Largely due to social media, it seems like everyone has something to say about everything and, in their own minds, their thoughts are absolute. What does that say for book reviews? Should we take the word of the novice reader/reviewer who simply says, “It sucks.” Or, should we only trust the mind of the literary scholar and frequent reviewer? I’m starting to think they’re both useful, if you can get through the paid-for-by-author fluff–which I’d just like to say bothers me to no end. I know they can say what they want, but I’d suggest a little dignity in their work. I realize your work can be misunderstood, making you feel the need to speak out, but take to social media for that.

The way I understand them, book reviews are meant to debrief the potential audience and highlight the work’s ups, while giving constructive criticism when needed. If you…