"What Writers Read"

When Do You Know?

ElanaJohnson@gmail.com (Elana Johnson) — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 12:00:00 +0000

So we've been taking a bit of a hiatus here. Summering. We've all been summering. And holy cow, I've been WriteOnCon-ing. It's in like, 4 days and it's going to be awesome!!

But I've also been doing a lot of reading. I've come across a couple of books that I'm sure are good. I haven't been able to finish them though. My rule is to give every book I read 100 pages. But I haven't been doing it. See, I have at least 20 books sitting on my table, and I figure that if this one doesn't intrigue me, that one will. You know?

And sometimes I just know that the writing style isn't my thing. The writing can be good. The story can be good. But there are certain styles of writing I just don't like. I find myself annoyed that the structure/style of the story is impeding my enjoyment.

So I've quit reading a little early, when I know I'm just not going to be able to finish. So when do you know you won't be able to finish a book?

A Lowly Companion

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany Wiggins) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:11:00 +0000

Alright, guys. I don't know if you remember my last post, say about a week ago, but I blogged about a certain book that I really liked. I won't name the book because I read the companion to this book and have one word for you.

OUCH.

I had to resort to skimming said companion just to get to the end. There was so much other stuff in the book besides story that I still don't quite know what the plot was. The only good thing about this companion? The author didn't start every single sentence in the book with he or she, so I guess her writing skills improved.

Why is it that companions/sequels typically don't live up to the originals? Elana did a post on this, so if you missed it, click here. But what do you think?

Okay guys, I posted this several hours ago and have gotten several comments on how awesome this book is... So it must just be a matter of taste.

Jonathon Arntson said: I liked said companion more than the original. I think our perceptions are fascinating things and a look into this might prove to be a study in psyche.

Thanks for all of your awesomness!

Rainbows and Sunshine

ElanaJohnson@gmail.com (Elana Johnson) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Okay, so let it be known that I like a bit of a darker book. I mean, I don't mind a little bit of rainbow and yeah, I like the sun to shine sometimes. But usually, I like books that end, but not necessarily well. Or what we perceive as well.

Take The Giver by Lois Lowry for example. The book definitely ends. I thought it was absolutely brilliant (don't worry, no spoilers), but I've come across people that simply hated it. But I like books that make me think. Stories that I'm stewing over when I'm trying to fall asleep at night. Novels that make me pause, examine, reevaluate.

That said, there's something about reading for pure enjoyment too. My favorite example of this is Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. Yeah, there's some darkness there too, but I read those books for an escape, and they end in a way where you want to read the next book to find out what happens, but you don't lie awake at night thinking about social issues or if you should change XYZ in your life.

At least I didn't.

So what kind of reader are you? Pure escapism where each story wraps itself up with a rainbow-colored bow? Or do you like to ponder on deeper things after reading a particularly well-told story?

Another WOW Book

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany Wiggins) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:30:00 +0000

I gave in, guys, and finally picked up GRACELING by Kristin Cashore. I have one word for you.

HOLY FREAK!

(two words, sorry)

I could seriously end this blog post now. That's how good this book is. But I'll give you a little more. Graceling is about a girl who has been graced with the gift of killing with her bare hands. Only she's forced to do it for her king. But when a hot, gorgeous someone comes along and makes her see her own power, things get way out of hand... in a way that won't let you put this book down.

What I like about this book:

The plot. It throws you for a loop. Or two. Or ten.

The characters. Katsa is awesome. She stands up for what she knows is right against deadly odds.

The one thing I didn't like.

Almost every single sentence started with She.

But seriously, me only finding one thing not to like means this book rocks. So go check it out.

What's the Best Book Ever?

BethanySuzette@gmail.com (Suzette Saxton) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 04:44:00 +0000

Have you ever read a book that is soooo good it blows all the others out of the water? Last month this happened to me. Seriously every book I'd reviewed on my blog the year prior went down a notch in my five-star rating system.

Of course, now reading is kind of ruined for me. *sniff* Nothing quite measures up.

Help me out. I want to know which books were so amazing you still think about them. Help me find a book I can't put down.

And next week I'll reveal the book that left all others in its dust!

Book Clubs

ElanaJohnson@gmail.com (Elana Johnson) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0000

I used to attend a monthly book club, but it petered out and no one ever took over again. I liked it, liked reading a book I knew others were reading, liked hearing what they had to say about the book.

I have a new problem, though. My book club days were when I was only a reader. Now that I'm a writer, I view books differently. I read for enjoyment, of course, but many times I'm reading for other things. How this author captured that. Which words they used to make me feel something, smell something, hear something.

But I'm wondering if I should get back into a book club. I'm wondering if I could handle it (you know, me being so opinionated and all... *wink*). So I'm wondering if any of you have thoughts on book clubs. Do you like them? Not like them? Participate?

What about an online book club? Do you think one of those would work? And how?

A Three-in-the-morning Book

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany Wiggins) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 15:40:00 +0000

You know when you pick up a book at bedtime and then, the next thing you know it's three in the morning? And you still can't put it down? So you skip to the end just to have enough peace so you can close your eyes for a few hours? And the next day you walk around like a zombie?

Yep. Just happened to me (eyelids drooping with fatigue).

The thing is, this author is one of my favorite writers, yet she seems relatively unknown. I never hear her name or books shouted out from the blogosphere. So here goes.

JANETTE RALLISON!

And the book that kept me up so late?

IT'S A MALL WORLD AFTER ALL

Dudes, you gotta read it. It is hilarious. Poignant. Romantic. Did I say hilarious?

What books have kept you up until three in the morning?

When You're Not Reading, You're...

ElanaJohnson@gmail.com (Elana Johnson) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Up until now I've been on a huge reading thing. Huge. Like over 50 books this year already huge. I knew there'd be a point where I'd go off books. I was hoping it wouldn't be for a while, but it's already happened. Even though I have two books sitting on my table (INCARCERON and NUM8ERS) that I've been dying to read. Dying!

Have I read them?

No.

Have I had time?

Yes.

Instead of picking up the book, I've been watching TV (even QVC I was so desperate), writing, editing and cleaning out every closet/garage/cupboard/bedroom in the house.

I know it's just a low. A phase. But I'm wondering: what do you do when you're not reading?

Summer Reads

ElanaJohnson@gmail.com (Elana Johnson) — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Okay, so the Fourth of July usually marks the height of summer for me. I've laid around a lot after the end of the school year. And now I'm ready to actually do something.

So what are the best beach reads this year? I don't live anywhere near a beach, but hey, a girl can dream, right?

Right.

So summer reads? Something light and fun and quick. Lay it on me.

Sequels? Companions? Trilogies?

ElanaJohnson@gmail.com (Elana Johnson) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:00:00 +0000

So I just read a companion novel to a first novel that I L-O-V-E-D. Like, holy loved. Beyond loved. Did I say I loved it?

Well, I did.

But this companion novel...

Not so much.

It was more like L-O--

And it got me thinking about how I feel about series', trilogies, etc. I'm sort of conflicted. There are certain series I should've stopped reading earlier. Some I read 4, but never the 5th. Some I read over and over again. So obviously, I will read a series, a trilogy, and companions. But they're not my favorites.

Maybe there's just too many other books, other characters, other adventures to fall in love with? Maybe.

What about you? Where do you land on the series scale? Love 'em? Hate 'em? Conflicted?

So Tell Me

ElanaJohnson@gmail.com (Elana Johnson) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Readers/Reviewers: What really bothers you in a book? What can't you look past?

On the flip side, what wow's you? What makes you fall in Book Love?

Writers: How do you avoid the suck? How to you attempt to make the love happen for your readers?

I'd tell you what I think, but this post is called YOU tell me. Ha!

I am Not a Serial Killer by Dan Wells

BethanySuzette@gmail.com (Suzette Saxton) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 01:41:00 +0000

I had the pleasure of meeting Dan Wells. Know this: He is not scary. He is not a serial killer. He is a great guy...albeit with telekinetic book-signing abilities. (More about that at the end of the post...)

First Sentence: Mrs. Anderson was Dead.

A Favorite Passage: The dark thoughts were still there, underneath, but my actions stayed clean. In other words, I was really good at pretending to be normal. If you met me on the street, you'd never guess how much I wanted to kill you.

A Brief Summary: Dead bodies are normal to John. He likes them, actually. They don’t demand or expect the empathy he’s unable to offer. Perhaps that’s what gives him the objectivity to recognize that there’s something different about the body the police have just found behind the Wash-n-Dry Laundromat---and to appreciate what that difference means.

Now, for the first time, John has to confront a danger outside himself, a threat he can’t control, a menace to everything and everyone he would love...if only he could.

What I Liked About This Book: I liked John Wayne Cleaver, the main character. A lot. He is brutally honest about who he is - and he knows himself well. Going into this book I thought it was pure contemporary, and when an element of "otherness" was mentioned I was not pleased. (Hang on - this turns into a thing I like!) When the, um, "other" element manifested itself, it was done so masterfully that I was literally rocked off my socks - and loving it! I also like that John's "disability" became the exact ability he needed to attempt to save his small town. And the ending - very touching!

What I Didn't Like About This Book: There was a lot of exposition (with a couple of dead bodies thrown in - nice!) for a pretty hefty chunk of the beginning of the book. The action didn't really start until page 98; the first major (and I mean major) plot twist happened two pages after that. For me, this was the "tipping point" - when I could not stop reading until I got to the end. But it would have been nice if some action had come sooner. Also there was a "major" plot twist that I figured out early on...and it bugged me that as smart as John Wayne Cleaver is, it took him forever to figure out.

Book-Alikes: Instead of comparing this to books (which will give too much of the plot away) I'm going to do an Author-Alike: J.D. Sallinger meets Stephen King

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Profanity: None

Drugs and Alcohol: None

Sexuality: None

Violence: Oh Yeah! Not for the faint at heart.

About the telekinetic signing abilities. When I met Dan at a conference he was signing books - but I had bought his book the day before and left it home. When I told him, he said not to worry - he would sign it telekinetically. He closed his eyes, put fingers to brow, concentrated hard, then looked right into my eyes and assured me it was signed. When I got home, guess what? His signature was on the title page.

~Suzette~

Book Snob?

ElanaJohnson@gmail.com (Elana Johnson) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Or...How I Choose Books.

Okay, so a few days ago, I put out a tweet on Twitter, telling people my stack to read had dwindled to five books. Shocker, I know. So people were suggesting some books for me (which I love, so lemme know what I should be reading!), and I had to go to the library anyway.

And this is how I pick books:

See anything the same on all of them?

Yeah, the "New!" sticker. I pretty much scan the shelves for anything with this sticker and pull it out. Then I examine.

1. The title/author. If I've heard of them (twitter, facebook, blogs), I get it. Word of mouth or having your book/name on the Internet really does help. At least for me. Book snob? You decide.

2. Cover. Yes, all right. I judge a book by it's cover. Book snob? You decide.

3. Publisher. That's right. I check to see who paid money to publish this book. It matters to me (like, I can't wait to start BREAK because that's a Simon Pulse novel!). Book snob? Probably.

4. Blurb. I usually hate to read the blurb--I actually think they give too much away. But if you've made it past the first three, I'll give it a go. If it sounds like something I'd like, I get it. Book snob? You decide.

So say you're in a bookstore or a library, and you can get just 10 books. How do YOU decide? (And am I really a book snob? Wait, don't answer that...)

Love Middle Grade?

ElanaJohnson@gmail.com (Elana Johnson) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:00:00 +0000

I'm reading a fantastic middle grade novel right now. The Healing Spell by Kimberley Griffiths Little. I enjoy MG novels, and my husband can then put them in his sixth grade classroom for a slew of middle graders to read for years.

So do you need some middle grade love? Check out From the Mixed Up Files...of Middle Grade Authors, a fabu new site for all things middle grade!

A Love/Hate Relationship

ElanaJohnson@gmail.com (Elana Johnson) — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Okay, so I've been reading a lot. I sometimes go in spurts, but I think I've been in a reading spurt since January. I mean, I've already read twice as many books this year as I did last. Hmm...

But that is not today's topic.

No, today's issue is my love/hate relationships with certain books. You know the ones. The books that are beautifully written. Well-developed. Fast-paced, with characters you love and ones you love to hate.

I love these books. They make my breath catch and my fingers automatically stroke their gorgeous covers as I think about the delightful words inside.

But I also hate them. You know what I mean. You read them and think, "I'll never write this well." Or how about, "Holy crap, my story will never be this original, my characters this fresh, my [fill in the blank] with [fill in the blank]."

See, while I LOVE books like this as a reader, I HATE them as a writer. They make me think I'll never be as good, never measure up, so hey, maybe I should just quit now while I'm ahead.

What book am I talking about? Here's what one writer is LOVING, but also HATING at the same time.

What books have you had this relationship with? Please tell me I'm not the only one...

What's Cluttering My Counter

ElanaJohnson@gmail.com (Elana Johnson) — Fri, 28 May 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Okay, so I've recently discovered that my "small town library" isn't so small. Go figure.

Here's what I have checked out and sitting on my counter right this very second.

1. Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines
2. Marcelo in the Real World by Franciso X. Stork
3. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
4. Fallen by Lauren Kate
5. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
6. Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
7. A Curse As Dark As Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce
8. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
9. Everything is Fine by Ann Dee Ellis
10. The Returners by Gemma Malley
11. I Am Not A Serial Killer by Dan Wells
12. Mr. Monster by Dan Wells
13. Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles
14. The ABC's of Kissing Boys by Tina Ferraro
15. Ash by Melinda Lo
16. Heist Society by Ally Carter
17. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

In addition to that, I have 12 books on hold right now.

I need book therapy.

What do you have checked out from the library right now? What are you reading?

True Book Love

noreply@blogger.com (Bethany Wiggins) — Wed, 26 May 2010 03:09:00 +0000

You know when you read a book and fall madly in love with one of the characters? And because of that one character the book grips you, moves you, even makes you want to be a better person? Because of that character, you remember how it felt to fall in love?

I found one of those books. I fell in love for the first time all over again. The book? Simone Elkeles Perfect Chemistry.

She writes Alex, her bad boy, to be so-o bad. But you see such a deep side of him, you totally get his badness. I loved this book. I read it and guess what? It made me want to WRITE! (More than normal).

So that's what this writer reads. What characters have made you swoon?

--Bethany

Lucky Duck Book Winners!

ElanaJohnson@gmail.com (Elana Johnson) — Mon, 24 May 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Hello, fellow chickens. Yeah, okay, you're not chickens (or ducks). Whatever. It's time for the winners!

Winner of Beautiful by Amy Reed:

Jaydee Morgan! (WOOT!)

Winner of Beautiful Creatures by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia:

lotusgirl! (Yay you!)

Winner of Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook:

Zoe C. Courtman (Woo hoo!)

Congrats!!

Email me at elanajohnson(at)gmail(dot)com with your address so I can get your goods out to you!

Thanks everyone, for following! We look forward to bringing you more of What Writers Read!

Book Blogger Weekly Feature

ElanaJohnson@gmail.com (Elana Johnson) — Fri, 21 May 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Dude, you guys. If you haven't been to Sharon Loves Books and ~~Cats~~ Zombies, you should go now. Not only is she selling hardcovers, paperbacks and ARCs for like, dirt cheap, she's pretty amazing in the fact that she rates books in "purrs."

Seriously.

Go check it out if you haven't.

Oh! And today's the last day to follow for a chance to win a book. Click here for deets.

Read What You Write? Read What You Like?

ElanaJohnson@gmail.com (Elana Johnson) — Mon, 17 May 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Okay, so we've heard it all before. If you're a writer, you have to read in your genre. It makes sense. I mean, writers need to know what's out there, what's selling.

So I'm wondering: Do you subscribe to this? Or do you read widely, ignoring genre boundaries, ignoring what you write?

I must admit that I do not. It's something I really need to do better on. Or do I...?

I've been reading a lot of great reviews for books lately. I can usually tell if I'm going to like it or not, based on well, what I like. My favorite part of reviews are when people say, "If you liked XXX, you'll like YYY."

I'd totally love to see reviewers do more of this kind of comparing. I think it's a fresh, easy way to let people know what the book is about and if they'd like it.

So for my last five books, I give you:
Beautiful by Amy Reed. You might like this book if you like hardcore stuff like GO ASK ALICE.

Unwind by Neil Shusterman. You might like this book if you like soft science fiction in the vein of Michael Grant's GONE.

Shadowed Summer by Sandra Mitchell. You might like this book if you like a good, scary mystery in the vein of THE BODY FINDER (minus the romance).

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. You might like this book if you like middle grade fiction with mystery and twists in the vein of CHASING VERMEER.

The Line by Teri Hall. You might like this book if you like THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH. No zombies in The Line, but the idea of a society surrounded by walls (and secrecy and fear) is prominent.

Future BFFs

BethanySuzette@gmail.com (Suzette Saxton) — Fri, 14 May 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Last year I started mentoring a group of aspiring teen authors called the Literati. Another mentor was sweet Emily who loved YA so much she reviewed it online. For free. As in (unlike writers) without any hope for monetary gain.

And then I began learning that there were reviewers - lots of them - all over the blogiverse! What's more - REVIEWERS ARE VITAL TO THE SUCCESS OF A BOOK. The can seriously make or break it. Publishers send these people books for free.

Emily inspired me - an adult who read teen lit for fun? Um, wow! So go give her blog a follow. Writers, trust me on this one - reviewers are your future BFFs.

So remember, reviewers rock!

We're going to be spotlighting some fabulous review blogs here. We want to dish about books. So click on our pages up there and give us some titles to read. And hey, maybe you'll want to take the 2010 debut author challenge with us. Or see if you can read more books than us this year. Whatever. Come with us as we explore what writers read!

Oh, and check out our first giveaway...HERE.

Books, Books, Books

ElanaJohnson@gmail.com (Elana Johnson) — Thu, 13 May 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Okay, this blog is all about books, reading them, writing them, reviewing them. We want to connect readers, reviewers and writers of MG and YA fiction. (I mean, it's even in big letters up there...)

So what's better than strolling through your local indie store or inhaling the millions of pages at Barnes & Noble?

I know, nothing, right?

But what about free books? Yeah, FREE BOOKS. That's better, isn't it?

I thought so.

I have three killer titles up for grabs. The rules for entering are simple: Follow our shiny new blog. The end.

Books you could win:

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Beautiful by Amy Lynn Reed

Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook

All you gotta do is follow us by next Friday, May 21. Three lucky winners will be announced on Monday, May 24.

Happy reading!