Did you know that 99% of the reading public never post a review for a book?

At Rosie Amber’s Book Review Team (six years and going strong!), we often look at ways to encourage more people to review.  This autumn, Rosie has planned a Review-A-Book Challenge, with a great list of books to choose from, all free of charge to anyone serious about writing a review for her blog – and possibly joining the review team, if you enjoy the process.

Each day for a week or so, she will feature articles on how to write simple reviews, on choosing a star rating, and many more.  The challenge is open to all, from experienced reviewers to those who have never written one.  If this has piqued your interest and you would like to take a look at the books on offer—including one of mine—please click here.

**NOTE: I’ve read and reviewed most of the books on offer, and I can honestly say they are terrific reads! You’re sure to find new favorites there.**

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As I posted a few months ago:

Why I joined Rosie’s Book Review Team (Hint: it wasn’t only for the free books…)

It was 2014, and the world was small enough for me to pop over to any place I wanted to go. Madrid. Paris. Moscow. Venice and Florence. Scottish islands and rural India and London glitter. I even squeezed in a quick trip back to the States that year. All I had to do was buy a ticket and head to the next place I dreamed of. And I did a LOT of dreaming.

When I wasn’t traveling, I was writing blog posts. I started the blog because I needed to be a writer. So I wrote a book and plenty of clever people said novelists need blogs to provide shiny PR for their books. It should, they said, be full of content about books and writing as a process, and… and… And you know what? Talking about the process of writing is not only boring, but the only people who’d read it are other writers, not always potential buyers readers.

So I started writing about other people’s books. And I started reading other people’s book blogs. There was one in particular, written by Rosie Amber, that grabbed my attention. I did some reviews for her Book Review Challenge. I admired her style and her creativity. Basically, I wanted to be her when my blog grew up.

So when Rosie asked me to be part of her book review team, I thought it sounded easy, and fun, and a great way to get free books. But I didn’t realize I’d get so very much more. We’d just moved to Glasgow, where I didn’t know a soul. But through Rosie I met an entire community of bloggers and readers. We chatted online, read each other’s posts, and blogged our book reviews.

In the years since then, I’ve reviewed over 70 books as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team, while my fellow team members reviewed hundreds more. And a wonderful, unexpected thing happened. Rosie’s bloggers turned from an online group into a team. We chatted, met up, shared our stories. We became friends.

That was then. This is now.

Fast-forward to 2020. The coronavirus hit and the world hit the “off” switch. All the things I loved—visiting with family, traveling to exotic new places, meetups with friends—stopped. For months now, we’ve sheltered in place. I kept busy with projects like making facemasks. Video chats replaced hugs and kisses. Passenger ferry service to our little island was only available for emergency ‘essential’ trips. Strangers turned from potential blog fodder to potential virus spreading serial killers.

But there is one thing that hasn’t changed. Books. My online friends are still there, my book friends are still waiting to meet me, my old favorites are waiting for another read.

And there are new friends waiting too. Wouldn’t you like to be part of Rosie’s team? You won’t need a facemask, you won’t have to worry about social distancing, and germy golfers from the mainland won’t try to sneak up on you. But you will get to read some great free books, and better still, you’ll get to be part of a team. You’ll get to be friends. You’ll get to remember at least ONE GREAT THING that happened in 2020.

So please check out Rosie’s list of free books, and this week’s tips on how to write a review. And while you’re there, you might want to consider joining us here.