Due to work being busier than ever, my little health problem and family obligations, in July I had been reading a lot and reviewing very, very little.  By mid-July I had probably read 20 books and written zero reviews for them.  As you guys know, I’m a horrible procrastinator, but every once in a while inspiration strikes like lightning.

All the authors reading this know what I’m talking about: your heart speeds up and you feel the instant need to go on your computer and type like mad to get all of your ideas on paper while you can.  You don’t stop for anything: food, drink, bathroom breaks, etc.  It’s energizing, but it can leave you drained for days afterward.  I know some authors that get completely wiped out after 5000 words in a day (fair enough, really), but what’s it like on the reviewer end?  Do reviewers experience similar fatigue after going on a review writing binge?  See for yourself!  Below is an accurate recreation of my thought process as I wrote seven reviews in one day, my record to date.

Review #1: I am in the zone!

The first review I tackled on that day was a review for a book I absolutely loved.  As you guys may or may not know depending on whether you write reviews as well, it’s very easy to gush about a new favourite book than to do a ‘meh’ review.  My average review is about 3-4 paragraphs, but this review ended up being 6 paragraphs long after some substantial editing so you guys wouldn’t get sick of my gushing.  Writing this review had the effect of truly putting me in the zone, meaning I was all energized for review #2. Continue reading →