Reported by Amber Yu
Many members of Greater Princeton AYLUS (GPA) love reading. For myself, I enjoy both reading and writing very much, therefore, I have participated in the “Goodreads Review Program” at the Plainsboro Public Library (https://www.plainsborolibrary.org/goodreads-review-program/) since January 2019.
On March 4th, 17th and 31st, 2019, respectively, I wrote three book reviews of books, including “Around the World in 80 Days” and “Summer of My German Soldier”, contributed them to the Library, and earned 1.5 hour of Goodreads Volunteer Time (0.5 hour for each book review).
“A good review will briefly describe the contents, scope, and style of a book; critically assess its quality; and suggest its potential audience.”–Horning & Innerst, From Cover to Cover (1997). A review is more than just a summary of the plot and has to include an evaluation of the elements of the book (e.g. pacing, character development, style, mood, or use of images in non-fiction materials, etc.) It should clearly indicate if the reviewer recommends the title or not. It is OK if the reviewer didn’t like the book, but be sure to tell the Library why!
For each book review I started with a rating between 1 and 5 (i.e., “Not So Good…” to “A Must Read!”), then an explanation on why I rated this book as I chose in the previous question. Finally, I prepared a review of 200-400 words on the book that I had spent a lot time reading carefully.
It was a wonderful experience, and I would highly recommend this Book Review Community Service to all of our GPA members!
Plainsboro Library Goodreads Review Volunteering Hours-Amber Yu-20190107-20190422