the sound of stars by alechia dow featured imageThe Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow: A Book Review
the bibliosmile project featured image4 Bookish Communities that Made Me Smile : A Bibliosmile Guest Post by S. J. Barnard
one word book reviews featured image
Published On: May 15, 2020Categories: Reviews51 Comments

One of my New Year’s Resolutions (ahhh yes, the elusive Resolution….those things that we meticulously write down in elaborate BuJo spreads and then promptly forget about by February) was to write more book reviews. That being said, I’ve been reading a lot of books lately, and – yes, you guessed it – I haven’t written any reviews for them. So thus, my lazy self decided in a stroke of pure lazy genius to write ONE WORD reviews for all of said books. Yup, just one word. Because, as one very wise and arcanely sage woman once said, “AIN’T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT.”

https://media.giphy.com/media/kjelbEcB3I33a/giphy.gif
Actual footage of me whenever I think about writing full book reviews

One Word Book Reviews

BECAUSE AIN’T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT
don't read the comments one word book review - "Candid"

Don’t Read the Comments by Eric Smith

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from the desk of zoe washington one word book review - "Timely"

From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks

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call it what you want one word book review - "Emotional"

Call It What You Want by Brigid Kemmerer

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it sounded better in my head one word book review - "Relatable"

It Sounded Better In My Head by Nina Kenwood

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truly devious one word book review – 
"Thrilling"

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

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the secret of a heart note one word book review - "Sweet"

The Secret of a Heart Note by Stacey Lee

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what i like about you one word book review - "delightful"

What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter

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What did you think of these one word reviews? Would you like to see more of them?

Do you prefer long book reviews or short ones?

Have you read any of these books? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Make More Waffles

51 Comments

  1. Lindsi May 15, 2020 at 9:22 pm - Reply

    I like longer reviews! Maybe a brief explanation of why you chose those words? Then you give people the option of breezing through your one-word thoughts, or reading why you felt that way! For example, I’m currently listening to the audiobook for Don’t Read the Comments, and I would love to know why you chose “candid” as your word! I think it’s applicable, but feel there’s an opportunity for discussion we’re missing out on. I like that you’re able to summarize an entire book with a single word, and don’t think it’s something I could easily do. :)

    Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear?😷 💬

    • Kat @ Novels & Waffles May 16, 2020 at 9:37 am - Reply

      Thanks so much for your input, Lindsi! I don’t think I’ll always do one word reviews, for the reasons you listed, but I thought I would experiment and try something new!

      And oooo you’re listening to the audiobook for Don’t Read the Comments? What do you think of it? What is the audiobook narrator like?

      • Lindsi May 23, 2020 at 1:10 pm - Reply

        The narrators were amazing! I loved them both!

  2. mehsi May 15, 2020 at 10:31 pm - Reply

    I love this idea! And I would definitely like more of it.
    Also given you made graphics… I don’t think you are that lazy. :P

    • Kat @ Novels & Waffles May 16, 2020 at 8:05 am - Reply

      Haha the graphics did take a bit of time…so you’re probably right. Maybe I should have used that energy to write proper reviews haha. ANYWHO, thanks so much for your lovely comment! I’m glad you liked my super short reviews :)

      • mehsi May 16, 2020 at 5:30 pm - Reply

        Haha, I think it is time and energy well spend though if you can make such pretty graphics. :)

  3. Jai Lynn May 16, 2020 at 1:01 am - Reply

    This was so cute Kat! I loved it :D I think a mix of long reviews and these one word book reviews is a good idea. Like when you REALLY love a book you can do the long review and perpetuate just how much this book needs to be read, like NOW lol, and when you come across a bunch of books you enjoyed but they weren’t exactly the best waffles you’ve ever eaten lol even though they were really good you can just string them together into the one word reviews.

    • Kat @ Novels & Waffles May 16, 2020 at 8:11 am - Reply

      “They weren’t exactly the best waffles you’ve ever eaten” – GOSH I LOVE THAT haha. Such a mood, tbh. But anyway, I’m glad that you thought these super short reviews were cute! I had fun doing them!

  4. Amber May 16, 2020 at 1:39 am - Reply

    I love this idea! I often don’t have time to read long reviews so this was perfect.

    • Kat @ Novels & Waffles May 16, 2020 at 8:12 am - Reply

      Haha same! I sometimes get distracted/overwhelmed if I open a review post and it is just A WALL of text (thanks, goldfish brain. I appreciate that). I’m so glad that you liked this idea!

  5. tasya @ the literary huntress May 16, 2020 at 2:20 am - Reply

    This is a really fun idea, I love it! If I could pulled off the pretty graphics like you do to spice up the post, I would probably do it but ehh I can’t 😂

    • Kat @ Novels & Waffles May 16, 2020 at 8:13 am - Reply

      I’m so glad to hear that you like this idea, Tasya! It was actually a lot of fun to do!

  6. Ash @ Starlight Strands May 16, 2020 at 3:37 am - Reply

    this is definitely an amazing idea!! 😆 i’m in looove with the graphics you made, they always add such a special touch to your posts. you’ve probably heard it millions of times, but you’re SUCH a talented graphic designer!!

    i’ve been wanting to read most of these books, so seeing your one-word reviews was very fun. 💖

    • Kat @ Novels & Waffles May 16, 2020 at 9:33 am - Reply

      I’m so glad that you like this idea so much, Ash! And oh gosh, you are so nice! Thank you for your kind words; I appreciate it so much! I had a lot of fun making these little graphics, so it’s nice to hear that people like them :)

  7. Belle May 16, 2020 at 11:39 am - Reply

    This was so interesting to read, and your graphics are amazing, Kat 😮😍! I like both long and short reviews depending on the mood I’m in, and being in a short review mood right now, I really loved this post haha 😄! It’s really cool how you experimented with this! I recently added It Sounded Better In My Head to my TBR, and it sounding “relatable” is exactly the reason why 😅.

    • Kat @ Novels & Waffles May 16, 2020 at 12:14 pm - Reply

      Thank you so much, Belle! I’m so glad that you enjoyed these little reviews! And It Sounded Better In My Head was a SUCH a mood – I hope you enjoy it when you get around to it :)

  8. Aria May 16, 2020 at 12:44 pm - Reply

    I loved reading this so much! The one word reviews are such a great idea, and your graphics add so much to the one word, and that’s amazing!

    • Kat @ Novels & Waffles May 18, 2020 at 5:26 am - Reply

      Thank you so much, Aria! I appreciate that :) I’m also so happy to hear that you loved reading these!!

  9. Abi @ Scribbles and Stories May 16, 2020 at 6:57 pm - Reply

    This is such a cute idea! I can definitely relate to reading a bunch of books then realising with horror that you haven’t reviewed any of them. (My review-to-come shelf on Goodreads mainly consists of books I read in August 2019 and now can’t remember enough about to review 😅).

    I made a new rule for myself, which was that as soon as I finish a book I have to go update it on Goodreads and just write down my thoughts straight away. Usually a somewhat coherent review spills out, and I can go back and format it later. I’ve found it’s the quickest and easiest way for me.

    These one word reviews are so cute, I love them! ❤️

    • Kat @ Novels & Waffles May 18, 2020 at 5:28 am - Reply

      Thank you so much, Abi :) Also, I like this rule you have – maybe I should do something similar. My problem is that I’m such a perfectionist that if I’m going to write something about a book, I feel like it needs to be PERFECT. derp.

  10. Holly May 16, 2020 at 11:38 pm - Reply

    These were so much fun to read!! <3

  11. Charis @ Charis Rae May 16, 2020 at 11:38 pm - Reply

    This is such a great idea! It definitely makes me want to click and learn more about the book since I don’t have a huge idea of what the story is about. 💛

  12. Nushu @ Not A Prima Donna Girl May 17, 2020 at 2:55 am - Reply

    This is so fun! I never really considered one-word reviews, but they’re perfect for books I read a long time ago (and therefore don’t remember too much about) yet want to shove into people’s TBRs :). The graphics you designed are so pretty as well, I especially love the one for From the Desk of Zoe Washington.

    • Kat @ Novels & Waffles May 18, 2020 at 5:30 am - Reply

      Thank you so much, Nushu! I’m glad that you thought these reviews were so much fun – I had a lot of fun making them as well :)

  13. Stephanie May 17, 2020 at 10:21 am - Reply

    This is such a fun idea! I love it!

  14. Shatarupa Dhar May 17, 2020 at 3:22 pm - Reply

    For someone who reads romances (me), I wonder how many books will be clubbed under a single word. 😂

    • Kat @ Novels & Waffles May 18, 2020 at 5:31 am - Reply

      That is a fair point. It was actually kind of hard to pick just a single word that I thought encompassed my feelings about the entire book…

  15. Sam@WLABB May 18, 2020 at 6:46 am - Reply

    I actually read five of those books, and nodded at the word you chose for each. I especially found “relatable” perfect for It Sounded Better in My Head. I also commend you for taking on the challenge of trying to find a single word to capture your feelings about the book. I am know for being terse, but I am not sure I could do it.

    • Kat @ Novels & Waffles May 19, 2020 at 10:12 am - Reply

      I’m so glad that you thought the words I chose accurately described the books! It was actually a lot harder to do than I initially thought it would be. And oh gosh yes, isn’t It Sounded Better in My Head such a mood? haha

  16. Kamilla May 18, 2020 at 9:25 pm - Reply

    One word reviews—I loved this post! It is quite the challenge to describe something in just one word. :)

    • Kat @ Novels & Waffles May 19, 2020 at 10:13 am - Reply

      Thanks so much, Kamilla! I’m so glad you liked this :) And I agree – it was actually a lot harder to chose just one word to describe each book than I thought it would be.

  17. […] 🔱 Kate @ Your Tita Kate 🔱 Rain @ Bookdragonism 🔱 Aentee @ Read at Midnight 🔱 Kat @ Novels & Waffles 🔱 Annie @ Blossoms and Bullet Journals 🔱 May @ My 1st Chapter 🔱 Ilsa @ A Whisper of […]

  18. Malka @ Paper Procrastinators May 25, 2020 at 6:09 am - Reply

    I think that Sweet is the perfect way to describe The Secret of a Heart Note! And just your one word got me to check out From the Desk of Zoe Washington, so I’d say this reviewing method is pretty effective! I’m a very big fan of shorter review, because I have a deep rooted fear of spoilers, and a limited attention span when it comes to books I haven’t read yet, so I think this kind of reviewing method is brilliant!

    • Kat @ Novels & Waffles May 25, 2020 at 1:36 pm - Reply

      I’m exactly the same way with reviews; I get distracted so easily when I’m reading them, especially if it’s about a book I haven’t picked up or heard about yet. So I’m glad to hear that this sort of suuuper short review worked for you!

  19. […] Kat @ Novels & Waffles was super concise in her one word book reviews. […]

  20. Ha! This is a really fun way to review those books you weren’t going to get around to reviewing otherwise.

    • Kat @ Novels & Waffles June 2, 2020 at 7:10 pm - Reply

      I’m so glad that you thought that this was a fun concept, because I had a fun time doing it! :)

  21. […] month has been the busiest since I first started my blog. So thank you to Emer @A Little Haze & Kat @Novels and Waffles (& other that retweeted), go check their blog cause they’re […]

  22. […] Kat @Novels and Waffle […]

  23. Rachelle Saint Louis July 7, 2020 at 7:11 am - Reply

    This is such a clever concept and I LOVE your graphics! I struggle with keeping up with reviews too, I just go from one book to the next without fleshing a full review and when the time comes to write one I start sweating

  24. Krisha July 18, 2020 at 9:01 pm - Reply

    Hi Kat ! I just found your blog and it gorgeous :) Your blog is probably the cutest, most creative blog I’ve ever seen – the theme is waffles and breakfast !! It makes me so hungry….I am very sure millions of people must have told you this already . And it great if you can describe the book in one word and it was so fun to read

    • Kat @ Novels & Waffles July 20, 2020 at 1:47 pm - Reply

      Oh my goodness, thank you SO MUCH for such a lovely comment, Krisha! It really means the world to me! I can’t stop smiling! I’m so glad that you like my blog, and I that you think some of my posts are creative! Seriously, this made my day!!!

  25. […] Kat @ Novels and Waffles is my ultimate inspiration in blog design. I discovered her at the very start of my blogging journey when she commented on my first ever post. As soon as I clicked through to her website I realised I had so much more to learn about designing an attractive blog. Luckily, she shares lots of guides and tips so anyone can learn from her! She’s written about topics like how to make your blog SEO friendly, how to pick an Instagram theme, and so many more! […]

  26. theonewhoreadit August 5, 2020 at 1:51 am - Reply

    WOW! First of all, your blog is absolutely stunning! This post was such an amazing idea! I can’t wait to read Truly Devious and see why you found it thrilling! It Sounded Better In My Head sounds fun! Also, HOW can you think that you’re lazy? The graphics must have taken so long to do! WOW just WOW!

  27. booksandtea97 August 5, 2020 at 11:02 pm - Reply

    It’s an interesting idea. Definitely makes me wonder why exactly does that word come to your mind when thinking about certain book. I like it. Makes me want to pick those books up and read them to solve the mystery.

  28. Eleanor J. August 17, 2020 at 4:58 am - Reply

    Hm I think one word reviews can be very impactful if done well. And I think you did an amazing job with it, Kat! I’d love to see more of your one word reviews. The graphics are AMAZING and your blog is just so beautiful. Some of these books are on my TBR list so I hope to get to them soon.

  29. […] month has been the busiest since I first started my blog. So thank you to Emer @A Little Haze & Kat @Novels and Waffles (& other that retweeted), go check their blog cause they’re […]

  30. { TAG } I Should Have Read That Book September 3, 2020 at 10:19 pm - Reply

    […] Kat @Novels and Waffle […]

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