Ever wondered what motivates a book reviewer? C from Happy Meerkat Reviews tells all! 
When Austin Macauley first asked me to write a review of one of their books I felt a mixture of excitement and sheer panic. I was excited because I was being asked to read a book, which I love to do, and give my opinion of it, which I also love to do, but I also felt panic as I'd never been approached by a publisher before.

My life as a reviewer started about a year ago after going through a difficult time which left me in a raw place emotionally. Suffering from depression and anxiety made coping through this time all the more difficult. I found that writing reviews helped me to focus, keeping my mind off of my problems and helping me to relax, the same way colouring does for so many people these days.

My reviews first appeared on amazon UK and I found the more I reviewed the better I felt. I enjoyed helping people, letting them know what I thought was good or bad about a variety of different things. After some months I was approached by Austin Macauley to write a review of their new release, 'Doof Doof: My Life in Music' by Simon May. I jumped at the chance to review the book, although I did wonder why a British publisher would be interested in me - I honestly I didn't think I was good enough to write book reviews!

Reading the book was such a joy and it really reignited my passion for books, something which had waned a little since the upset I had suffered the previous year. The book, an autobiography, was such a pleasant read and I really enjoyed it. Reviewing it was simply a matter of telling people how much I loved it and why. I spoke from the heart and wrote the sort of review I'd want to read. I didn't know if it was a review others would be interested in, but I must have done something right because I've since been asked to review more books.

Writing reviews for Austin Macauley is fun, because reading the books is fun. When I finish a book, all I do is give my opinion of it. We all have an opinion when we've read a book, was it good or bad? Why did we enjoy it or dislike it? How did it make us feel? Did it make us smile, laugh or cry? It is this opinion that I try to get across. I always start a review by explaining what the book is about, trying to explain the overall atmosphere, without giving away too much of the plot, because I hate spoilers. I always explain any negative and positives about a book and I'm a firm believer that all books, even the 'bad' ones, have some positives in them. At the end I give an overall star rating which is based on my own personal opinion, but if I give it a low rating because I may not have enjoyed it, it doesn't mean someone else wouldn't and I hope my reviews, both positive and negative, are helpful to everyone who reads them.

One of the best things about reviewing for Austin Macauley is coming across an amazing book I may never have noticed when shopping for one. There is such a vast selection of books out there today that it's easy to overlook some great reads, especially when they are by lesser known authors. I hope by writing these reviews I will inspire somebody to pick up and read one of these great books and hopefully enjoy it as much as I do. And if I inspire just one person to do that...well, I think that's the best part about reviewing for Austin Macauley!

When Austin Macauley first asked me to write a review of one of their books I felt a mixture of excitement and sheer panic. I was excited because I was being asked to read a book, which I love to do, and give my opinion of it, which I also love to do, but I also felt panic as I'd never been approached by a publisher before.

My life as a reviewer started about a year ago after going through a difficult time which left me in a raw place emotionally. Suffering from depression and anxiety made coping through this time all the more difficult. I found that writing reviews helped me to focus, keeping my mind off of my problems and helping me to relax, the same way colouring does for so many people these days.

My reviews first appeared on amazon UK and I found the more I reviewed the better I felt. I enjoyed helping people, letting them know what I thought was good or bad about a variety of different things. After some months I was approached by Austin Macauley to write a review of their new release, 'Doof Doof: My Life in Music' by Simon May. I jumped at the chance to review the book, although I did wonder why a British publisher would be interested in me - I honestly I didn't think I was good enough to write book reviews!

Reading the book was such a joy and it really reignited my passion for books, something which had waned a little since the upset I had suffered the previous year. The book, an autobiography, was such a pleasant read and I really enjoyed it. Reviewing it was simply a matter of telling people how much I loved it and why. I spoke from the heart and wrote the sort of review I'd want to read. I didn't know if it was a review others would be interested in, but I must have done something right because I've since been asked to review more books.

Writing reviews for Austin Macauley is fun, because reading the books is fun. When I finish a book, all I do is give my opinion of it. We all have an opinion when we've read a book, was it good or bad? Why did we enjoy it or dislike it? How did it make us feel? Did it make us smile, laugh or cry? It is this opinion that I try to get across. I always start a review by explaining what the book is about, trying to explain the overall atmosphere, without giving away too much of the plot, because I hate spoilers. I always explain any negative and positives about a book and I'm a firm believer that all books, even the 'bad' ones, have some positives in them. At the end I give an overall star rating which is based on my own personal opinion, but if I give it a low rating because I may not have enjoyed it, it doesn't mean someone else wouldn't and I hope my reviews, both positive and negative, are helpful to everyone who reads them.

One of the best things about reviewing for Austin Macauley is coming across an amazing book I may never have noticed when shopping for one. There is such a vast selection of books out there today that it's easy to overlook some great reads, especially when they are by lesser known authors. I hope by writing these reviews I will inspire somebody to pick up and read one of these great books and hopefully enjoy it as much as I do. And if I inspire just one person to do that...well, I think that's the best part about reviewing for Austin Macauley!