Hi, Bookstagram friends!
I don’t know about you, but sometimes with everything going on day to day reviewing the books we read can fall to the wayside.
Bookstagram is supposed to be fun, but sometimes the pressure to get “caught up” leaves us feeling more pressure than you should.
That’s why I created “lightning round reviews.”
It’s a great way to get a handful of books off your TBR – to be reviewed pile- in this case, and get back to reading and having fun!
I’ve done a couple of these so far and it definitely feels like there’s a load off my mind after posting these mini-reviews for books I’ve read but hadn’t posted reviews for on my Bookstagram.
I’d like to invite all of you to join in this fun book challenge and do a #lightningroundreview post!
Here’s the Deal:
- Pick 5 books you’ve read but haven’t reviewed yet. I suppose you can do more or fewer at once, but 5 seems like a good number.
- Write a short paragraph telling us about the book & your thoughts. Remember Instagram captions have a character limit of 2200, so this gives you around 400 characters per review!
- Get creative with your picture! You can photograph your stack of books, but if you read a lot of ebooks or are doing a book you read a while ago and have since loaned out, returned to the library, or donated this may be hard to do. In that case, I invite you to try to draw your bookstack, make a photo collage, or use one of the 8 templates I’ve made. You can find them at the bottom of this post!
- Post your Lightning Round Review to your Bookstagram! Be sure to tag me @milelongtbr so I can see your reviews and share it & use the hashtags! #lightningroundreviews for the reviews and #fastfivefriday if you’re posting your Lightning Round Reviews on a Friday.
Why Do Them:
“Lightning Round Reviews” are a great way to show yourself some grace and get “caught up” with your book reviews.
They’re perfect for books you read months ago that you still would like to review but can’t remember enough details to write a full review.
They’re also good for reviewing popular books- ones that everyone on Bookstagram seems to have already read and been buzzing about. If you don’t feel you have much new to add, a quick blurb is perfect.
It’s also good for books that you may not want to devote a full review post to, whether because they’re outside your typical genre or because they are backlist books that aren’t as popular.
And, of course, it’s a fun challenge and will get a few reviews finished and off your mind so you can get back to reading and having fun with your Bookstagram account!
Templates:
Here is a bookstack template I made for #lightningroundreviews in 8 different color schemes. There’s everything from seasonal color palates, rainbow, monochrome, and ombre; something to go with every stack and asthetic.
I made these for people who would like to participate, but don’t have the physical books they’re reviewing to take a photo of and don’t have the time, tools, or ability to create their own drawing.
Feel free to download the photo of your choice to use for your #lightningroundreviews post!
Once downloaded to your phone it’s easy to add the title to each ‘spine’ with an app like “Text on Photo”
You’re welcome to post the edited version on your Instagram or blog, with credit but please do not use the template for any commercial purposes.
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