To Write A Review: Cambridge B2 First

How to Write a Review - Cambridge B2 First | Oxford House Barcelona

  • Posted on 24/07/2019
  • Categories: Blog
  • Tags: B2 First , Cambridge Exams , FCE , First Certificate , Resources to learn English , Writing

Students who are taking their B2 First Certificate exam (FCE) will be asked to do two pieces of writing within an 80 minute time limit. Part 1 is always an essay . Part 2 is where you can get a bit more creative. You might, for example, be asked to write a letter, a report or a review, all of which have their own style and set guidelines.

When writing a review it can be difficult to know where to start. But don’t be afraid! We are here to help you every step of the way.

Remember a review could be for a book, a film, a magazine, a restaurant or even a product .

Three steps to writing a great review

Let’s start with something simple. Imagine. You turn over the page to your writing part 2 and you see this question:

How to write a review - Cambridge B2 First | Oxford House Barcelona

Question taken from Cambridge Assessment English website . (Feb 2018)

Step One: Make a plan

The first thing to do is to make a plan, just like we did in our B2 First essay guidelines .

Think of a book you read in which the main character behaved in a surprising way. This could be surprising in a good way, where the character does something amazing and helps somebody. Or maybe there’s a twist at the end and the character does something really shocking. Either way take some time to really think about your choice.

E.g. I’m going to choose The Great Gatsby, because I had to read the book 3 times when I was at school and I’ve seen the film so I feel like I know it really well .

The structure

Next, think of the structure. Consider all the parts of the question and use that to help organise your review. Make notes about the following:

  • An interesting title
  • A catchy introduction
  • A summary of the plot
  • A surprising moment
  • Your recommendation

Remember you’re going to want to separate these with clear paragraphs that are going to help the examiner read to the end without getting a headache.

You also need to consider the tone and how the review should sound to the reader. Remember this is for a magazine. Think about all the magazines you like to read. You want to sound chatty and grab the reader’s attention, but not bore them to sleep. Think semi-formal but friendly!

Useful Vocabulary

Now brainstorm some useful vocabulary for your chosen book, including lots of adjectives. Avoid using boring adjectives like good or bad . It’s much more exciting to say ‘amazing’ and ‘disappointing’ or ‘ terrific ’ and ‘terrible’ .

Here’s some more useful vocabulary to get you started:

superficial / deceptive / fascinating / unbelievable / rich / lonely / kind / reserved/ to be set in / to be written by / prosperity / characters / jazz age / protagonist / atmosphere / author / chapter / ending / fictional towns / prohibition / novel / on the outskirts / sad story.

Your next step is to think of some linking phrases. These are going to help tie together your thoughts and bring your review to life!

  • Overall if you like…
  • I was pleasantly surprised by…
  • In fact…
  • What I disliked the most was…
  • The book contains…
  • As well as…
  • This well-written book…
  • Unbelievably…

Step Two: Write it

Once you have a solid plan, writing your review should be easy!

First start with an interesting title. E.g. The Unexpected Anti-Hero. It relates to both the book that’s being reviewed and the question. It’s also short and snappy .

Next write an engaging introduction. Maybe start with a rhetorical question, for example:

Are you a fan of the Jazz Age? Then this is the book for you!

Or a general statement about the book that will hook the reader:

The Great Gatsby is a classic, with many twists and turns.

You could also give some background information. Here we use the past simple:

The Great Gatsby was written by F.S.Fitzgerald and is set in prosperous Long Island in 1922.

The second paragraph should summarise the plot (note – we usually describe a story in present tense ):

Gatsby is a mysterious character, he has big extravagant parties, and we never know if we can trust him.

The third paragraph is where we introduce the surprising moment and reveal what the main character did and why it was surprising:

  • The most shocking part is when…
  • I couldn’t believe it when…
  • It was so surprising when…

In the fourth paragraph, give a recommendation! Here the examiner wants to hear your overall opinion. It can be something simple:

  • I strongly recommend..

Or something more inventive:

  • I wouldn’t read the novel again because…
  • Everyone should read this immediately!

But don’t forget to say why!

Step Three: Check it

Now you have your winning book review it’s time to check for all those little (and big) mistakes.

Make sure you check:

  • You’ve answered all parts of the question.
  • It is easy to read.
  • Your spelling is correct.
  • You’ve used the 3rd person(s).
  • You have used punctuation.
  • There’s a variety of nouns and adjectives.
  • Pick a book you know quite well! Whether it’s Harry Potter or The Hunger Games , make sure you have lots to say about it!
  • Don’t be afraid to give both negative and positive opinions!
  • Experiment with using first person and try addressing the reader with ‘you’.
  • Read lots of real authentic reviews online, anything from holidays to music concerts, exhibitions to video games!
  • Remember to put some of your own personality into your review. Have some fun with it and good luck!

Follow the links for some excellent phrases and vocabulary for other types of reviews.

Restaurant Reviews

Film Reviews

TV / Theatre Reviews

Exhibition & Concert Reviews

Here are some more sample questions for you to practice on your own:

How to write a review - Example I - Cambridge B2 First | Oxford House Barcelona

Choose one and post your reviews in the comments section.

Glossary for Language Learners

Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn’t know.

Twist (n): : a sudden change in a story that you do not expect..

Chatty (adj): having a friendly style.

Avoid doing something (v): to intentionally not do something.

Terrific (adj): excellent.

Snappy (adj): concise.

Hook (v): to catch.

adj = adjective

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8 Hidden Benefits of Being Bilingual

  • By: oxfordadmin
  • Posted on 17/07/2019

4 Past Tenses and When to Use Them

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Reading Is My SuperPower

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Titles With Adjectives

Posted March 22, 2022 by meezcarrie in Christian , contemporary , cozy mystery , historical , mystery/suspense , romance , Top Ten Tuesday / 16 Comments

book reviews adjectives

Happy Tuesday! Today’s topic for Top Ten Tuesday continues the grammar-related themes that we’ve done lately (which I’ve loved!) by looking at book titles with adjectives in them. Can I just say that book titles are resplendent with adjectives? I could very easily have done about 100 books (at least) for this topic, but I forced myself to stick to ten. All ten of these books with adjectivial (new word) titles are on my TBR list, too, for an added subtopic should you wish to view it that way instead haha

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Bitter Truth by Janet Sketchley Cozy Mystery

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Checked Impressions by Carolyn Miller Contemporary Romance

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Dark Angel by Andrews & Wilson Supernatural Thriller

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False Pretense by Heather Day Gilbert Mystery/Suspense

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The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare by Kimberly Brock Historical Fiction

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Malicious Intent by Lynn H. Blackburn Romantic Suspense

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Perilous Wilderness Escape by Rhonda Starnes Romantic Suspense

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Something Good by Vanessa Miller Women’s Fiction

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To a Brighter Tomorrow by Kari Trumbo Historical Romance

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An Unlikely Alliance by Toni Shiloh Contemporary Romance

Check out these other grammar-themed Top Ten Tuesday posts!

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What about you? What are some book titles with adjectives on your TBR list? Which of mine have you read?

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Tags: contemporary romance , cozy mystery , historical fiction , historical romance , mystery/suspense , romantic suspense , Top Ten Tuesday

book reviews adjectives

16 responses to “ Top Ten Tuesday: Book Titles With Adjectives ”

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They all sound fabulous. Thankyou for sharing. God bless you.

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Theres a few here on my TBR list as well and I loved the Grammar theme too.

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Great! I love the novel novel themes you come up with. It adds an extra twist of enjoyment to reading 🙂

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You are so clever in your posts. I have most of these on my radar. Thank you for sharing.

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Thanks so much Lucy!

Aww thank you, my friend 🙂

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Malicious Intent and The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare are two that I will be reading soon. I also picked books that are on my TBR list 🙂

Yay! Bookish minds think alike 😉

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I’m loving your title choices here. Bitter really stands out to me. It’s simple, yet very descriptive.

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Awesome list. I have Something Good on my TBR. 🙂

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False Pretense has such an interesting cover!

My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-books-with-an-adjective-in-the-title/

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Shout-out to False Pretense, which I’ve already read and enjoyed! I like this broad range of genres–there’s something (or several somethings) for everyone. And I’m so excited that you included my new release (Bitter Truth) on this list!

you are most welcome, Janet! I’m glad you enjoyed the variety of genres on the post like I hoped people would 🙂

I just wish there was more time to read. I can’t keep up with all these!

i totally feel your pain!!

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I haven’t heard of any of these! Nice job.

Here’s my list: https://speedyreadercom.wordpress.com/2022/03/22/top-10-childrens-books-with-adjectives-in-the-title/

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The Highly Selective Dictionary of Golden Adjectives: For the Extraordinarily Literate

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Eugene H. Ehrlich

The Highly Selective Dictionary of Golden Adjectives: For the Extraordinarily Literate Hardcover – July 15, 2002

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Adjectives have long suffered from bad press. For many years, English teachers have been fond of telling students that "adjectives are the enemy of nouns, and adverbs are the enemy of everything else."

While it's still advisable to heed your English teacher's advice on most other matters, The Highly Selective Dictionary of Golden Adjectives for the Extraordinarily Literate proves that breaking certain rules can make written and spoken language that much livelier, adding much-needed color, style, and adornment. With this addition to the popular Highly Selective series, the "golden" adjective, at last, gets the star treatment it deserves. From adventitious to zaftig, renowned lexicographer Eugene Ehrlich has collected more than 850 of the most interesting and engaging adjectives in the English language and has provided concise definitions and instructive usage examples. Whether you're a writer, a speaker, or a word buff, this compendious, trenchant, laudable, and all-around fantabulous volume will help you put panache back into your prose.

  • Part of series Highly Selective Reference
  • Print length 272 pages
  • Language English
  • Publisher Harper
  • Publication date July 15, 2002
  • Dimensions 5.5 x 0.93 x 8.25 inches
  • ISBN-10 0060186364
  • ISBN-13 978-0060186364
  • See all details

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About the author.

Eugene Ehrlich wrote and edited numerous reference books on language, including the original Oxford American Dictionary and Amo, Amas, Amat and More .

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper; 1st edition (July 15, 2002)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0060186364
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0060186364
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.9 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.93 x 8.25 inches
  • #89 in Thesauruses (Books)
  • #251 in English Dictionaries & Thesauruses
  • #636 in Dictionaries (Books)

About the authors

Eugene h. ehrlich.

Eugene Ehrlich, formerly a member of the department of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, authored numerous reference books on language, including Amo, Amos, Amat, and More and The Highly Selective Thesaurus for the Extraordinary Literate. He was also the coeditor of the Oxford American Dictionary.

Eugene Ehrlich

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Trump VP contender Kristi Noem writes of killing dog – and goat – in new book

South Dakota governor includes bloody tale in campaign volume – and admits ‘a better politician … wouldn’t tell the story here’

  • Who will be Trump’s VP? A shortlist

In 1952, as a Republican candidate for vice-president, Richard Nixon stirred criticism by admitting receiving a dog, Checkers , as a political gift.

In 2012, as the Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney was pilloried for tying a dog , Seamus, to the roof of the family car for a cross-country trip.

But in 2024 Kristi Noem , a strong contender to be named running mate to Donald Trump , the presumptive Republican nominee, has managed to go one further – by admitting killing a dog of her own.

“Cricket was a wirehair pointer, about 14 months old,” the South Dakota governor writes in a new book, adding that the dog, a female, had an “aggressive personality” and needed to be trained to be used for hunting pheasant.

What unfolds over the next few pages shows how that effort went very wrong indeed – and, remarkably, how Cricket was not the only domestic animal Noem chose to kill one day in hunting season.

Noem’s book – No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward – will be published in the US next month. The Guardian obtained a copy.

Like other aspirants to be Trump’s second vice-president who have ventured into print , Noem offers readers a mixture of autobiography, policy prescriptions and political invective aimed at Democrats and other enemies, all of it raw material for speeches on the campaign stump.

She includes her story about the ill-fated Cricket, she says, to illustrate her willingness, in politics as well as in South Dakota life, to do anything “difficult, messy and ugly” if it simply needs to be done.

By taking Cricket on a pheasant hunt with older dogs, Noem says, she hoped to calm the young dog down and begin to teach her how to behave. Unfortunately, Cricket ruined the hunt, going “out of her mind with excitement, chasing all those birds and having the time of her life”.

Noem describes calling Cricket, then using an electronic collar to attempt to bring her under control. Nothing worked. Then, on the way home after the hunt, as Noem stopped to talk to a local family, Cricket escaped Noem’s truck and attacked the family’s chickens, “grabb[ing] one chicken at a time, crunching it to death with one bite, then dropping it to attack another”.

Cricket the untrainable dog, Noem writes, behaved like “a trained assassin”.

When Noem finally grabbed Cricket, she says, the dog “whipped around to bite me”. Then, as the chickens’ owner wept, Noem repeatedly apologised, wrote the shocked family a check “for the price they asked, and helped them dispose of the carcasses littering the scene of the crime”.

Through it all, Noem says, Cricket was “the picture of pure joy”.

“I hated that dog,” Noem writes, adding that Cricket had proved herself “untrainable”, “dangerous to anyone she came in contact with” and “less than worthless … as a hunting dog”.

“At that moment,” Noem says, “I realised I had to put her down.”

Noem, who also represented her state in Congress for eight years, got her gun, then led Cricket to a gravel pit.

“It was not a pleasant job,” she writes, “but it had to be done. And after it was over, I realised another unpleasant job needed to be done.”

Incredibly, Noem’s tale of slaughter is not finished.

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Her family, she writes, also owned a male goat that was “nasty and mean”, because it had not been castrated. Furthermore, the goat smelled “disgusting, musky, rancid” and “loved to chase” Noem’s children, knocking them down and ruining their clothes.

Noem decided to kill the unnamed goat the same way she had just killed Cricket the dog. But though she “dragged him to a gravel pit”, the goat jumped as she shot and therefore survived the wound. Noem says she went back to her truck, retrieved another shell, then “hurried back to the gravel pit and put him down”.

At that point, Noem writes, she realised a construction crew had watched her kill both animals. The startled workers swiftly got back to work, she writes, only for a school bus to arrive and drop off Noem’s children.

“Kennedy looked around confused,” Noem writes of her daughter, who asked: “Hey, where’s Cricket?”

On Friday, reaction to news of Noem’s description of killing her dog and her goat included satire, the Barack Obama adviser turned podcaster Tommy Vietor calling the governor “Jeffrey Dahmer with veneers”, a reference to a famous serial killer and a recent scandal over Noem’s cosmetic dentistry treatment .

But most responses, particularly from dog lovers and people who hunt with dogs, simply expressed disgust.

Rick Wilson, of the anti-Trump Lincoln Project, called Noem “deliberately cruel” and “trash”. Ryan Busse, the Democratic candidate for governor of Montana, said : “Anyone who has ever owned a birddog knows how disgusting, lazy and evil this is. Damn.”

Noem herself posted a screengrab of the Guardian report – and an admission that she recently “put down three horses”.

“We love animals,” she said, “but tough decisions like this happen all the time on a farm. Sadly, we just had to put down three horses a few weeks ago that had been in our family for 25 years.”

The governor also said her book contained “more real, honest and politically incorrect stories that’ll have the media gasping”.

In the book, however, she sums up her story about Cricket the dog and the unnamed, un-castrated goat with what may prove a contender for the greatest understatement of election year: “I guess if I were a better politician I wouldn’t tell the story here.”

  • Republicans
  • US elections 2024
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  • Politics books
  • South Dakota

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Inside MAGA’s Plan to Take Over America

“Finish What We Started,” by the journalist Isaac Arnsdorf, reports from the front lines of the right-wing movement’s strategy to gain power, from the local level on up.

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This photo depicts Steve Bannon at a desk cluttered with books, notebooks and recording paraphernalia, in front of an equally cluttered fireplace mantel and next to a set of black shelves filled with books and other items. In the right foreground, we can see the head, left arm and thigh of a man wearing headphones and holding an open laptop in his lap.

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FINISH WHAT WE STARTED: The MAGA Movement’s Ground War to End Democracy, by Isaac Arnsdorf

Despite Steve Bannon’s Wall Street pedigree, his taste for five-star hotels and billionaire-owned yachts , he is truly a man of the people — that, at least, is the impression he strains to convey each time he appears in “Finish What We Started: The MAGA Movement’s Ground War to End Democracy,” a new book by Isaac Arnsdorf, a journalist at The Washington Post.

As far as Bannon is concerned, anyone who complains that Donald Trump’s far-right supporters are on the fringes of the fringe, an extremist minority bent on undermining what most Americans actually want, is just a whiner who can go cry some more. As he put it at the Conservative Political Action Conference in the summer of 2022: “All they talk about on MSNBC is ‘democracy, democracy, democracy.’ We’re gonna give them a democracy suppository on Nov. 8!”

The line was classic Bannon: gleeful, bombastic, mildly disgusting. It would also turn out to be wrong. The “red wave” that he and other MAGA enthusiasts envisioned for that year’s midterm elections never materialized; a number of Trump’s handpicked candidates had sailed through their primaries but struggled to prevail in the general election .

Still, Bannon would not be deterred. In the book, he keeps insisting to Arnsdorf that most of the country is MAGA, even if some of those MAGA supporters don’t know it yet. “Bannon believed the MAGA movement, if it could break out of being suppressed and marginalized by the establishment, represented a dominant coalition that could rule for a hundred years,” Arnsdorf writes.

There have been several books about the Trumpification of the Republican Party focused on the politicians and operatives who allowed such a transformation to happen. “Finish What We Started” focuses instead on the ordinary foot soldiers in the MAGA grass roots — the “faces in the crowd” who, in the aftermath of Jan. 6, continued to insist that the 2020 presidential election had been stolen and are determined to never let such an outrage happen again.

The rampage at the Capitol had been spectacular — maybe too spectacular for its own good; what the MAGA movement needed was something stealthier and more tedious, less likely to draw the attention of anyone who would try to thwart it. Arnsdorf recounts how, a month after the attack, Bannon invited a Breitbart blogger named Dan Schultz to his “War Room” podcast to explain what Schultz called “the precinct strategy.” The plan was to take over the Republican Party from the ground up: Get some true MAGA believers into the humble yet foundational building blocks of the party structure — “precinct positions that were often vacant because no one was paying attention.”

Instead of state legislatures staffed by RINOs (Republicans in name only) who had shown themselves too willing to betray the MAGA cause by abiding by the Constitution and certifying the 2020 election, an influx of new precinct committee members would ensure that the 2024 election would reflect the will of the real people — the MAGA faithful.

One person who heeded the message was Salleigh Grubbs, who ran for Republican county chair in Cobb County, Ga., in 2021 and received a phone call from Trump when she won. Arnsdorf juxtaposes Grubbs’s trajectory with that of Kathy Petsas, a Republican Party chair for a legislative district in Maricopa County, Ariz., who went from fielding maybe three applications a month for precinct committee membership to an astonishing 40 a week.

In the months leading up to the 2022 midterms, Petsas was formally reprimanded by her new MAGA colleagues and saw her preferred Republican candidate for Arizona governor get trounced in the primaries by the election-denying, Trump-endorsed Kari Lake; Grubbs, meanwhile, seemed to be flying high on MAGA fumes until she began to grasp “how much more complicated things are, how much you couldn’t see from outside, how there are always unintended consequences.” She still “loved” Trump, but unlike the hard-liners, “she did not worship him.” Arnsdorf describes her growing discomfort with efforts to purge the party’s ranks of anyone who doesn’t toe the new line. Her attempt to speak up for an embattled state chairman gets her booted off a “patriots” group chat.

Arnsdorf mostly hangs back, presenting his subjects’ thoughts in free indirect style. His stated aim is to convey “what makes them believe, what motivates them, what stirs them to action.” Petsas seems baffled by the takeover of her party and clings to the old mode of doing things. Incredulous that the MAGA wing doesn’t think of her as a “real Republican,” she emphasizes her decades of experience as an insider — when that lengthy tenure is obviously considered a mark against her.

Grubbs, for her part, is initially fueled by a sense that official explanations for political results she doesn’t like seem very, very fishy. After Jan. 6, she blasted out a message to her Facebook group: “All. DO NOT BELIEVE THE NEWS. Trump people are not violent. The Capitol protest was fine until Antifa co-opted and committed violence.” She suggests she’s mellowed a bit since becoming a county chair, but mellower MAGA still runs hot. At Georgia’s state Republican convention in 2023, she poses for a photo with Trump and gets a hug from Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene. Grubbs deems it “one of the happiest days of her life.”

Arnsdorf’s book arrives at a moment when Democrats are warning that Trump and the MAGA movement are seeking to end democracy as we know it — and Trump, in his usual I’m-rubber-you’re-glue way , has started to fling the accusation right back . Another new book, “ Minority Rule ,” by Ari Berman, traces in methodical detail the long history of white conservatives deploying all kinds of technical maneuvers to counter the democratic effects of a diversifying country. Jacob Heilbrunn’s excellent “America Last” recounts the American right’s “proclivity for authoritarianism” as reflected in a long record of admiration for foreign dictators. Reading these three books together will give you a sense of how the Republican Party has landed on a plan to entrench power in a pincer movement: minority rule on the one hand and mass radicalization on the other.

It’s a shrewdly cynical way to hedge one’s bets. Bannon’s extravagant bluffing — “ We’re two-thirds of the nation! ” he bragged at CPAC — can’t hide the fact that MAGA extremism is still terribly unpopular. An NBC News poll last year put the share of Americans with a favorable view of the MAGA movement at a meager 24 percent . But consolidating power whenever possible can allow the faithful to “feel some wins,” Arnsdorf writes. Bannon, by constantly telling his listeners that they’re the culmination of democracy instead of its death knell, is feeding them a useful and invigorating delusion. The precinct strategy has become another way of energizing the base.

And the base turns out to have infinite patience for the nitty-gritty of local politics, as long as the ultimate goal is not governance but domination. “Now they understand how important the rules are,” a merry Bannon tells Arnsdorf. “We’re having a civics lesson here. We’re exploding, and the reason we’re exploding? We’re really getting into the granular, and people can’t get enough of it.”

FINISH WHAT WE STARTED : The MAGA Movement’s Ground War to End Democracy | By Isaac Arnsdorf | Little, Brown | 247 pp. | $30

Jennifer Szalai is the nonfiction book critic for The Times. More about Jennifer Szalai

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COMMENTS

  1. 356 Best Adjectives To Describe A Book

    Good action and adventure books keep you on the edge of your seat. In most cases, the protagonist must vanquish a dangerous foe and overcome considerable obstacles thrown in their way. Sometimes it's to save the world; other times, the goal is to save themselves. Adventurous. Awesome.

  2. 25 of the Best Words to Describe a Book for Your Book Review

    07 Pulsating. This is a word that you can use for a wide audience. It works in the same way as the words "thrilling" or "nail-biter" and suggests a fast-paced book. The word "pulsating" could refer to a book with unique story twists and multiple events. E.g. Forget about the last thriller you read.

  3. 200+ Words To Describe A Book

    Words To Describe A Book. There are a myriad of words that can be used to describe a book, depending on the genre and the feelings it provokes from individual readers. To name just a few, a book can be gripping, unputdownable, page-turner, thought-provoking, relatable, heart-warming, and many more. A book can also be described by its genre.

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    A book review needs to express your opinion cohering and authoritatively, and this bucket only be achieved using the best possible words to describes a book. On way to figure out Crichton's position about this is to identify the tone male uses to tell the story. Our describe the tone of a books with adjectives, and more ...

  5. PDF 99 Adjectives to Describe Any Book

    99 Adjectives to Describe Any Book Thanks to my friends on Facebook for submitting these adjectives . and to Stephanie Schifini for compiling this alphabetical list! ©2014 ~ Created by Laura Candler ~ Teaching Resources ~ www.lauracandler.com. Brainstorming . Book Adjectives.

  6. 1238 Adjectives to Describe a Book

    Adjectives are words that describe or modify another person or thing in the sentence. When it comes to books, adjectives can paint a picture of the story in the reader's mind, making the book come alive. Adjectives can also be used to describe the physical appearance of the book, such as its size, color, and… Read More »1238 Adjectives to Describe a Book

  7. Enhance Your Book Descriptions with Powerful Adjectives

    When it comes to describing a book, the right adjectives can make all the difference. As an avid reader and book lover, I've come across countless words that perfectly capture the essence of a great book. In this article, I'll be sharing some of my favorite adjectives that can bring a book to life and… Read More »Enhance Your Book Descriptions with Powerful Adjectives

  8. Book reviews

    Book reviews are sometimes used as assignments on undergraduate courses, and are a common component of academic journals. They are typically short pieces of work, around 500-750 words in length. They may sometimes be shorter or longer, but will rarely exceed 1000 words.

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    It is a fantasy, but the book draws inspiration from the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Rape of Nanking. Crime Fiction Lover reviews Jessica Barry's Freefall, a crime novel: In some crime novels, the wrongdoing hits you between the eyes from page one. With others it's a more subtle process, and that's OK too.

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    Step 1: Planning Your Book Review - The Art of Getting Started. You've decided to take the plunge and share your thoughts on a book that has captivated (or perhaps disappointed) you. Before you start book reviewing, let's take a step back and plan your approach.

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    How to write a book review. Note down the key points- This is an important step before writing a book review. Jot down your analysis about the characters, themes, plot, and your personal view. Also, note down the book title, author's name, and any relevant information about the book. Start with a strong introduction- Mention the author's ...

  13. List of Adjectives That Describe a Book or Magazine

    This list of Adjectives That Describe a Book or Magazine is the ultimate guide to write a review for a product, book, magazine, and more. In this post, we will know Genres, Verbs, and Adjectives which help us to write a better review. free PDF download and don't forget to share it with your contacts.

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    This free resource works with: Clicker for Windows and Mac (Windows and Mac) Clicker Writer (iPad and Chromebook) Word Bank. Open. This Word Bank provides a range of adjectives suitable for use in a book review or when writing the blurb for a novel. The words are arranged in alphabetical tabs.

  15. Top 30 Adjectives for Review (Negative & Positive Words)

    In the world of feedback, the words chosen can greatly impact perceptions. To aid in drafting and understanding reviews, we present both positive and negative adjectives to accurately depict experiences. Description of Review A review is an evaluation or analysis of something, offering feedback based on personal experience or expert knowledge. Words to Describe Review ... <a title="Top 30 ...

  16. Helpful Adjectives for Fiction Writers by Valerie Howard

    December 9, 2020. "Helpful Adjectives for Fiction Writers," by Valerie Howard, is a collection of synonyms to help you to grow as a writer. When you're working on a writing project, and you want to describe a personality trait, you can look it up in Howard's book without googling the Internet. This book comes in handy for people with English as ...

  17. Book Marks: The book review aggregator Book Marks

    Literary Hub's Bookmarks is the definitive source for book reviews and critical conversations about contemporary writing. Features; New Books; Biggest New Books; Fiction; Non-Fiction; ... Here Are the Best Reviewed Books of the Week. Publishing. The Problem with Giant Book Preview Lists. Inventions. Crash Again, Crash Better: A Brief History of ...

  18. Writing Negative Book Reviews

    Here are four tips to keep in mind. 1) Be specific and provide examples. A book review is all about self-expression, so you should be open and honest in your writing. It's important, however, to justify any claims you make with solid evidence. For example, if you thought the characterization was weak, be prepared to explain why.

  19. Books with Adjectives

    Books that MODEL Adjectives. A is for Angry by Sandra Boynton- My tots and preschoolers love Sandra Boynton books, but this one is also great for older kids because of all the rich vocabulary and adjectives! The Three Little Wolves and the Big, Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas- Nothing's too touch for this big, bad pig, even a house of concrete.

  20. How To Write A Review: Cambridge B2 First

    Step One: Make a plan. The first thing to do is to make a plan, just like we did in our B2 First essay guidelines. Think of a book you read in which the main character behaved in a surprising way. This could be surprising in a good way, where the character does something amazing and helps somebody. Or maybe there's a twist at the end and the ...

  21. If You Were an Adjective (Word Fun) by Michael Dahl

    Book review: This book would be a great book to use during reading when talking about adjectives. Like. Comment. Chelsea Hoschar. 63 reviews. October 25, 2012. ... If you Were an Adjective is a great book that teaches kids what an adjective is and what it is supposed to do. Throughout the book it provides kids with a large number of examples ...

  22. Book Titles with Adjectives

    Dark Angel by Andrews & Wilson. Supernatural Thriller. False Pretense by Heather Day Gilbert. Mystery/Suspense. The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare by Kimberly Brock. Historical Fiction. Malicious Intent by Lynn H. Blackburn. Romantic Suspense. Perilous Wilderness Escape by Rhonda Starnes.

  23. 9 New Books We Recommend This Week

    Suggested reading from critics and editors at The New York Times. Our recommended books this week include two very different kinds of memoirs — RuPaul's "The House of Hidden Meanings ...

  24. Book Review: 'The Rulebreaker,' by Susan Page

    A new photo book reorients dusty notions of a classic American pastime with a stunning visual celebration of black rodeo. Two hundred years after his death, this Romantic poet is still worth reading .

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  26. The Highly Selective Dictionary of Golden Adjectives: For the

    The Amazon Book Review Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now. Frequently bought together. This item: The Highly Selective Dictionary of Golden Adjectives: For the Extraordinarily Literate . $31.96 $ 31. 96. Get it as soon as Tuesday, Jan 16.

  27. My Favourite Mistake by Marian Keyes review

    In the bestselling novelist's latest, Anna Walsh moves back to Dublin and falls for an old flame in a comical tale of grit, growth and self-acceptance Since she first introduced them to readers ...

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    He puts all his faith and teenage angst into music - and his hero, Karl Williams, reminiscent of Morrissey from the Smiths. A series of bigoted comments get the singer-songwriter in trouble, and ...

  29. Trump VP contender Kristi Noem writes of killing dog

    "Cricket was a wirehair pointer, about 14 months old," the South Dakota governor writes in a new book, adding that the dog, a female, had an "aggressive personality" and needed to be ...

  30. Book Review: 'Finish What We Started,' by Isaac Arnsdorf

    "Finish What We Started," by the journalist Isaac Arnsdorf, reports from the front lines of the right-wing movement's strategy to gain power, from the local level on up.