Tag: reading

• On Reading Epiphanies and Getting Back to Bookish Roots

  Posted at 3:30 am by Laura, on November 23, 2016

  For several months now, many bloggers (myself included) have talked about reading fatigue, both on their blogs and through social media conversations. Apart from making the time to read each day, it’s been difficult diving into books because we haven’t felt excited to read them. For some people, it’s the pressure of reviewing ARCs over backlist titles. For others, it’s not finding enjoyment in one’s usual go-to genres. For many, it’s something unidentifiable, but it leaves an emptiness nonetheless.

  Reading is my job. Reading is, quite truly, my life. I am an agent, so I read lots of manuscripts and decide whether or not I want to represent them in hopes of selling them and getting them published. I am a librarian, so I read lots of backlist titles in the collection to recommend to patrons as well as books chosen by the book group I run. And I am a blogger, and I [attempt] to read a mixture of ARCs, re-reads, and books on my TBR to share my enthusiasm with you.

  But somewhere along the line, my consumption of reading published books diminished. Reading was still enjoyable, but it felt like a chore.

  After staring at my TBR bookcase — packed so full with books I’ve purchased and haven’t read yet — I had an epiphany. And of course, that meant sharing it with Lindsey and Morgan, who also had similar epiphanies.

  I have to go back to my reading roots.

  

  With that light bulb flash, I decided to come up with a loose reading plan. In 2017, I’ll have to read at least 24 books for the library. With my goal to read 50 books a year every year, that leaves at least 26 spots to fill. Why not fill it with books pre-chosen from my TBR case?

  Then it became easy. I would read the books by authors whose writing I’ve enjoyed, authors I know will not disappoint me, authors I would’ve continued reading even if I never had the agent job, the library job, or the blogging hobby. I’ve forgotten how to properly binge-read, the way I would with Harry Potter and Narnia and yes, even Cassandra Clare. I lost the art of binge-reading after Book of Life, because my own life in books took off. I miss that. I want that back.

  Thankfully, I have several copies of books by two authors with series that fit this bill. It’s about time I’ve finished Juliet Marillier’s Sevenwaters series (Daughter of the Forest is so amaaaaaaaazing, as is the Shadowfell trilogy!) and started her new Blackthorn & Grim series. I also haven’t read Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series in a while (March 2015, in fact), and I want to finish the rest of her [published] series before the last book (or two) comes out.

  When I made this little announcement on instagram, Alyssa was quick to remind me of some other novels by Juliet Marillier I should try, and I’ve already checked out Heart’s Blood. It should get me back into Marillier’s style easily, as it’s thankfully a standalone.

  So now what? I have 11 books from my TBR bookcase to read in 2017, leaving 15 other books — new authors, other TBR books, ARCs — to fill the void. I think that’s an excellent start to my vague reading goal.

  ~

  Have you experienced reading fatigue? What did you do to get out of the slump?

  Have your reading habits changed since you started blogging? What other factors in your life have changed your reading habits?

  Do you have any books or series you’re dying to start or finish?

   

  Posted in books, Rock My TBR, Update Post | 10 Comments | Tagged books, personal, reading, reading habits, rock my TBR

• 2016 Bookish Resolutions & Reading Challenges

  Posted at 3:10 am by Laura, on January 2, 2016

   

  

  READ 50 BOOKS || Easy peasy. I’ve been doing this every year. It’s always a challenge to see if it’ll get done, what with agenting and all. 2016 will be especially difficult because there are a lot of travels planned (and, strangely enough, I don’t read much when I’m traveling).

  READ FEWER ARCs || ARCs are important. I’ll always love receiving them. But I think I hit my max in the number of ARCs to read and review in 2015, and I’d like to take a step back from that in 2016. My primary job is to find new manuscripts — to be the hipster in the publishing industry (cause that’s what agents are!). I’ll be more selective in the ARCs I accept for review, just like how I’m selective in the manuscripts I read.

  REREAD 5 FAVORITES || Last year I made a goal of rereading 10 favorite books, and only managed to complete 3 and nearly finish another. Five seems like a more achievable goal.

  READ 10 LIBRARY BOOKS || I’m debating between making this 10 library books and 15 library books — either way, read more books from the library! One does not need to buy all the new books when you could easily check them out from the library and decide if they’re worth keeping in your own personal library later on. I managed to read 7 books from the library in 2015, so I think 10-15 seems a good range.

  PURCHASE NO MORE THAN 5 NEW BOOKS || This will be the tough one. I could never quite follow the “for every 5 books read, 1 unread book can be purchased” resolution I’d make in previous years, because…well, are ARCs part of the list? Or was it 5 already published books? And because I was wishy washy with the definition, I wouldn’t keep track of the number of books I read and just bought stuff whenever I felt like it. Now I have something to keep track. Only 5 completely-new-to-me, never-been-read-in-any-format-ever-before books.

  Reading Challenges

  This year I’m participating in four reading challenges, all quite naturally. While I have a goal to read fewer ARCs, more library books, and tackling my TBR, these challenges can also keep me in line a bit with all of them.

  

  I’ve told Stacey @ The Pretty Books that I would participate in her Classics Challenge ever since she started this, and two years have gone by and I haven’t kept my word. NOW I WILL! I plan to read at least five classics in 2016, four of the five on my TBR bookcase and one of them I’ve been eyeing for a couple years now. Might as well snag it from the library!

  

  Alexa @ Alexa Loves Books is a massive fantasy fan, and we tend to share similar reading preferences. This year I decided I would join her Flights of Fantasy reading challenge. It’s quite simple: read fantasy books. Well, I have loads of those on my TBR bookcase, so I’m planning to read at least five fantasy books in 2016.

  

  I’m continuing in the Re-Read Challenge in 2016, now hosted solely by Kelly @ Belle of the Literati (because former co-host Hannah @ So Obsessed With will be busy with a little bundle of joy!), and like I said in my resolutions, I plan to re-read five books in 2016.

  

  And last but not least, there’s actually a challenge out there for reading books off your TBR shelves! Sarah @ The YA Book Traveler is hosting the Rock My TBR Challenge, and all you need to do is read at least one book a month off your shelves. I will certainly read more than one a month in 2016.

  As you can see, these challenges will easily overlap with one another. They’re not challenges so much as ways to make me accountable for what I’m resolving to do in 2016. We all need a little something to keep us in line, right?

  What are your bookish resolutions for 2016? Are you participating in any reading challenges (and if so, which ones)?

  Posted in books, Classics Challenge, Flights of Fantasy, ReRead2016, Rock My TBR, Update Post | 18 Comments | Tagged 50 book challenge, books, classics challenge, flights of fantasy, personal, reading, reread2016, resolutions, rock my TBR

• A to Z Bookish Survey: Part III

  Posted at 10:30 am by Laura, on January 6, 2014

  Over the next couple weeks, if a Top Ten Tuesday isn’t posted or I feel this place has been too silent and forming cobwebs, I’ll add some more letters to The Perpetual Page-Turner‘s A to Z Bookish Survey for you to read. Here’s Part III of the alphabet! 
  

  Part I || Part II || Part III || Part IV

  

  Major Book Hangover Because of:

  Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys. It was so hard to do much of anything after reading that book.

  Number of Bookcases You Own:

  This shouldn’t be a difficult question. Just look around a count. But it is difficult because, by the standard definition of “bookcase,” I have three. My idea of a bookcase tends to be five shelves or more, some structure that holds books from floor to ceiling and is about an arm’s length or wider, in which case I have two, with two other “half” bookcases. I own two tall bookcases, one medium bookcase with three shelves, and another “half” bookcase with two shelves that stands on top of my desk. I need more…

  One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:

  Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë.

  Preferred Place To Read:

  Usually in bed, but wherever there’s a couch near a window I gravitate towards that as a reading spot. I like to pretend I’m outside when I’m really in my own controlled environment.

  Quote that Inspires You/Gives You ALL THE FEELS from a Book You’ve Read:

  Not sure about all the feels, but these quotes definitely hit me in the gut every time I read them:

  I love the ground under his feet, and the air over his head, and everything he touches and every word he says. I love all his looks, and all his actions and him entirely and all together. –Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

  I cannot express it; but surely you and everybody have a notion that there is or should be an existence of yours beyond you. –Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

  I know that life isn’t life if you just float through it. I know that the whole point – the only point – is to find the things that matter, and hold on to them, and fight for them, and refuse to let them go. –Delirium by Lauren Oliver

  I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will. –Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

  You know what I can’t understand? You have all these people telling you all the time how great you are, smart and funny and talented and all that, I mean endlessly, I’ve been telling you for years. So why don’t you believe it? Why do you think people say that stuff, Em? Do you think it’s a conspiracy, people secretly ganging up to be nice about you? –One Day by David Nicholls

  Reading Regret:

  I regret reading Walden and Grapes of Wrath  — sometimes I feel those were the lowest points in my English studies and I should’ve just conformed with everyone else in my class and looked at the Spark Notes instead — and I regret NOT reading the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I want to someday, but being friends with major LotR fans has somewhat spoiled the books for me at the moment.

  Series You Started and Need to Finish (All Books are Out in Series):

  Ooof, this is a difficult one, mostly because every series I’ve started I’ve actually finished. Maybe Allegiant and the rest of the Mortal Instruments series. The thing is, I read Mortal Instruments back when it was supposed to be a trilogy-only project. Every book that’s come out since in that particular section of the series has not appealed to me whatsoever — and it may have something to do with the fact that, in my head, the trilogy is done and there’s no need to continue. All the other portions of the series — Infernal Devices, the one set in 2015 LA, the one set in turn-of-the-century London or NYC — I’m invested in, but TMI has been a done deal for me since the mid-2000s.

  What are your answers to these second seven letters? Anything you’d recommend I read that could change these answers?

  Posted in A to Z Bookish Survey, books | 6 Comments | Tagged a to z bookish survey, books, reading

• End of Year Publishing Thoughts

  Posted at 7:05 pm by Laura, on December 7, 2013

  Now the school year has come to a close, I’ve been able to catch up on articles I found and thought I’d share some of the most recent ones with you.

  Why are Middle Grade books so successful? Author R.J. Palacio, the one who wrote the hit Wonder, found that even though she meant for her book to be for young readers, adults latched onto it anyway. The theory a “good book is a good book” rings true for many middle grade (and young adult, for that matter) novels. And what has contributed to the success of middle grade novels? Adult readers — particularly of the Harry Potter fan variety.

  Speaking of Harry Potter, author J.K. Rowling is one of the first to be named Britain’s “Literacy Hero.”

  The campaign was set up by the National Literacy Trust in order to find those who are looked up to because of how much they have helped others or progressed themselves with reading and writing skills, whether famous or not.

  Book Marketing Predictions for 2014 — Sansevieri begins her predictions with observations from this year:

  So, what’s the biggest change I’ve seen in 2013? Well, pretty much all things traditional flew out the window. Reviews are still important, but reader reviews took precedence over that. Engagement is still key, but direct reader engagement is even more crucial. What does this mean for you in 2014?

  She goes on to predict that more books will be published faster (YA market has this down, with a book a year per series, little novellas from other characters, etc. Keep pushing content out, and sales increase), shorter will become popular (in that, instead of having a couple tomes every few years, authors will sell one large tome and several little books/novellas to keep people entertained), focused writing on specific topics will be desired (to fit the “I want to know everything right now in one sitting” instant gratification that seems to be happening these days), authors will need to be everywhere to interact with their readers (because readers are becoming more and more important), there will be a higher demand for presence on social media (a publisher or author may not be on every site, but whichever one they’re on they need to keep it up to date), and many more.

  I’ve gotta say…I agree with her predictions! I predict they will come true. I’d also add that the YA market has a good handle on this, and the YA authors are already way ahead of the game.

  Posted in books, Link, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged authors, books, genre: middle grade, marketing, news, publishing, reading

• In Need of a Snowy Read?

  Posted at 4:13 pm by Laura, on November 21, 2013

  I’ve created a list at Quirk Books — a quest of sorts — of winter-themed YA and MG books you can dive into! Everything from scary tales at night, to sword fights in the ice, to adventures through the snow with friends, to winter romances.

  Reading books will always be my favorite way to spend the day, but it’s especially true during the colder months. Endless hours of darkness to sit by a fire or a nice warm lamp, curled up in a comfy chair or wrapped in a blanket, a warm mug filled with a nice hot beverage in one hand and a book in the other.

  With these warm thoughts in mind during the cold months, it’s time to look into some winter-themed Middle Grade and Young Adult books that will melt your heart and freeze your spine. The cold, dark months may be a melancholy time for some (I cannot express how often I re-read Jane Eyre in the winter), but it can also be a time of exciting adventures or bone-chilling ghost stories.

  A Snowy Reading Quest:
  Great MG & YA Books to Read in the Winter
  over at Quirk!
  Click the bold and get started on those recommendations.

  Posted in books, Link, Update Post | 2 Comments | Tagged books, genre: middle grade, genre: young adult, quirk books, reading

• Happy New Year! New Book Challenge

  Posted at 4:46 pm by Laura, on January 1, 2013

  Happy New Year, readers, bloggers, and bookworms!

  New year, new challenge. Once again, I’m participating in the Goodreads Reading Challenge, where one sets a goal for a number of books to read in that year. The books need to be completely read, and they can be anything: children’s books, nonfiction, fiction, manga, comics, you name it! In 2011, I read 55/55 for my very first challenge, and in 2012 I read 51/45 for my second challenge.

  This year, I’m shooting for 50. It looks like I can manage.

  Another personal goal, as a poor graduate student/bookseller, is to check out books from the library more often. I get a great discount as a bookseller, and tend to run off and buy every book in sight that I’m slightly interested in. This year, I’m going to slow down, read the book at the library, and then go through the inner debate of “Should I buy the ebook or the print book?” [Hint: I may have a Nook, but I still tend to veer toward print book.]

  What is your reading challenge for 2013? Do you have any personal book goals?

  Posted in books, Update Post | 4 Comments | Tagged books, ebooks, goodreads, reading

• Reading 125 Titles a Year? — NPR

  Posted at 8:35 am by Laura, on November 2, 2012

  Reading 125 Titles a Year? That’s ‘One For the Books’! — NPR

  Joe Queenan reads so many books, it’s amazing that he can also find time to write them. Queenan estimates he’s read between 6,000 and 7,000 books total, at a rate of about 125 books a year — (or 100 in a “slow” year). “Some years I just went completely nuts,” Queenan tells NPR’s Robert Siegel. “A couple years ago I read about 250. I was trying to read a book every single day of the year but I kind of ran out of gas.”

  Queenan is the author of nine books on a diversity of topics: from Closing Time, a memoir about his childhood in a Philadelphia housing project, to Imperial Caddy, a humorous takedown of Dan Quayle. His latest work, called One for the Books, is a meditation on his lifelong obsession with reading. He talks with Siegel about what he reads, why he reads and how he loves books but hates book clubs.

  Definitely read and listen to the interview NPR provides. Queenan has some interesting things to say about libraries (including “most of the books you see in the library shelves are terrible”), bookstores (booksellers recommend books on his appearance), and book clubs (“there’s no theme”). Although I find his constant use of the word “stupid” annoying, he does offer some insight on how he plans what he reads next, what he considers trashy reads, and how many books he thinks the average person reads.

  Makes my goal of 50 books a year seem puny.

  (Have you voted yet for the 2012 Goodreads Choice Awards?)

  Posted in books, Link | 0 Comments | Tagged books, news, radio, reading

• 

• Hello, I’m Laura!

  I'm a bookish bookworm and book hoarder. By day I'm a literary agent, and by night I'm forever rearranging my bookshelves. I could talk your ear off about Gothic literature, and in my past life people thought I'd become a professional musician. I have a fluffy black cat named Rossetti, I love to knit, tea is my drink of choice, British TV is the best, and I'm obsessed with popcorn. Welcome to Scribbles & Wanderlust! Grab your favorite hot beverage and let's chat books!

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