Archive for February, 2007

Dead Author’s Society

{ February 24, 2007 @ 5:15 pm } · { Authors, Reading }
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I read too many book series. I always vow to not read a series unless the author is already dead. Theoretically this will keep me from having to wait for the new books to come out; although nowadays that’s not always true, what with children taking over their parents’ series (the Herberts’ Dune Series) and people continuing to write books from a deceased author’s notes.

It’s crazy. Crazy I tell you. Crazy people and their crazy not right ways. Plus, the books not written by the original author are never as good as the ones that are.

Usually though, this system of waiting for death woukd work. Except when it comes to books, I am the sort of person who can resist anything but temptation (to borrow a line from Crazy in Alabama). I now wait each year for seventeen different series to launch a new book.

Then, on the day it comes out, I buy it, usually finish it that day, and start counting off the new year until the next one comes. The cliff-hanger endings are the worst ones, although the forgettable endings are bad too because I forget the book.

Although it is only February, this year is already turning out to be a bad year for books. Or rather a bad year for readers. As anyone who is reading a series of books knows, the summer is the time when new series books come out. New books come out all year long, but most series have new installments coming out in late June or throughout July.

Already, eight of the series that I read have pushed back the release date on their new books-some all the way to October. Impatient readers-such as yours truly-are in for a very long year. Bummer.

Buyer’s Remorse

{ February 23, 2007 @ 7:03 pm } · { Random }
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Whenever I go to the bookstore, I’m always scared.  You would think that Barnes and Noble would be like visiting the holy land of books for me, but I never really enjoy myself there.  Why?  Because I have book commitment issues.

I’m always afraid to buy a book, because I can’t return it.  I can get a book, read it (because I read so fast) and then return it if I don’t like it, but that just seems like cheating the book store and that’s not cool.

Although I’m comfortable buying books by authors I really like, I have a hard time trying new authors.  It’s easier to buy paperbacks because they’re only like eight bucks each, but the twenty-five dollar commitment to the hardcovers makes me break out in a cold sweat.

I sometimes go through a mental routine of breaking up with the book as I put it back on the shelf, explaining that it’s not the book’s fault I won’t buy it.  The old it’s not you its me routine.  I think the books understand.

Fortunately, the library almost always has whatever book I want to buy.  That way, I can take it for a test read before commiting to ownership.  Remember, if you’re going to be an avid reader, the librarian is your friend.  So go say hi.

The Butler Did It Again

{ February 22, 2007 @ 11:15 pm } · { Reading }
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There is a popular theory that there are really only seven basic plots in literature.  That’s it.  Every book can be stripped down to one of seven distinct storylines (Christopher Booker’s book Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories is a good place to read up on them).  Why then do we keep reading the same stories over and over again?

Simply put, it’s the details.  Many stories have characters triumphing over something, but each story has a different character, triumphing over a different thing, in a different way.  While there may only be seven or twenty or thirty-six plotlines, there are an almost infinite number of plot devices that can be used to play out each plot.

However, and this is a big however so pay attention, there is one very important rule that must always be applied to every plot device: IT MUST MAKE SENSE. 

Nobody is ever going to believe that a man with no legs could outrun police.  It seems like this should be self evident, but some authors-very few but some-will still try to trick their readers.  This is especially true in mystery books. 

Authors want surprise endings that no one is ever going to expect.  In mysteries, many writers try to pull off what I call The Butler Did It suspect.  This is the person you would least expect to commit the crime.  Why don’t you expect them to be guilty?  Because the author never offers any clues to suggest that The Butler was guilty.

A surprise ending is fine, as long as the reader can go back, re-read the book, and undestand how the crime was solved.  If there is no evidence that The Butler did it, then The Butler didn’t do it. 

I Just Want The Bad Book To Go Away

{ February 20, 2007 @ 10:37 pm } · { *Sigh*, Reading }
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The only thing worse than reading a really bad book is reading a really bad book right after reading a really good book. 

Last week, I read Haunted Ground by Erin Hart.  It’s a mystery, so I don’t want to talk about it too much because I hate when endinggs for books are ruined.  Although I don’t mind very much if a movie ending is ruined.  Hmm.  I am such an English major.  Anyway, where was I?  Oh right, the engaging tale spun by Erin Hart.  So, read it. 

This post however is going to focus on the atrociously bad book that I read after Hart’s book.  Namely, Diamond Dreams by Sandra Heath.  I picked this book up because the back summary hinted that the story would involve Russian Czars. 

I haven’t read that many fiction books set in Russia, even though Russian history is one of my favorite subjects.  This book, however, was badly written from the beginning.  The characters were obnoxious, their conversations were stilted and the author was fonder of telling than of showing.

Showing versus telling is an important part of writing.  A reader (or at least this reader) is more likely to enjoy the story if they see what is happening, rather than just being told that something had happened.

Heath just tells the reader what has happened.  I hate that.  Ah, well.  I have a new library book that will hopefully erase this horrid book from my memory. 

Never Hold Your Breath Waiting For Me To Do Something

{ February 5, 2007 @ 8:57 pm } · { Authors, Reading }
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You’ll probably suffocate waiting for me to get around to it.

When I was in ninth grade, my mom got me a t-shirt for my birthday that said “National Sarcasm Society: Like we need your support.” It’s still my favorite shirt, and still ever so very true. I could finish so many projects that I start if only I wasn’t such a procrastinator. Oh, well. I’ll stop procrastinating tomorrow.

Okay, here it is. The long awaited Southern Vampire Series review. Charlaine Harris has built a six-book-and-counting series that could easily be made into a twelve or even an eighteen book series because of all the intricate plots in each of her books. Ordinarily, these kinds of books would get on my nerves. If the author isn’t really skilled in plot developement, this can become very confusing. Fortunately for me, and all of her other fans, Charlaine Harris is a master at weaving plots together.

While it is sometimes hard to remember which sub-plot is in which book, this isn’t enough to make me stop reading the books. It actually gives me a reason to read more of them to find the one I want to read. Any excuse to read, that’s my motto. One of my motto’s anyway.

Seriously though, the best reason to read these books is the main character: Sookie Stacckhouse. Sookie’s a telepathic barmaid working for a shifter and sometimes dating Vampires. She’s tough, resourceful, and hilarious to follow. She has a cast of supporting characters that I like as well, from her actual fairy godmother kept hopping by her antics to the area’s overly dramatic head vampire (silly ex-vikings).

Another of Charlaine Harris’ strength’s lie in creating tension. She can build storyline tension, but also the harder-to-pull-off tension that can build between characters. Janet Evanovich is very good at building character tension as well.