I’ll be the first to admit this and do so proudly: I read my book reviews. Every single one, on every single book. And no, I’m not a glutton for punishment.

Reviews to me, as the author, are beneficial in a number of ways—and not just because fabulous ones increase my Goodreads rating. There is as much to learn from a glowing review as there is from a not-so-favorable one, if the reviewer explains why they rated the book the way they did.