bennett gavrish.com

REVIEW: "Reamde" by Neal Stephenson

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:30:44 -0500

Grade: D+

L/C Ratio: 10/90
(This means I estimate the author devoted 10% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 90% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)

Thematic Breakdown:
40% - International thriller
30% - Video gaming
20% - Lessons in kidnapping
10% - Terrorism

I’m beginning to think my aversion towards extremely long books is warranted. Reamde clocks in at over 1,000 paper pages (which equals more than 23,000 Kindle locations), and the book’s lackluster plot just doesn’t deserve that kind of elongated treatment. (Also, Stephenson really needs to embrace the art of chaptering.)

At its core, Stephenson’s latest novel is the story of a girl who gets kidnapped by Russian mobsters, only to then be re-kidnapped by Islamic terrorists. Exponential kidnapping! The premise sounds like it could make for an interesting thriller, but the author screws up in two major ways.

First, the central mystery in the book is supposed to revolve around the disappearance of the main female character, Zula. However, Stephenson covers so many different character perspectives, including those of Zula and her various kidnappers, that he ends up handing every answer right to the reader and eliminating all traces of suspense and tension.

And second, Stephenson refuses to give the terrorists any semblance of a motive. We know they are evil guys who want to sneak into America, but we never find out what their ultimate goal is for when they get there. The entire second half of the book just kills time until Stephenson can get all his characters in one place to shoot at each other. The final scenes struggle to carry weight because we don’t know what the stakes are for anyone outside the center of the novel.

Some people may find the high geek factor in Reamde attractive, but if you’re looking for a smart thriller with an actual payoff, try Daemon by Daniel Suarez.

Train Wreck now on sale at RiverRun Bookstore

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:39:15 -0500

I’ve got some exciting book news to share: my debut novel, Train Wreck, is now in stock at the RiverRun Bookstore in Portsmouth, NH!

RiverRun is an independent bookshop that does a great job supporting local self-published authors. They just reopened in a beautiful new Portsmouth location. For more information, check out their blog or follow them on Twitter.

GUEST REVIEW: "One Day" by David Nicholls

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:58:14 -0500

(This is a guest review by Heather. To submit your own, use the button in the column to the right.)

Link: amzn.to/y6E09Z

Grade: C+

L/C Ratio: 60/40
(This means Heather estimates the author devoted 60% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 40% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)

Thematic Breakdown:
60% - Relationships
30% - Finding yourself
10% - Alcohol

I knew in advance that One Day was not going to be a happily-ever-after love story, but that didn’t prevent my disappointment in how the novel played out. While at first the sexual tension and the will-they-won’t-they setup was compelling, it eventually became tedious and flat-out depressing.

At the beginning of the novel, the two main characters are realistic, and the reader roots for them to figure out their lives and their relationship. But after a certain point, the characters stop being likable and become increasingly bitter as they screw up their own chances at happiness again and again.

I personally enjoyed the writing style and found myself highlighting many passages that relate to the current state of my own life, but eventually I stopped hoping for the characters to get everything right and instead just began waiting for the axe to fall.

REVIEW: "Star Island" by Carl Hiaasen

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:00:06 -0500

Link: amzn.to/wTCaOL

Grade: C+

L/C Ratio: 10/90
(This means I estimate the author devoted 10% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 90% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)

Thematic Breakdown:
40% - Celebrity culture
30% - PR crisis management
25% - Humor
5% - Environmental action

It’s tough to write funny, but Carl Hiaasen has found a pretty reliable format and managed to build a successful career out of it. Star Island features the same kind of wacky plot lines and ridiculous characters that you’re used to seeing from Hiaasen. Unfortunately, the book fails to achieve the level of cohesion that made Sick Puppy one of my favorite reads in recent years.

The biggest problem with Star Island is that the author forgets to make any of his central characters particularly likable - and most of them are barely tolerable. At major turning points in the story, I found myself feeling rather indifferent towards the whole cast of maniacs.

Even so, Hiaasen’s latest book is still worth picking up if you are in the mood for some light fiction and enjoy laughing at celebrities and their unlimited sources of drama.

Don't be afraid of a self-publishing bubble

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:00:05 -0500

According to novelist Ewan Morrison, the outlook for self-published authors is growing bleaker by the day. We’re heading towards a bubble, he claims, which will mimic other market collapses in the history of our fickle economy.

Like the dotcom bubble, the commercial real estate bubble, the subprime mortgage bubble, the credit bubble and the derivative trading bubble before it, the DIY epublishing bubble is inflating around us. Each of those other bubbles also saw, in their earliest stages, a great deal of fuss made over a “new” phenomenon, which was then over-hyped and over-leveraged. But speculation, as we’ve learned at our peril, is a very dangerous foundation for any business. And when the epub bubble bursts, as all previous bubbles have done, the fall-out for publishing and writing may be even harder to repair than it is proving to be in the fields of mortgages, derivatives and personal debt. Because this bubble is based on cultural, not purely economic, grounds.

I won’t pretend to be an expert in economics, but I can assure budding writers that there is no need to panic. Morrison’s attempt at labeling self-publishing services as some form of Ponzi scheme is silly. When you upload your novel or nonfiction book to Amazon or Barnes & Noble, you’re not investing any money - just time and energy. No returns are guaranteed, and the only thing writers risk losing is some confidence thanks to grouchy reviewers.

While Morrison’s bubble theory is flawed, his post does bring up some valid warnings for those thinking about joining the self-publishing movement. Here are the two most important things you need to know:

1. You are not going to become a millionaire from self-publishing ebooks. Don’t expect to even earn a decent living from them. Anyone who tells you that you can substitute writing ebooks for a full-time job is trying to deceive you. There are only a handful of true self-publishing success stories. Find a stable job and make writing your hobby, or else devote yourself to the craft of freelance writing and start finding some real clients.

2. You should not be paying anyone to publish your ebooks. Amazon and Barnes & Noble are running legitimate services, but there are plenty of swindlers out there trying to game the system. If you need help publishing your book, contact a tech-savvy friend or use the endless resources online before opening your wallet. During the publishing process, the only things you should even consider paying for are cover design and advertising space. Self-publishing is great because it lets you maintain control over your own work. Don’t give up that power because you’re too lazy or too scared to see your project through to the end.

REVIEW: "The Angel Esmeralda" by Don DeLillo

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:46:16 -0500

Link: amzn.to/ypehPF

Grade: B-

L/C Ratio: 80/20
(This means I estimate the author devoted 80% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 20% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)

Thematic Breakdown:
40% - Cultural exploration
30% - Investigation of the human condition
30% - Crumbling of society

When people ask about my favorite authors, Don DeLillo is always on the list (even though all that really means is that I read White Noise in college and thought it was awesome). Right now he’s one of the few writers who has earned automatic purchase status – meaning I buy every new book of his without thinking twice.

Nothing against the short story format, but I came into The Angel Esmeralda with limited expectations. The book is a collection of nine stories, spanning 30+ years of DeLillo’s career. There are no particularly memorable characters or plots to discover, as the stories feel more like sketches or vignettes than fully-formed narratives.

If you enjoyed 2010’s Point Omega, then The Angel Esmeralda is certainly worth a read. The combination of sharpness and depth distinguishes DeLillo’s writing and reminds you why he is one of the kings of contemporary fiction.

GUEST REVIEW: "Into the Forest" by Jean Hegland

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:24:36 -0500

(This is a guest review by Heather. To submit your own, use the button in the column to the right.)

Link: amzn.to/w3X3hH

Grade: A-

L/C Ratio: 70/30
(This means Heather estimates the author devoted 70% of her effort to creating a literary work of art and 30% of her effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)

Thematic Breakdown:
40% - Family
30% - Coming of age
20% - Nature
10% - Apocalyptic

Into the Forest is a beautifully written novel about two sisters and how they survive as their family, aspirations and entire society subsequently fall apart. The storyline is very realistic, which made me question various aspects of my daily life and consider how I would react if put in their position. I am not always a huge fan of the first-person point of view (despite the fact that it seems like that’s all I’ve been reading lately), but in this novel it was incredibly effective - making the emotions and situations that much more powerful.

As a biology major (and having taken a grueling Field Botany course in college), I also found the natural aspects of Into the Forest very interesting.

The reason the grade for this novel isn’t slightly higher is that some of the scenes were rather sensual and a little uncomfortable to read. Also, I could vaguely tell where the author was going with the conclusion of the novel, but it still was a tad unsatisfying; the decisions were understandable with everything the characters had been through, but as a reader, I questioned their choices. Other than that, this is an amazing, well-written story with relatable characters and a frighteningly plausible plot that will leave you questioning the world around you.

REVIEW: "How Lucky You Can Be" by Buster Olney

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:00:45 -0500

Link: amzn.to/ADylNS

Grade: C-

L/C Ratio: 40/60
(This means I estimate the author devoted 40% of his effort to creating a non-fiction work of art and 60% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)

Thematic Breakdown:
40% - Overcoming tragedy
30% - Coaching
20% - Basketball
10% - Midwest community spirit

I consider Buster Olney to be one of the top sports reporters in America, so when I heard he had spent months writing a book about a Division-II college basketball coach, I assumed it was a story I couldn’t afford to miss.

And that’s where my disappointment with How Lucky You Can Be begins (the awkward title doesn’t help, either). Despite a devoted attempt by Olney to paint the life of coach Don Meyer as inspirational and magical, the book never managed to connect with me as a reader. Nonstop generic quotes from former players saying “he changed my life” and “I wouldn’t be where I am now without him” lose their zest pretty quickly. Then again, I’m sure my reaction to the book would have been different if the game of basketball had played a bigger role in my youth, or if I had a special relationship with a coach that was comparable.

Nevertheless, I took issue with coach Meyer’s prevailing philosophy and the way Olney treats it like gospel. In the book, everyone at Northern State University (which is ironically located in South Dakota) praises Meyer for the positive values he instills in his players. But then anytime Meyer’s wife or kids are mentioned in the text, Olney describes how Meyer’s overwhelming obsession with basketball led to him neglecting his own family for most of his coaching career.

Of course, the car accident that How Lucky You Can Be centers around gives Meyer a chance to reevaluate those broken relationships – but that moral conflict prevented me from buying into what were meant to be heartwarming moments.

GUEST REVIEW: "The Art of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:03:50 -0500

(This is a guest review by Heather. To submit your own, use the button in the column to the right.)

Link: amzn.to/y8S8aX

Grade: B

L/C Ratio: 40/60
(This means Heather estimates the author devoted 40% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 60% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)

Thematic Breakdown:
50% - Family dynamics
30% - Auto racing
10% - Terminal illness
10% - Legal battle

Stein’s novel is full of surprises – beginning with the narration style and perspective. His language is eloquent, and he crafts a story that tugs at your heartstrings from the start thanks to the very likable and realistic main character.

Although it should have been obvious from the title, The Art of Racing in the Rain contained more auto racing information, descriptions and analogies than I anticipated. At times this angle was effective and interesting, and other times it seemed to be forced and caused the narrative to drag. Other than that, my only complaint is that the ending was rather jarring and jumped from flashbacks to the real-time conclusion too quickly. Even still, it did not stop my tears from falling as I read the last chapter.

REVIEW: "The Snowman" by Jo Nesbo

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:30:06 -0500

Link: amzn.to/x7uoi1

Grade: C

L/C Ratio: 20/80
(This means I estimate the author devoted 20% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 80% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)

Thematic Breakdown:
50% - Detective mystery
30% - Action/Adventure
10% - Horror
10% - Romance

I don’t know what is wrong with me. This is twice in a row I’ve broken my own rule and read a book from a series. And in both cases I jumped right into the middle of the series instead of starting from the beginning like a sensible human being. Although in the case of The Snowman, I didn’t have much of a choice since not all of Jo Nesbo’s novels have been translated from Norwegian to English yet.

I was worried the whole foreign translation thing would be an issue, but the language flows relatively well throughout the book. (My one complaint regarding word choice is that it feels like the term “duvet” appears five times per chapter. Maybe people in Norway just really love their bedding.)

Look, The Snowman is a serviceable detective mystery. The serial killer plot creates some intricate puzzles and suspenseful moments, which makes certain chapters legitimate page-turners. But the characters are largely stale, and as the number of twists in the investigation grows, the outcome begins to feel less shocking and more arbitrary.

The story behind the paperback edition of Train Wreck

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:36:00 -0500

In case you haven’t heard, my debut novel is now available in paperback and on sale at Amazon. With the self-publishing community growing so feverishly, I thought I’d share the experience of printing my first book.

I released Train Wreck as an ebook in September of last year, and the question I got more than any was: “When will it be available in paperback?” I told people that it might happen someday, but at that point I was convinced that the money and time required for paperback self-publishing was outside of my budget.

While I was promoting the Kindle and Nook versions of the novel, I kept hearing good things about CreateSpace. CreateSpace uses a publishing method called on-demand printing, which means they don’t print a copy of Train Wreck until you order one on Amazon. Then when a purchase goes through, CreateSpace takes a cut for printing costs, Amazon takes a cut for vendor costs, and I get to keep the rest as royalties.

And the best part is that I paid NOTHING up front to get my book into the CreateSpace system. Don’t listen to self-published authors who try to tell you it takes thousands of dollars to print a book on your own.

I set out to create a paperback edition of Train Wreck when the calendar flipped to 2012, and now it’s just three weeks later, and my book is already on sale. Here’s a summary of the process:

Step 1 - I set up an account on createspace.com and created a new entry for my book with the same description and genre settings that I used for the Kindle edition.

Step 2 - I requested and received a free ISBN (this takes only a few seconds).

Step 3 – I took the final draft of my manuscript and converted it from a word processing document into a professional book layout PDF. This was the most time-consuming part of the process by far, but I really enjoyed having complete control over the look of every page and messing with stuff like line spacing, chapter headings and page numbering.

Step 4 - I downloaded a cover template from CreateSpace and used the cover image from the ebook edition of Train Wreck to start building the print cover. Having that graphic already available made things a lot easier for me, as I basically just had to add a spine and back cover to my design.

Step 5 - I set the list price for my book and submitted the cover and layout files. Then the CreateSpace folks did a quick human review (this took less than 48 hours) and my proof copy was en route to my doorstep.

Step 6 - I closely examined the proof copy (which CreateSpace does charge you for) and then submitted my final approval online. A couple days later, the paperback edition of Train Wreck appeared on Amazon and magically synced up with the Kindle version.

GUEST REVIEW: "The Lace Reader" by Brunonia Barry

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:12:59 -0500

(This is a guest review by Heather. To submit your own, use the button in the column to the right.)

Link: amzn.to/wXTEMf

Grade: B-

L/C Ratio: 60/40
(This means Heather estimates the author devoted 60% of her effort to creating a literary work of art and 40% of her effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)

Thematic Breakdown:
40% - Dysfunctional family relationships
30% - Supernatural
30% - History

Upon finishing this novel, I immediately wanted to reread the whole book – and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. The author relied on a lot of magical realism that left me both intrigued and perplexed. While the twist at the end answered some questions, it created up even more confusion about which parts of the story had been real. This made the final part of the book can’t-put-it-down compelling and led me to ponder the events long after I finished, but I’m still not sure if the sudden twist made enough sense to justify the rest of the plot.

That leads me to another criticism about the pacing of the book – I said the ending was very gripping, but the same is not true for the first third of the book. I found some sections to be rather slow and dull, and the voice of the main character was not always enjoyable to read.

One fascinating aspect of The Lace Reader was how Barry wove real historical events and places into the fictional plot. It seemed like the story would not have functioned the same without being situated in Salem, Massachusetts.

Overall, Barry’s novel was a worthwhile read despite the pacing problems. The ending will shock you and maybe even bring you to tears, although the revelations feel a little forced. At the very least, the story will make you question what, if anything, you read really happened as the narrator claimed.

Train Wreck now available in PAPERBACK!

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:46:31 -0500

I am beyond excited to announce that Train Wreck is now available IN PAPERBACK! That’s right – real, physical paper.

You can get it at Amazon right now for the low price of $12.99 – amzn.com/1468177206

And for those of you with Amazon Prime, Train Wreck can be on your bookshelf in just two days with free shipping.

If by some chance you are interested in purchasing five or more copies, contact me directly and I can give you a special deal.

(FYI, I went through CreateSpace to publish the paperback edition and will have a blog entry up soon about the process.)

REVIEW: "One of Our Thursdays Is Missing" by Jasper Fforde

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:31:16 -0500

Link: amzn.to/yJv3RL

Grade: A-

L/C Ratio: 50/50
(This means I estimate the author devoted 50% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 50% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)

Thematic Breakdown:
50% - Epic literary fantasy
30% - Detective mystery
20% - Satire of the publishing industry

As a rule, I do not dabble in book series. This is partly because they tend to exist most often in the fantasy genre (not my preferred reading area), and partly because I am afraid to get caught up in a series and not have time to get to other books I want to read.

I broke my rule by putting One of Our Thursdays Is Missing on my Kindle. I even jumped right into it without reading any of the earlier books in the series (gosh, I’m such a literary daredevil). I couldn’t help myself. Jasper Fforde’s Shades of Grey (not part of the Thursday Next series) blew my mind when I read it last year, and I was craving more of his creative genius.

If you consider yourself a book geek, add One of Our Thursdays Is Missing to your reading list right now (or be smart and actually start at the beginning of the series with The Eyre Affair).

What Fforde has done is created BookWorld – a place inhabited by every piece of fiction ever written. Characters exist as citizens in BookWorld, performing their literary roles whenever someone in the real world is reading their book, and interacting with each other in their downtime. Fforde explains it better than I can, so I’ll just shut up and tell you to check out his map of BookWorld to see how the genre-states are divided.

The setting kept me incredibly intrigued, but One of Our Thursdays Is Missing also features a solid detective mystery plot to keep things moving. What sealed the deal for me was Fforde’s wittiness – his frequent jabs at the book industry and his fellow authors produced chuckles throughout.

GUEST REVIEW: "The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific" by J. Maarten Troost

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:37:00 -0500

(This is a guest review by Heather. To submit your own, use the button in the column to the right.)

Link: amzn.to/zevzBL

Grade: B+

L/C Ratio: 40/60
(This means Heather estimates the author devoted 40% of his effort to creating a nonfiction work of art and 60% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)

Thematic Breakdown:
50% - Humor
30% - Travel
10% - Politics
10% - Romance

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up The Sex Lives of Cannibals since it’s non-fiction and about some island in the Pacific I had never heard of, but it was a compelling and enjoyable read.

Troost is a very witty writer and at times can be laugh-out-loud funny; my favorite passage was a description of the author’s attempts to take a semi-feral male cat to the veterinarian across the island in his pickup truck.

The author describes situations in a way that both makes you laugh and makes you think. He forces you to consider a different perspective of life in the United States and how it compares to and influences other cultures, even those as remote as the tiny island of Kiribati.

Troost succeeds at making you question various norms of our society without ever coming off as preachy or condescending. I also enjoyed his approach to writing about his relationship with his fiancée – rather than forcing the romantic angle down the reader’s throat, he gently mixes it into the text to add an interesting dynamic to the story.

New site features: Ask Box & Guest Reviews

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:05:05 -0500

I wanted to introduce two new features to the site that will hopefully make it a little more interactive.

The “Ask Bennett” button in the right column lets you send a quick question to me (either as yourself or anonymously). You can use this to ask me about my book reviews, my writing or whatever else you want. Also use this button if you have a book you think I should review.

In addition, I am now accepting guest review submissions! If you read a lot and want to try out my approach to book reviews, click on the “Submit a Guest Review” button and follow the instructions.

REVIEW: "11/22/63" by Stephen King

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:58:09 -0500

Link: amzn.to/wc3seE

Grade: C-

L/C Ratio: 20/80
(This means I estimate the author devoted 20% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 80% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)

Thematic Breakdown:
50% - Sappy love story
25% - Time travel
15% - Cultural inspection
10% - US history

I want to make it clear up front that I am a Stephen King novice. Prior to 11/22/63, the only work of his I had read was 2010’s Under the Dome (which I can’t recommend) and a few excerpts from On Writing.

King’s new novel is a big book. It comprises over 800 pages in paper form and over 13,000 locations on the Kindle. I’m not morally opposed to long texts, but in this case, the novel’s plot is not worthy of the length.

As you can see from the thematic breakdown above, I estimate that 50% of the book is spent on a romantic arc. Despite all the time King devotes to the love story, he never delivers a believable relationship (and the corniness will elicit one groan per page). The cheesy romance kills the momentum of the alternative history premise, and the repetitive scenes where the main character stalks a relatively dull Lee Harvey Oswald only add to the book’s problems.

Like a lot of time traveling literature, 11/22/63 requires some clunky exposition to get situated. Sadly, for fans of King (and fans of JFK too, I guess) that setup is the only compelling part of the novel.

Train Wreck now available on Smashwords

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:33:14 -0500

Train Wreck now available on Smashwords:

For those who don’t own a Kindle or Nook, you can now purchase my debut novel through Smashwords. Just download the EPUB or PDF version and then transfer it to your Kobo, Sony Reader or other ebook device.

And thanks to the Smashwords distribution network, Train Wreck will soon be available in the Kobo Store, the Apple iBookstore and the Sony Reader Store. I’ll post the details as soon as I have them.

REVIEW: "We The Animals" by Justin Torres

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:02:05 -0500

Link: amzn.to/rKabg0

Grade: C+

L/C Ratio: 80/20
(This means I estimate the author devoted 80% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 20% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)

Thematic Breakdown:
40% - Dysfunctional family relationships
30% - Reality of poverty
20% - Coming of age
10% - Brotherhood bonding

I imagine there is an early draft of We The Animals that is a little more captivating and a little more accessible than the final version of Torres’ debut novel. My guess is that either the author or his editor spent a great deal of time whittling down the plot to make it seem as subtle and nuanced as possible.

What that leaves us with is a short book (you can finish it in an hour) comprised of loosely connected sketches detailing what feels like fictionalized memories from Torres’ own youth. Torres is purposefully unclear about the timeline of the scenes, and doing so prevents the tepid climax from making any kind of honest impact.

The writing – specifically the use of a child’s perspective – is powerful enough to convey the depressing atmosphere of the characters’ household, but after a while the lyrical nature of Torres’ language feels forced and unnecessary instead of poetic.

A new approach to book reviews

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:55:00 -0500

Book reviews annoy me. I look to them for recommendations of what to read and what to stay away from, but instead I usually get seven paragraphs of plot regurgitation and a couple sentences about the author’s writing style. So basically, it’s Sparknotes for grownups garnished with some generic criticism. Blah!

I plan to post more frequently on this blog, and part of that effort will be reviews of the books I read on my Kindle. Here’s an introduction to three of the twists I’ll be employing in my new approach to book reviews.

1. Grades

Although my days in English classrooms are over, the process of reading a book still evokes an image of academia for me. Therefore, it seems only logical to rate the books I review using an A to F grading system (the good folks over at the AV Club do the same thing).

For those who still swear by the five-star rating scheme, the two systems should line up well: A = 5 stars, B = 4 stars, C = 3 stars, D = 2 stars and F = 1 star. The advantage of using grades is that I’ll be able to assign +’s and -’s to be even more precise.

2. L/C Ratio

The books I read fall somewhere in between two extremes of literature. At one end, there are novels intended to be works of art – full of symbolism, intricate characters and philosophical exploration. At the other end of the spectrum, there are novels meant to appeal to mainstream audiences by placing more emphasis on plot twists, catchy dialogue and standard character arcs.

To illustrate this spectrum in my book reviews, I’ve devised something called the Literary/Commercial Ratio, or L/C Ratio. It serves as my interpretation of the author’s intent.

For example, a Thomas Pynchon novel would probably get an L/C Ratio of 80/20 – meaning the writer devoted 80% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 20% of his effort to creating a commercial best-seller. On the other hand, a James Patterson thriller that you pick up in an airport would get an L/C Ratio of 10/90. And a novel like The Art of Fielding would be closer to 50/50.

A book’s L/C Ratio does not measure how much I liked it or how good of a story it tells. I could love one 80/20 book and hate another one with the exact same L/C Ratio. Think of it more as a recommendation tool. I bet a lot of readers are like me – some weeks you are in the mood for a deep piece of literature that will really make you think, and other times you just want a page-turner that will entertain you.

3. Thematic Breakdown

Book genres are the only things I find as annoying as book reviews. Selecting genre categories was the hardest part of self-publishing my debut novel, Train Wreck. Amazon lets you assign only two genres to each title, and in the four months my book has been out, I’ve moved it between thriller, humor, action adventure, general fiction, literary fiction, psychological and suspense. I don’t particularly like any of those labels. At this point, I’ve basically given up trying to categorize the book and now just refer to it speculative fiction.

The same problem carries over into book shopping. So much fiction gets lumped into the “literary” genre, which is not a useful distinction when it comes to finding a book you will enjoy. To combat that, I’ll be adding a thematic breakdown to my book reviews. It will list the major story elements (without spoiling the plot) along with an estimate of the percentage of the text devoted to each theme.

To use The Art of Fielding as an example, here’s what its thematic breakdown might look like:

30% - Personal growth & discovery
25% - Romantic relationships
20% - Baseball
15% - Bonds of friendship
5% - College life
5% - Family dynamics

You don’t even know the premise of the book yet, but those few bits of information can give you a good sense of whether it’s something to add to your reading list.