Kaylia Metcalfe

I miss writing book reviews. I used to do it a lot… I had a blog and everything.

Honestly, I miss reading books that aren’t for my podcast, but that is more of either time management and/or eye strain issues… and since I am me, I am ignoring both those issues right now.

So, ahem. I miss writing book reviews.

My current goal for 2021 is to read a book a week and write a short review for it. I want to engage my critical thinking, get into a better reading/writing habit, and use my platforms to drive traffic to the podcast (ie, I will be posting these reviews on my Goodreads and my Twitter, and my hope is that people who enjoy reading my thoughts on some books, might enjoy hearing my thoughts on other books.

It might fizzle, but nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

My current plan for the reviews will be a few of the CAWPILE rubric categories with a few of my own things as well.

I call it ASPECT!

A Atmosphere: How did it make me feel? What was the world like? This might include overall tone.

S Style: What was the writing style like? Simplistic or sophisticated? Clunky or beautiful?

P Plot/Pace: Was it engaging? Were there holes? Did it feel too rushed or too long?

E Enjoyment: Was it a chore to finish or compelling enough that I picked it over other fun activities?

C Characters: Were they believable, sympathetic, interesting?

T This: Why did I read *This* book?

I will most definitely not go in order, but I thought it was a fun place to start organizing my thoughts. And honestly, I like the word “aspect” better than “cawpile” better… But to each their own. If the CAWPILE method works for you… have at it.

(I took out Intrigue and Logic from the CAWPILE rubric because… well, not all books need to be intriguing and what the heck does logic mean in this context besides plot holes?)

Anyway, now that THAT is all settled… look for book reviews from me approximately once a week… or in a big dump toward the end of the month. Either way. I hope you enjoy reading them and I look forward to your feedback. 

The first book review (coming in the next day or so) is my review of Anne Tyler’s Breathing Lessons.

Anne Tyler’s Breathing Lessons.