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”
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.
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”
Speak friend and enter. Or perhaps more accurately, read friend and enter!
This week’s Top 5 Wednesday is about gateway books to your favorite genre. I don’t have five gateway books for one specific genre, but I do have books that I consistently recommend to vet what someone might like. If they like the initial book in any one of these genres, then the floodgates can be unleashed! Continue reading “T5W: Gateway Books”
Nothing gives a reader a shiver up the spine like a great opening line. To be able to tell from word one, line one, page one, that a book is going to be great is a wonderful thing. It makes me want to *book shimmy!*
Is it actually Wednesday? No. Do I care? NO! I couldn’t let this week slide by, since it gives me a chance to pick a bone with some people, and there are few things I enjoy more than a good argument. Some characters are meant to be disliked. Dolores Umbridge. Mr. Collins. Everyone in The Scarlet Letter. Sorry – that was a universally despised unit in 11th grade English. But then there are those that polarize readers, drawing out the crazies for both the opposition and defense. This week’s Top Five Wednesday is about those unintentionally unlikable characters – not villains, but protagonists and sidekicks that rub you the wrong way. Bring on the hate! But in the nicest way possible. Continue reading “T5W: Back Away Slowly”
For most of us, the TBR list is a never-ending beast that seems to grow by 2 – or 5 or 20 or a billion – for every title we manage to move into that elusive “have actually read” column. This week’s Top 5 Wednesday (on Thursday) covers my most recent additions to that beautifully daunting wish list. And to the Husband Unit, who asks why I need more books when I recently picked up 65 for free, I say:
If you’re thinking, “Comforts is so not a real word,” you would be right. However, it is a fun word despite its fakery, and is best applied to situations involving snuggly blankets, as illustrated below.
Now that I’ve demonstrated my willingness to throw the English language out the window, on to the books! This week’s Top Five Wednesday is all about the books that strip away the proverbial blankets, i.e. books that take us out of our comfort zones. Continue reading “T5W: A Lack of Comforts”
Book Freak-Out 