Amazon and many other online retailers and review sites rate their books. Do you think this is a good thing? Is rating books fair? What should people keep in mind when looking at these ratings?

Amazon's rating system is more in line with giving the consumer choices in their purchases, so it's a little different than a star rating in a book review. Some sites choose to do a star rating system, and I'm neutral on the subject. I personally think the review should be written clearly enough to figure out what that reviewer has rated the book, and I don't seek out a rating system when I read reviews. However, it's nice to see one at the end, especially when the reviewer is not as clear about how the book is written.

Anything else you'd like to say to our readers?

If you feel compelled and have something to say, consider writing book reviews. Books are slowly becoming a dying medium, so keeping literary criticism alive and interesting is more important now than ever before. Whether you join a site like Blogcritics or There There Kid or decide to start your own blog, remember that there are other people out there who are interested in what you have to say if you have something truly interesting to say.

Thanks for your time and for such insightful answers, Kevin!