Feeling intimidated? Remember: you’re not writing a book review. You’re just writing a blog post. It’s okay to be casual, funny, serious, or just your own self. In fact, we don’t want reviews that sound professional or worthy of the New York Times. We’re just a bunch of moms talking to other moms — that’s why we’re called “MotherTalk”!

When you’re ready to write about the book you’ve just read, please keep these guidelines in mind:

1. Post your review on your blog, on the day you’re scheduled to. You don’t need to tell us it’s live — we check throughout the day. As soon as we see it, we’ll link to it from the MotherTalk Web site.
2. Include the author’s full name and the book’s entire title, as well as the genre (fantasy novel, murder mystery, self-help, etc.).
3. Link the book title to its page on Amazon.com.
4. It’s okay to include a brief summary of the plot, but please — no spoilers! This is especially true of suspense novels and murder mysteries. Don’t tell us in detail what the book is about, or give away plot twists or the ending — we don’t want to know who dunnit!
5. Instead of telling us what the book is about, tell us what you thought of the book, or what your experience was reading it. If you get stuck, use these questions to jumpstart your thinking:

• What was your favorite thing about the book?
• What impressions stayed with you when you were done reading it?
• How was the book different than what you expected, or surprising?
• What did the book teach you or inspire you to do different or better?
• What made the characters believable? Likeable? Familiar? (or not?)
• If you loved it, what could the author have done to make the book even better?
• If you didn’t like the book, what qualities might appeal to others?
• What kind of person or group would you recommend this book to? (For example, book clubs, women struggling with depression, Stephen King fans, vacationers looking for a good beach read, etc.)
• How has the book affected you as a person? As a mother? As a [fill in the blank]?
• How has the book changed your opinions or feelings about the topic at hand?
• In what ways did the book take you out of your comfort zone?