The Anticipation of a Good Book

One of the things that thrills me about reading is looking forward to opening a book and finding a new story or character to love. My night table and its too-tall book stack is like a treasure chest of experiences and I get to pick the treasure I want right now. But I also have all the other treasures waiting for me, whenever I'm ready.

So how exciting was it to get a package today with FOUR books that I've been looking forward to experiencing. It's hard to know where to start!

 My 13-year-old scooped up The Runaway King right away (I'll have to pry it out of her hands later), but I have three others to choose from. I've already read Legend and See You At Harry's, but I wanted my own copies so I can re-read them anytime. I'm also excited to explore the illustrations in The Bird King, especially after hearing Shaun Tan speak at SCBWI-NY.

 Sorry, iPad. Tonight is all about holding a good book in my hands.

I think if I ever get a novel published, one of the best "reviews" I could get would be to hear that someone loves my book so much just signing it out from the library isn't good enough. They need to have their own copy to enjoy over and over again.

Of course, I'm not yet in the position where I have to worry about people reviewing my novels. But in case you are, over at MiG Writers, Carmella Van Vleet has ten sensible tips for how to keep cool when your reviews come out in Dealing with Reviews. It strikes me that these tips are also pretty good for any circumstances when you have to put your writing out there for someone to give an opinion on.

Do you have a good book to sink into this weekend? Happy reading!

Where Do You Find Good Books to Read?

I find good books to read in a variety of places.

At the library, I always check out the "new books" shelf and I usually find one or two that catch my interest.

Recommendations from other bloggers (and my writing buddies) is another one of the main ways I find books to read. Reading blogs keeps me informed about new books that are coming out.

I keep a list of books that sound interesting in the back of my writing notebook. Every once in a while, I check the library to see if any are available, or I keep my eye out for them when I'm visiting bookstores. I also am a big user of the "hold" feature at my library. If I search the library catalogue online for a book I'm looking for and find it, I put it on hold so all I need to do is go in and pick it up. Did I mention that I live close to at least one branch of the public library?

I don't buy most of the books I read because the bookshelves in my house are already full. (Here's where an e-reader can come in handy.) If I read a really great story from the library, then sometimes I'll buy it so I can read it or study it some more. Or if I've read one book in a trilogy, I sometimes purchase the second one right away because I can't wait to read it! [Recent example: Insurgent by Veronica Roth.]

Where do you find good books to read?

Reading vs. Listening to Books

Lately, I’ve been caught up in listening to an audio book. Until now, I’ve only ever listened to audio books as a passenger in a car, on a many-hour drive to a vacation destination. It was a great way to pass the time and the book had my full attention, more or less.

But this time, I’ve been listening while doing chores and walking the dog. It’s interesting how much attention is needed to listen and follow the story. I’ve found that I’ve had to “re-listen” to parts a couple of times, just the way I’d go back and re-read if I got a bit lost while reading. But it’s harder to find the part I need to hear again. My brain isn’t used to processing books this way, so I’m finding I have to concentrate more to visualize the story.

It's interesting. As a kid, the first stories I experienced were read to me, rather than read by me. But I'm not used to processing information that way now, after years of reading books myself.

Have you tried audio books? What do you think of them?

Adults Reading Children's Books?

One of the things I plan to continue with in 2012 is my 100 Book Challenge, where I challenge myself to read 100 YA and MG books in a year. This year, I actually read more MG than YA.

Along with finding some really great books, keeping track of what I read has benefits, especially when people ask me for book recommendations for those age groups. The more MG and YA fiction I read, the more I realize how much I enjoy it. The stories are faster paced and usually always emotionally satisfying. There are so many good children's writers, I never feel that I'm missing something by not reading more books for adults.

The biggest problem I have is when other adults ask what I'm reading or look at me funny when they see I'm reading a "children's book". I usually mumble something and quickly change the subject, as though there's something wrong with what I'm reading, when in fact, these are some of the best books I've ever read. This year, I'm going to work on being less self-conscious and start verbalizing more about why I'm reading the book and why I'm enjoying it.

In case you were wondering, I do read some books written for adults too -- mysteries, chick lit, The Night Circus, cookbooks, nonfiction about health and food, and now, books that I can get on my Kindle (it hasn't replaced what I read in paper, just provided another way for me to find books to read).

What do you say when another adult asks you about the children's book you're reading? Any advice?

When Writing Changes How You Read

All the things I'm learning about structure and writing are starting to sink in. Maybe a little too much. I'm having trouble just reading to enjoy. Instead this is what happens:

1. The opening lines and paragraphs of the books I read are beginning to sound like they are all constructed the same way.

2. I keep thinking about what the main character's goal is and what the obstacles are.

3. I notice the author's use of interesting phrases and stop to consider how they fit with the writing style.

4. I think about how the author uses details or dialogue to enhance the characters.

Does this happen to you? I love being a writer, but at some point, I hope I can get back to reading just to enjoy a story. I'm not sure there is any turning back now, though.