Reading

  • Books, books, books …

    10 Comments

    Giving books for presents makes me happy — and so does getting books as presents myself. New books! Wha-ha-ha!

    Okay, I think that’s enough evil laughter for one day. Here are some books that I got for Christmas this year:

    Baby Its Cold Outside by Addison Fox (contemporary romance)

    Kissing Comfort by Jo Goodman (historical western romance)

    Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George (fantasy young adult)

    Until There Was You by Kristan Higgins (contemporary romance

    I’ve been reading quite a few contemporary romance and young adult books over the past couple of months, and it looks like it’s a trend that’s going to continue into 2012.

    Of course, there are already several books I’m looking forward to this year, including Lothaire (paranormal romance) by Kresley Cole and Rainshadow Road (contemporary romance) by Lisa Kleypas.

    What books did you guys get for Christmas? What are you reading and enjoying right now?

  • E-reader, here I come …

    53 Comments

    Well, I have finally decided to break down and get an e-reader. Hello, twenty-first century. Jennifer is finally here. LOL.

    I know, I know, I’m a little late to the party since e-readers have exploded in popularity in the last few years. But hey, better late than never, right? Plus, I think it’s kind of ironic that I’ve done some e-publishing with the Bigtime series, and I don’t actually have an e-reader myself. So I have decided to treat myself to an e-reader for Christmas.

    Why? Well, for a couple of reasons. Mainly because it seems like there are more and more e-books and e-stories that I want to read, especially when it comes to prequels, 99-cent stories, and things like that authors are doing to tie-in with their books. I have e-book reading apps on my computer, but I never actually sit and read on the computer because it’s just not as comfortable as curling up on the couch with a book. And hopefully, this will also help eliminate some of the books and clutter from my house.

    Don’t get me wrong. I’m probably always going to like paper books better, especially when it comes to actually going to a bookstore/library and browsing through all the titles. Nothing’s ever going to replace that for me. But the convenience and portability of an e-reader has a lot of appeal to me.

    Right now, I’m leaning toward getting a Kindle Fire, just because I want something that will let me read e-books and surf the web. That’s really all I plan on using it for. No apps, no games, nothing like that simply because I never seem to have time for stuff like that. Plus, with the $199 price I don’t feel like that’s too much for me to invest in case I don’t like it. Although I am going to look at the reviews for the Fire over the next few weeks before making a final decision.

    I’m also considering the NOOK Tablet, but at $249, it is a little more than the Fire. I also wonder if I order the Fire whether or not I will get it in time for Christmas, since it looks like they are filling orders on a first-come, first-serve basis, but that’s not a big deal to me.

    What about you guys? If you have an e-reader, what kind do you have? What do you like/not like about it? If you don’t have an e-reader, are you planning to get one?

  • Reading, reading, reading …

    6 Comments

    One of my goals this year has been to read more. Right now, I’ve read more than 50 books so far this year. Not too bad, but not as many as I’d hoped. Then again, I’ve also written more books/stories this year and done all the promotion, etc. that goes along with a new release. I guess it all evens out in the end.

    Anyway, I thought I’d share some of the books in my TBR pile right now. Here goes:

    The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa: This is the second book in her Iron Fey young adult series. I really need to get caught up on these books because I’ve heard a lot of good things about books three and four, The Iron Queen and The Iron Knight. Plus, I think she has really gorgeous book covers.

    Hounded by Kevin Hearne: I saw a lot of good reviews for this book, the first one in Hearne’s Iron Druid urban fantasy series, so I bought it for Wheezley. The nice thing about having a significant other who also reads fantasy is that I can buy books for him that I want to read too. Ssh. Don’t tell Wheezley that, though.

    Among Thieves by Douglas Hulick: This is an epic fantasy that sounded like it would be a fun read. Plus, I just like stories about thieves.

    Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later by Francine Pascal: I loved the Sweet Valley High books when I was younger and want to see what the characters are up to in this story.

    The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson: I know, I know. I’m probably the only person who hasn’t read this book yet. Then again, I haven’t read The Da Vinci Code either.

    I’m hoping to read these soon, and I’d like to whittle my TBR pile down a bit before I buy any more books, but Christmas will be here before you know it … What can I say? I love books. 😉

    What about you guys? What are you reading and enjoying right now? What books are you looking forward to this year?

  • · ·

    And the ARC goes to …

    The randomly selected winner of the ARC for Everything I Know About Love, I Learned from Romance Novels is:

    Nora, who left this comment: Congrats on the book, Sarah! I’ve loved SBTB for a long time, although I mostly lurk. I can’t tell you how many new authors I’ve been introduced to through your reviews and those of your commenters. So glad to see so many smart gals singing the praises of the genre.

    Congrats, Nora! Please e-mail me your snail mail address, and I will pass it along to Sarah. You have until noon, Monday, Sept. 19 to get your information to me or I will have to pick another winner.

    Thanks again to Sarah for guest blogging and to everyone who dropped by and left a comment. There are so many great things about the romance genre, and it was great seeing everyone talk about some of their favorite books. Happy reading, everyone!

  • · ·

    Guest blog: Everything I Know About Love, I Learned from Romance Novels …

    89 Comments

    Today, I’m pleased to welcome author and blogger Sarah Wedell from Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. I’m always surfing over to the blog to see what’s new, and when I saw that Sarah had a new book coming out, I asked her if she’d guest blog. She was nice enough to say yes and agreed to answer a few questions:

    Question: Tell us about your new release, Everything I Know About Love, I Learned from Romance Novels.

    Sarah: IT IS SO AWESOME. How’s that? Seriously, I’m so proud of this book, because at its heart, this book is about the romance reading and writing community talking about the genre we love, and how valuable and valid it is in our lives.

    Everything I Know About Love, I Learned from Romance Novels celebrates what romance readers already know: that romances can be a road map of what to do (and what not to do) in real life relationships. Instead of giving us (OH NOES) unrealistic expectations of ourselves and our partners and spouses, in reality romances provide models of overcoming conflict, recognizing heroism, and, most of all, being the heroine of your own life.

    Question: What was the inspiration for this book?

    Sarah: I have run an advice column on SBTB for a few years now wherein I use the wisdom of romances to answer people’s letters about their problems. Part of the inspiration for the book comes from that — there’s a great wealth of knowledge about human interaction coded into romances. Other inspiration came from recognizing over the years that the community of women who read and write romance are terribly wise and generous people.

    Question: What do you love most about the romance genre? Any pet peeves?

    Sarah: I love the happy ending, the reassurance that no matter how bad it is, it will all work out. I love how far I’ve traveled and how many people I’ve met within the books I love, and how many other readers I’ve met through discussing how much I love the genre. When we started SBTB, I had no idea there were so many romance readers around the world who were eager to talk with one another.

    As for pet peeves? OH LORDY. My top two: stilted, unrealistic dialogue and plot contrivances that are wooden and unlikely. I don’t want to read a book and say to myself, or to the characters, “OH COME ON NOW.”

    Question: You run a popular romance site called Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. Tell us a little about what the site does and what the inspiration for it was.

    Sarah: I do! The site reviews romance, discusses the genre, and helps connect readers with books to read, re-read, and discover again after years apart. The site began when Candy Tan and I “met” online, had a relatively random email conversation and somehow ended up discussing romances – how much we both loved them, how wonderful the best of them were, and how annoying it was that so few people took them seriously. One of us said, “We should start a blog and review them, working the power of our English degrees and our love of cursing,” and the other one said, “Uh, ok!” And Smart Bitches, Trashy Books was born. Really, the inspiration was to discuss everything readers love and despair about the genre — and the site is still going 6-plus years later.

    Question: What do you think are some trends on the romance horizon? What would you like to see more of in romance books? What would you like to see less of?

    Sarah: I think with the many options and opportunities available to authors, more distinct niche sub genres will emerge, because it will be easier for authors to connect directly with those readers who are demonstrably interested in that specific setting or trope or character type. I myself am not picky as far as what I want: I love contemporary and historical romance, and some light paranormal now that I’ve gotten my mental taste buds re-interested in paranormals. I love characters who seem real, who struggle with their attraction or feelings of determination for someone else, and who emerge at the end of the story as better and stronger people.

    Question: What are some of your favorite books and authors?

    Sarah: The books that are falling apart on my bookshelf: Perfect by Judith McNaught; Bitten by Kelley Armstrong; and Born in Ice by Nora Roberts. Oh — and Devil’s Bride by Stephanie Laurens. Among my new favorites: the Alpha and Omega series by Patricia Briggs is something that I can’t remove from my phone or reading device in my purse. I keep re-reading parts of it.

    Question: What’s next for you and Smart Bitches?

    Sarah: Let’s see: more reading time! I always want to connect with new or newly curious romance readers, and those who love the genre and are searching for something new to read. So I’ve restarted the podcast (link one, link two) with Jane Litte from DearAuthor.com. I’m hoping to expand on that in the future. My goal is always to find new books, and new readers of romance to talk to.

    ARC GIVEAWAY

    Thanks so much for being here, Sarah! As part of her guest blog, Sarah is giving away an ARC of Everything I Know About Love, I Learned from Romance Novels. To enter, just leave a comment on this blog post talking about a romance you’ve enjoyed, what you like about the romance genre, or some books you are looking forward to.

    The giveaway is open to folks 18 and older. The contest will run through noon, EST, Thursday, Sept. 15, and the winner will be randomly drawn and announced here on the blog on Friday, Sept. 16. Happy commenting!