Reviewer's Guilt

1. I haven't updated my reviews all term. I can blame my crushing workload, but it's also that it turns out that under stress, I'd rather read than write.
   
2. I hate writing bad reviews--I don't mind thinking them, but to write and publish them in response to someone's earnest efforts is a bummer. I especially hate it when the book is self-published (which I'm all for) or small press (ditto) and is riddled with typos and grammatical errors. Even worse is when it really needed more editing, both for focus and organization. I want to contact the authors and say, "Surely you know someone who writes well and would be willing to edit for you! Surely you would be willing to accept feedback from that person!"
3. Example A: A writer reports saying, "Me yamo...." No, "Me llamo."
4. Example B: A writer reports that it was so cold that dead people were turning blue. Not in that part of Cambodia they weren't. While 70F feels terribly cold to a Cambodian, it's not nearly cold enough to turn a body blue.