Review Requests


Before Proceeding: I write reviews for readers. I am happy to provide a review for you (assuming it meets my criteria and is something I am interested in), but it will be an honest review. I will make a note both of things that worked for me and things that did not. Asking me to not post said review if it does not meet your expectation of five stars and all-praise is not an option. If I really feel like it is a book I can not finish, I will contact you and discuss this with you. In that case I would not post a rating, having not finished the book.

Now that bit is out of the way, so...

If you are an author or publisher who would like a review of an upcoming book prior to or around the time of its publication, please contact me. I am currently accepting NON-FICTION requests here in the comments, through Goodreads, and my Facebook page, All The Book Blog Names Are Taken. You can send me a message with the following information:

  • Your name and relationship to book
  • Title of the book to be reviewed and genre/subject (if not clear from title)
  • Deadline you need the review by
  • Any media links with further information about you and/or the book
  • Your contact information - this is only required if you would like to also do an interview for the book.
My reviews will be posted in four places:
1. Here on my blog
2. My previously mentioned Facebook page
3. Goodreads
4. NetGalley if applicable

I also Tweet about "currently reading" books and recent reviews on Twitter. I DO NOT post reviews in any other locations, such as on Amazon.

I primarily read non-fiction. Favorite subjects include Anglo-Saxon England, the Middle Ages, the Tudor and Plantagenet dynasties, Scotland, Ireland, biblical archaeology, biblical studies, city biographies, fashion, paranormal experiences, and biographies/memoirs. I am open-minded however, and will read about any subject that catches my attention.

FICTION UPDATE: At this time I will no longer be accepting fiction titles, unless they are from authors I have already read, and the genre/subject is of interest.

Fiction genres I will ALWAYS respectfully decline - romance, science fiction, fantasy, Westerns and erotica. I also do not review poetry.

I will accept both physical copies and digital books for my Kindle. I accept both finished copies and ARCs.

My Rating Scale:
5 Stars - Loved it, fantastic read, could not put it down. A must-own.

4 Stars - Good, worth the time. Not without minor issues.

3 Stars - Okay. Nothing spectacular or mind-blowing, but a decent read. Some issues that might be bothersome.

2 Stars - Did not much care for it but muddled through. Many issues to deal with while muddling.

1 Star - Awful. How was this published?

DNF - Did Not Finish. It used to pain me to no end to toss a book before I finished it. But as my to-read list has grown exponentially, I have decided there are too many books and too little time. There's no use trying to finish something that is unbearable. If I DNF a book due to lack of interest on my part, I do not typically rate those. On the other hand, if the DNF occurs because the book is terrible, needs editing, the story became absurd, the facts are all wrong, etc. then it will usually get a rating.

I also use half-stars whenever I feel that is more accurate.

If you have any further questions about requests that I have not addressed here, please contact me in either way mentioned above, or leave a comment on this page. I look forward to hearing from you!

16 comments:

  1. Sarah does exceptional book reviews. She's intelligent, uses critical thinking, and objective reasoning. You won't be disappointed with Sarah's feedback.

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  2. Sarah is so knowledgeable, particularly about her favorite nonfiction topics. She writes excellent reviews for people that are well informed on the topics and her reviews make sense for people that have less background info on these topics. It is truly a pleasure to read her thoughtful reviews!

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    1. Thank you so much. I try to be as fair and unbiased as I can, because I try to keep in mind that someday I will be published and how would I feel if someone just completely and rudely tore apart my work? But once in a while I come across a book that I can't even handle.

      I appreciate you taking the time to peruse my reviews, and I hope you find books you are interested in!

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  3. Hello there,

    My name is Alex Kirkland (pen name:Floyd Wooderson) and I am looking for someone to review my new memoir, Wolves of Hemp Street. This memoir highlights my time on a hemp farm in Colorado during the boom and bust of CBD from 2018-2020.

    Most CBD/hemp books solely talk about on what CBD can do for you: heal ailments, cure cancer, etc. This memoir takes a dive into the behind the scenes, wild west mentality of the industry. Full of funny stories, drama, adventure, legality issues, and an in-depth dive of cutthroat activity, this will paint the picture as to what actually happened.

    I would love your feedback on Amazon (will leave link below) and for you to enjoy yourself amongst the “Wolves of Hemp Street”.

    Sincerely,

    Alex

    (PS: Can send a free PDF or EPUB copy)
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0C47LSD8B/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?ie=UTF8&qid=&sr=

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    1. Hi Alex,

      Thanks for your request. I would be happy to review your book. However, I do not post to Amazon (stated above). If you are okay with me posting to Goodreads and my blog, then I'd love a Kindle-compatible file, and will provide an email address when I hear back.

      Thanks!
      Sarah

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  4. Dear Sarah,
    Please review my book. I know you are busy, and I would like to thank you for helping authors like me.
    My name is Bruce Wayne Workman, and I have heard every Batman joke. My book is titled Ten Assholes and a Curmudgeon. I am, of course, the curmudgeon, and the ten assholes are from a category on my blog called Asshole of the Week, which features a politician or public figure who I believe has engaged in undemocratic or outrageous behaviors.
    This is the most challenging part of the book for reviewers to accept, but it is only ten of twenty-five chapters. The other chapters are essays on politics, religion, history, personal observations, and memorials for my brother, nephew, and best friend. You can see more at https://bruceworkman.com Bruce You will never see Batman and me in a room together.

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    1. Thnak you for your message. At this time I have several books from authors and publishers that I am working on, so it will be at least a few months before I can get to yours. If this is okay with you, then I will accept. But as of right now it will be at least sixth months.

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  5. Aloha, Sarah.
    Might I interest you in a fantastical nonfiction, illustrated guidebook on the topic of UFOs?
    I'm hoping the mysterious nature of the subject is enticing enough to push through into the sciency aspects. I've an ARC currently happening through BookSirens until Oct 13th. I'd be thrilled if you gave an honest review on GoodReads. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/198972327-ufo-science

    That said, I know the subject can be subjective. Let me know if interested. social (at) goturnerwrites.com

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  6. Lever Press has just published Women Making History: The Revolutionary Feminist Postcard Art of Helaine Victoria Press, co-authored by Julia M. Allen and Jocelyn H. Cohen, telling the story of Helaine Victoria Press. Spurred by the energy of second wave feminism, two young women, Jocelyn Cohen and Nancy Poore, learned how to excavate women’s history buried in old books and archives and how to print on a vintage letterpress. Aiming to generate feminist memory, they created multimodal cards that, like the movement from which they emanated, were dynamic and participatory. The open access edition of Women Making History, with hundreds of images, plus audio and video clips, is here: https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.12737267. See also the Helaine Victoria Press Facebook page. Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/181348903-women-making-history?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=NPE595NMYG&rank=1. If you wish to contact me, you may do so at: allen@sonoma.edu. We hope you enjoy the book!

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    1. Thank you for bringing this book to my attention. It is definitely something I am interested in and will make room for it here in the new year!

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  7. Dear Sarah,


    I'm reaching out to inquire if you might be interested in reviewing my unconventional book titled "MIND GAME." It's a unique blend of thought-provoking facts, quotations, and playful word games designed to explore themes of psychology, human nature, science, relationships, God, AI, existence, and love. The book contains 180 puzzles, challenging readers to uncover the hidden truths behind the words. As they progress, they'll encounter a narrative woven through chatwall messages from entities like the Universe, Future, Past, Love, Elon Musk, AI, Luck, God, and more. These messages also give hint to the particular riddles where they appear. In the puzzles the words are shuffled, sometimes the letters themselves too or the vowels are vanished. Once the reader finds all the solutions, they can reveal the Ultimate Truth, plus I give a unique opportunity to the readers to win the physics Nobel Prize with me :)

    You can find the book's page on Amazon for more information:
    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CV8WP793

    Should you fel my book a good fit to your interest, I'm more than happy to send you over the whole book in epub, pdf or paperback format.

    Thank you very much for considering my request, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

    Warm regards,
    Laci

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    1. Hi Laci!

      I appreciate your patience; I recently had surgery and am only now getting back to comments here. I would be interested in this book, it sounds very interesting. However, It would be a few months at least before I could get to it, as I have others in the queue right now as well. If this is okay with you, then I would love a paperback copy. Please let me know your email address where I could send you further information.

      Cheers,
      Sarah

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  8. Hi there! My name is Vanessa Meloche, I’m a thirty year old woman of transgender experience, and I’m also an independent journalist, and self-published author of two non-fiction books about the political and historical uses of psychedelic plants and drugs.
    I’m hoping that you might be interested in reviewing one or both of my books? I would be happy to mail one or both of the books to you if you’re interested. I’m hoping to get an honest opinion of my work, I don’t mind being given a bad review too if it calls for it! I would just be excited to get your thoughts on books like mine.To be honest have not had much success marketing myself, since it’s just me working alone. It can be difficult as a trans-woman to be noticed in an industry like book writing. Only about a dozen copies of each have ever sold. Since these are both independently published, there are an unfortunate amount of typos and awkward turns of phrases.
    However, I put meticulous attention into my fact-checking, research, and documentation of my bibliography. I personally ensured that every fact in these books is as accurate as I could possibly be. I’m pretty embarrassed that all the typos made it in. But I assure the readers that any typos do not take away from any of the facts given in my books! I know the topics they cover are a bit of a niche, and may not be fully-relatable to your audience. But I thought I would try to reach out anyways and try my luck!
    Here’s a quick run-down of what my books are about...

    Double Bind:
    Psychedelic drugs like LSD, cannabis, and psilocybin mushrooms were at the centre of one of the largest political movements in the 20th century. LSD, and many other psychedelics were also being used until 1970 to successfully treat mental health disorders, like addiction and depression, and suicidal thoughts.
    Claiming that drugs like LSD, cannabis, and psilocybin had no medical value, or use whatsoever, the CIA started trying to turn psychedelic drugs like LSD into weapons to weaken the political influence of foreign powers like the USSR, to attack minority groups, and to create social and political unrest among the citizens of the United States and Canada.

    Magical Plants:
    This is a coffee table book with beautiful hand-drawn art that explores common myths and facts about psychedelic plants and how they connect to human history, medicine, and spirituality. It’s a great for anybody who’s interested in plants, history, or the human mind.

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    1. Hi Vanessa,

      I apologize for the time that it has taken to get back to you. The last month of the school year is always very hectic and my focus has been elsewhere. I would be interested in your books, but it would take quite a bit of time for me to get to them, as I have a pretty long list right now of books from authors and publishers. It might be at least 6 months. If this is okay, let me know. If not, totally understand.

      Cheers,
      Sarah

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