MEET THE REVIEWER

Hi, I'm S. J. Robinson—a writer, book reviewer, professional voice actor, former Barnes & Noble manager, and the creator behind SJR Writes & Reads.

Books have been part of both my personal and professional life for years. From 2008–2018, I worked for Barnes & Noble in different cities and positions, but my most recent roles were as Receiving Manager and later as an Event Coordinator.

That experience gave me a look at books from the other side of the shelf. I received and processed incoming books and merchandise, managed receiving operations, trained employees, assisted customers, and helped support in-store events and celebrity appearances.

I have degrees in Creative Writing and Screenwriting. Because I'm a writer myself, I'm naturally interested in how stories are constructed—but when I review, I never want to lose the most important perspective:

How did this story actually make me feel as a reader?

I talk about the characters I loved, the ones who drove me crazy, relationships I believed in, plot twists I didn't see coming, moments that made me laugh, cry, yell at the book, or stay up much later than I planned.

And when something doesn't work for me, I talk about that too. My goal isn't to sound like a textbook. It's to have the kind of thoughtful, honest book conversation I'd want to have with another reader.

FROM FIRST PAGE TO FINAL THOUGHTS

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Created during the reading process, once I've spent enough time with the story to form meaningful early impressions.

I discuss things like:

Characters I'm noticing
Early chemistry
Writing style
Worldbuilding
Questions
Predictions
Initial emotional reaction

RECENT SAMPLES