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"There are three things in this world that I want more than anything. I'll tell you the first two, but I'll never tell you the third." Barry Lyga, The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl.
In one of my first reviews this past month, the review got posted and I had the author's name incorrect! I was so embarrassed. I caught it about a half hour after the review posted. I'm dying again right now just thinking about it!
Is it okay to say, I don't know? Because it's the truth. I'm new to the scene. For those of you with more experience, what do you recommend? What works best? What didn't work for you?
How many books is on your to-be read shelf?
New Things You Will Be Doing This Year
I'm a new blogger so I'm sure I'll be doing lots of new things this year. So far jumping into this Challenge on December 31st is definitely a new thing for me. I never considered joining an event like this and it has been loads of fun. I've enjoyed the people I've met and the blogs I've discovered. It's a great way to network and learn about the biz.
What new things do you plan to do this year?
Right now this list will be short and sweet! I've got my eye on a couple of events, but more may pop up as the year goes on!
What cons or events to you hope to attend this year?
There are three things that have happened in the last month since I started my blog that stick out in my mind.
I'm so new to the blogging scene, I'm not sure I can come up with ten. And since I'm so new, I'm going to approach this from the point of a view as a blog reader!
For me it is a tie between Seraphina and The Night Circus. Both books really struck a cord with me. Hartman and Morgenstern did a marvelous job creating unique worlds that I wanted to actively be a part of. I read The Night Circus in one day which rarely happens for me. I wish someone would write music to go along with Seraphina. Music plays such a big part for the main character that's you can almost feel the pages vibrate with it.
The other books that made my list:
Looking back at my 2013 Read list, I would add one more book. I just keep recommending it to my friends so it would be shame not to add it to the list. Traveler by Dennis W. Green. It was the first book I reviewed on my blog.
The Worst Book of 2013
I saw this book on a lot of people's lists on Friday. And I'm probably going to get some flack for saying this, but The 5th Wave is probably one of the worst books I read in 2013.
I fell for the hype and by the end of the book, I was mad. The book was big right around my birthday in August and I picked up a sampler and had to read more. So I got a copy of the book...from the local library thankfully. I was so disappointed. It was a totally predicable plot with revolving narrators that were barely distinguishable from each other. The 5th Wave took all the latest YA crazes and mashed them together unsuccessfully.
I've read The Passage (which I didn't like) and by the end of last year, I had finally read Ender's Game (which I did like). I can see how this book is like The Passage for teens, but I have no clue how the book is ANYTHING on the level of Ender's Game. I mean yes, there are some similarities (kids fighting aliens), but Orson Scott Card does a better job of showing the psychological games and its affects on young people than Yancey does.
Other books that didn't rank high on my list:
What's the worst book you read in 2013?
The Books of 2014 I Don't Want to Miss
Okay, I would be lying if I said I didn't have a wish list of books I really want to read that have a publication date in 2014. In fact, I made a list recently and just remembered I needed to add another book to it. So drumroll, please!
The Books of 2013 I'm Sad I Missed
Well, if I had a list of books I'm sad I missed, that would kind of go against the idea behind my blog to not necessarily read the latest and greatest trend. And do you ever really miss a book? If it was a book you really wanted to read, you probably bought the book and have in on your to-read shelf, either physically or virtually. So it is still there. You didn't miss it. You just missed the wave. If the book was really awesome, that wave will come around again. Just be patient.
There's a right and a wrong time to read a book. Maybe that book you feel you missed, it wasn't the right time for you to read it, but this next year is the right time. Don't pressure yourself to read the latest and greatest if it isn't something you love. Or maybe you have fallen out of love and feel obligated to read the next book. (Sookie Stackhouse, anyone?) Unless you are in school, there's really nothing, but yourself telling you what you should and should not read. So just follow you heart. What do you want to read? What's calling your name? Read that. And enjoy!
Your Pros & Cons of Blogging List
I've always liked to read. Sure I fell off the bandwagon when I was in college, but in junior high and high school a lot of my time was spent reading. I would say it wasn't as easy to find book now as it was then. And I'm not sure there was really a type or genre of book I preferred. I do know that I read a lot of V.C. Andrews. I did read an awful lot of historical religious fiction. I figured out later, I loved the historical aspect and not so much the preachy, one-character-finds-God aspect. I haven't always read the latest/hottest literature and that was a concern of mine in starting Second Run Reviews as many of the blogs I read focus on staying on top of the latest trends.
But then, I thought about one of my other favorite things...movies. And damn movies are expensive! However, we have a theatre near us that is a second run theatre. My husband and I patiently wait (most of the time) for the movies to start there rather than spending loads of cash at the first run theaters. And I thought, that's kind of how, most of the time, I approach books. Sometimes I'll pick up the latest trend like Gone Girl (got it used last Christmas) or "the Divergent series" (still haven't read Allegiant), but many times I'm just browsing the shelves at Half Price Books or Barnes and Noble for something that catches my eye. If the book blurb plus the first few lines catch my attention, I'm likely to pick it up. What's the danger in that you ask? Well, being behind the 8-ball so to speak in terms of being trendy and upcoming in the blog scene. But I decided, what the hell! I grew up in near the middle of no where and still can't identify with most of the hot trends from the 80s and 90s because they never made it big in my small town high school. So I've never exactly been a trendsetter; and I think, I'm finally starting to embrace that aspect of myself and love it.
Another concern? I read kind an odd set of books. Lots of times this is thanks to my family and friends who read a variety of different genres. When I was in college student teaching I fell in love with young adult fantasy. I've always loved fairy tales and in the last few years have been actively seeking out retellings of classic fairy tales. Historical fiction especially plots set in the United Kingdom or Ancient Egypt really trip my trigger. Throw in time travel and I'm sold! And a few times a year, I read a few science fiction and non-fiction books. I think variety is good. And I've been lucky. Many of the books I've loved, Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, for example, have become favorites of a lot of my friends. I got my sister back on the reading kick and she confessed to me recently, that after years of reading books I've loaned, she finally discovered the genre of book she loves the most--survivor stories. Ashfall by Mike Mullins is her favorite right now. I love sharing my eclectic taste with my friends and family and helping them discover new books, authors and genres. Why not share that with the world?
Of course, I think the biggest fear is just putting myself out there. I came from a small town and when I went to college, and decided to become an English major, I really had to put myself out there to be heard in class discussions. Sometimes, in class, I would say something and no one would respond. I remember expressing a concern about this lack of response to one of my professors. She responded by saying that in most cases I was sharing a point of view that no one had thought of before and my classmates were taken aback and just needed time to process my point of view. Well, I haven't put myself out there in a long time and I want to do that again. I have to get over the fear that I'll like a book that most of the world hated or that I'll hate a book most of the world loved. I just have to stretch and challenge myself to explain why I loved the book or didn't love it. And that's how we grow and learn, right? By challenging ourselves to go just beyond what we know we can do.
The internet is a big scary place. There's pros and cons to everything we put out there. We just have to take the chance that those friends we made through that point in life stick by us through thick and thin. So put it out there and see what the world has to say. Good luck in the New Year!
I'm sick and had nothing better to do on NYE than look for even more book blogs to follow and I stumbled upon Parajunkee.com and her Book Blogger's Challenge. We'll see if I'm able to keep up with the challenge of posting for 14 straight days! Seems like a good challenge and a good exercise for me as I try to get my blog moving forward, right?
Here are my Book Blogger Resolutions for 2014
Seems like a strong start to 2014!