We can all agree that Second Book Syndrome is a real thing – a series explodes onto the scene with a fabulous first installment, maybe races to the top of the NYT bestseller list, cheers cheers applause applause, only to have book 2 not quite hit the mark. But before we beat that dead horse into further submission, rest assured that this week’s Top Five Wednesday is exactly the opposite. This week, we’re toasting middle of the series books that topped out the bell curve on quality. Here’s to second (first?) place! Continue reading “T5W: When Silver Trumps Gold”
The official Top 5 Wednesday topic is “Top Science Fiction/Fantasy Books on Your TBR,” but unofficially that basically encompasses my entire TBR list. Seriously, I think my family might pass out if I ever read a non-fiction book, which isn’t likely to happen. But before you think this is about to become one of those annoyingly long 134 item Buzzfeed listicles, fear not. I do have five, and “only” five. Sort of. You’ll see.
Regular jobs are so boring compared to fictional jobs. Oh, you tweet for the student union of a Big 12 university?* Yeah well I’M A WIZARD. Though to be fair, books jobs often come with a unique set of downsides, particularly the fantasy ones. Apply here to be the long-lost queen! Except your kingdom has been taken over by warmongers and nobody knows who you are, and you’re probably an insecure, unskilled teenage girl! I hope you enjoy the classified ads for my Top 5 fictional jobs! Continue reading “T5W: Now Hiring”
There are few things I love more than a good argument. And if we’re arguing about books, then you’d better be prepared to go three rounds because I’m in it for the long haul. I happen to like all of these, but I’m more than happy to duke it out if you don’t. Go ahead – pick a fight. Continue reading “T5W: Polar Opposites”
It’s almost New Year’s Eve. Apparently that’s a big deal for some people – people who are not me. My most exciting New Year’s Eve ever (and I do mean ever) was the turn of the millennium when I was 9 and my brothers and I stayed up until midnight watching The Iron Giant.* We’re real party animals. Just keep that in mind when you see my Top Five Wednesday for book characters invited to my New Year’s Eve party.
Heroes can be so drab. So boring. So painfully conscious of The Right Thing. Thankfully, this week’s Top Five Wednesday (Thursday) throws the good guys out the door and ushers in the people we all love to hate – villains, you are welcome here. And to get you in the mood, here’s a little video from the folks at How it Should Have Ended.
Publishers, not purveyors of food and drink. Just in case you were worried we were going down a whole different track. If you mostly get your book news and recommendations from libraries or bookstores, looking at the publisher is a connection you may not ever make. But if you get a minute, look at the copyright page or peek at the little insignia that’s often on the spine or back cover. You may notice that a lot of your faves are coming from the same publishing house. Following publishers directly can be a great way to find new books and get additional content on your favorites. Here are some of my faves! Continue reading “T5W: Pub Love”
You see the cover. You read the inside flap. Maybe an author you really like is quoted on a back cover blurb. The book sounds great – and maybe it is! Or maybe it isn’t, and you’ve fallen victim to a misleading synopsis. This week’s Top 5 Wednesday is about bad synopses – they can glam up a boring book, dumb down a fabulous book, or make you think that a plot element is more relevant than it actually is. Either way, they can be dicey. Here are 5 “liar liar pants on fire” synopses I’ve experienced. Continue reading “T5W: Liar Liar”
There are books that we blow through like *that.* Books that prompt us to stay up through all hours of the night reading until it’s not even night anymore. Books that we can’t turn the pages of fast enough.
These are not those books.
For the record, I have actually completed all these books, and am thus fully qualified to wax eloquent for Top Five Wednesday (yes yes I know it’s Thursday) about how badly they draaaaaaaaaaaagged. Another point of clarification – I’m not saying these are bad books, just that they took me a few minutes shy of eternity to finish.
Book Freak-Out 