Policies

Review Policy
  • I am currently open to receiving Advance Reading Copies and Finished Review Copies of books.  I read almost any genre, mostly YA, but I read adult fiction as well.  I will not, however, review the following:
    • Slasher/Gore/Gross-out/Horror (suspense is okay; graphic/gratuitous violence is not).
    • Books with graphic sex or excessive profanity.
  • I will only accept physical print books.  I will not accept digital books (I don't even own an e-reader).
  • If you would like to email me (ashling.flaherty [at] yahoo.com) about reviewing a book, please include the summary (as detailed as possible) and the release date. Any links to further information would be helpful too.
  • I will do my best to review the books I receive in a timely manner, but I do have a full-time job and a constantly growing pile of books to be read.  If there is a specific time you need the book reviewed by, please let me know.  It could affect whether or not I can commit to reading it.  If the book is an ARC copy, I will try and publish the review on or around the release date.
  • My reviews are entirely my opinion, and they are going to be honest.  Possibly even critical, but the reviews will not be disrespectful.  Just because you send me the book, it doesn't mean I'm going to automatically cheer it on.  My readers deserve to hear my true feelings, and that's what I'll give them.

The New Rating System (as of 6/20/13)

  • 1 Cupcake (Didn't like it)  -  A rating of 1 cupcake means I did not like the book at all.  It takes a lot for me to really dislike a book, so there had to have been no redeeming qualities at all to save it.  Books that are badly written, gross, filled with excessive profanity or graphic sex/violence, perverted... all of those would probably fit here.  
  • 2 Cupcakes (Just okay)  -  A book that's just okay is a book that I didn't really enjoy, but I also didn't hate it either.  It just didn't engage me in anyway.  Also, if a book has a lot of problems like non-existent plots, stereotypical or flat characters, and awful dialogue, it's only going to get two stars.
  • 3 Cupcakes (I liked it)  -  So this is for a book that I did enjoy; it had good entertainment value.  But it still has a few problems.  Sometimes a book can be enjoyable, while still having a problem here or there with bad character development or flat writing.
  • 4 Cupcakes (I really liked it)  -  A book with 4 cupcakes has great writing, no technical flaws, and great entertainment value.  It's something that I really enjoyed reading and would recommend to anyone.
  • 5 Cupcakes  (I loved it)  -  A book that meets all the requirements of 4-cupcake rating but also has that extra something that made me fall in love with it.  It's a book that I couldn't put down, that I was willing to lose sleep over, that I will read again and again and again.
  • DNF/No cupcake  -  This is for a book that I did not finish (DNF) for whatever reason, whether it was too boring, too perverse, too badly written... you get the idea.

Old Rating System
  • A - LOVED this and will recommend it to everyone and read/watch it over and over again.
  • B - Liked this and will recommend it and might reread/rewatch it
  • C - Thought this was so-so, won't recommend it unless I think it's your taste, and won't reread/rewatch it unless I go insane.
  • D - Didn't like this, won't recommend this, and won't reread/rewatch it.
  • F - HATED this.
  • Incomplete (I) - So bad/boring I didn't even bother finishing it.

General Blog Policies
  • I created this blog as a way to share my love of books and movies.
  • I do not get paid for anything that I write here (I wish I did though).
  • My blog does not exist to promote/advertise your business/website.  Please don't ask me to.  If I do happen to write something in favor of a business/website, it is only because I truly love it, and it was totally unsolicited.