Me Reading Longer Books

So, you might have seen a discussion post about long books before. However, today I wanted to share my take on reading longer books. For me, this is typically when reading an adult fantasy novel. I've read some pretty long books over the years (I looked back on my Goodreads and one of my longest novels read that I'd recorded on there was 725 pages and that was City of Heavenly Fire), but lately when I picked up novels like A Game of Thrones of Outlander, I've noticed a trend.

After about 400 or 500 pages in, I'll put the book down and pick up another. It's not like I do this on purpose, it's just after that time I end up picking up another book, start reading them both at the same time, and then eventually continue on with the other book. Then I try to go back and read on with the longer book. I'm not saying I'm a fan of reading this way- honestly I want to read these series with longer books. For some reason, I just end up reading bigger books as several installments of 400 or 500 pages each.

How do you all read longer books? Do you read them at once, while reading several books, or like I do?

From the paper world,
V

Let's Talk about reviewing DNF Books

Let's talk today about reviewing DNF books, or books you didn't finish reading. To be honest, most of the time I don't DNF a book. I'll keep reading on, even if the book isn't something that personally appeals to me. It's probably a book I enjoy some aspects of, because something about the book drew me to pick it up and start reading, but sometimes as I read on it's just not the right fit for my mood or some other reason. Most of the time in the past I didn't know what to do about this.

However, lately I've had several books that I ended up not finishing. I didn't know what to do about it. They were books my friends had recommended to me, that I had been really looking forward to reading. I didn't want to push through them because I definitely enjoyed them, but as the book went on it just wasn't the right read for me. Does that make sense? I don't DNF a book because I think it's a terrible book, but because it wasn't the right book for my mood or what I enjoy in a book or for whatever reason.

Reviewing a book that I didn't finish sounds like something I'd really hesitate to do. I don't ever want to seem like I'm hating a book or going on about negative things about a book. Also, since I didn't finish the book, I didn't want to call it a review because I hadn't yet read the entire book.

This led to my idea of coming up with a way to share my thoughts on the books I DNF without calling it a review. I'm tentatively calling it "Thoughts" for lack of a better name. Here's the description of the series that I've written: "'Thoughts' is an opportunity for me to write down my thoughts on a couple novels that I DNF recently. I didn't want to write whole reviews because I hadn't gotten the full perspective of the novel if that makes sense- although I read most of the novel, sometimes it just doesn't appeal to me personally. However, I still want to briefly share my thoughts, and share why I think this book might appeal more to others and why it personally didn't work for me. This is not a reflection of the books themselves, as oftentimes I definitely enjoyed and loved some aspects of the novel, but wanted to share my thoughts."

So, what are your thoughts? I'm definitely curious to know what others think about sharing your thoughts on DNF reviews. If you all are interested in hearing my first "Thoughts" post, let me know!

From the paper world,
V

Behind the Scenes - How I Write Discussion Posts

I've been thinking more and more lately about ways to expand what I write about on the blog, and trying a few different posts to see if you all would like reading about them. So, today I'm giving you a behind the scenes look at how I write my discussion posts.

Honestly, my discussion posts happen randomly. Sometimes I come up with an idea and my reaction is "This would be fun!" so I'll write down a title for it and occasionally a little blurb and save it as a draft. I'm going to be completely honest, normally those stay as drafts and don't end up turning into anything. When I come up with a discussion post, I typically sit down and write it all out there as it's on my mind. A lot of the times, when I'm reading, I slip into reviewer mode and start to think "This is something I'd like to talk about in my review and bring up how this and this were done in the novel" whereas in discussion posts it's sort of "Here are my thoughts just as I think" and then I'll reread it and edit it later. 

So, how do I write discussion posts? I sit down, come up with an idea, and then just write. That's the most effective way for me to write the posts. It's definitely not a perfect or very organized system, but in blogging my discussion posts tend to be pretty sporadic. I like reading discussion posts and hearing other people's thoughts, but for some reason writing discussion posts for me is something that comes and goes. So whenever I sit down to write one I sometimes come up with a few different ideas and so I'll write them all down and schedule them out some.

In the future, I really do want to start writing more discussion posts. So, I'd love to hear from you all- do you enjoy reading discussion posts? And if you write them, what sort of a system do you have for figuring out how to write them? I'm curious to know if others are spontaneous sort of discussion post writers like myself or if there's a way I could be more organized about this. 

I hope you all enjoyed this sort of behind the scenes post. I guess it was sort of a discussion post on discussion posts, but if you'd like to share your thoughts I'd love to talk about it more! If you enjoyed this, let me know and I'd love to do more posts about my blogging.

From the paper world,
V

When you read that one book...

And suddenly that is the only type of book you want to read forever and ever? I've heard Jamie of The Perpetual Page-Turner and Sasha of A Book Utopia from Booktube talk about this before, and recently the same thing happened to me after reading a wonderful book I'm sure many of you have heard of called The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski.

This book was amazing! Definitely be on the lookout for a review and for me to talk about this book a lot more shortly, but for now I just want to talk about how The Winner's Curse made me want to start reading all the fantasy I can! I've never read too many high fantasy novels, but after reading this book that's all I've been wanting to read lately. I've pushed a lot of fantasy novels to the top of my TBR. Now I'm currently reading Defy by Sara B. Larson, and after that I can continue on with either Crown of Midnight, the second book from the Throne of Glass series or Dreams of Gods & Monsters, the third and final book from the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy. In addition to those, I have another high fantasy I've heard a ton about, The Kiss of Deception, that I've been reading off and on lately as well. 

Now that my TBR is getting a lot of fantasy novels added to it, I would love some suggestions from you all. Let me know what some recommendations and some you might want to see me review. Also, I'm curious as to whether any of you have ever gone through a time in your reading when you discovered a love for a new genre. Let me know your thoughts and I'll see you all next time!

From the paper world,

V

Reading in 2015

Around the end and beginning of the year, I normally end up thinking about reading and goals for the new year. I started signing up for challenges (see my sign up post here) and setting goals and resolutions for myself (on a recent Top Ten Tuesday post you can see here) and I decided that I wanted to start reading different genres than usual. I wanted to read more of books that I hadn't picked up in 2014 as well as continue to read some favorites. So, here are four genres of books that I don't read as much of now but want to read more of in the future.


Science Fiction
For some reason, I always hesitate to pick up a scifi novel. I don't know why, but the premises are not always ones that I gravitate towards even though I've read and loved quite a few scifi books. Then, every time I end up picking one up, I really enjoy it, and I'm so happy that I finally picked up the novel. So, this year I want to make an effort to push myself to read more scifi since I always end up enjoying what I do read.

Historical Fiction
Historical fiction is another genre that I just don't read enough of, but love the books that I do read. Historical fiction is a genre that I really get excited about once I start reading a novel of the genre, but I don't have many in my TBR. I definitely want to read the ones I do have and then find some new recommendations!

Adult Fiction
I'll always love reading YA, but by the end of 2014 I was hearing a lot of good things about some adult novels as well. I've gotten some recommendations from others about novels I think I'd like, such as a historical fiction or fantasy novel. 

Fantasy
I signed up for the 2015 Flights of Fantasy challenge in order to meet this goal. Fantasy is a genre that I've been seeing a lot of recommendations about, and so I'm really excited to pick up some novels this year!

Bonus! Series Ending Books
This isn't really a genre, but reading the last book of a series is always a little bittersweet for me. I always miss the characters and the world, and I would love to reread some books more this year (I did sign up for the The Re-Read Challenge), but I would also like to finish a few series this year as well.

And I also wanted to share a few of the books on my TBR for these genres that I would like to (hopefully!) read during 2015.

Science Fiction
Avalon by Mindee Arnett (Rebecca of The Library Canary recommended this one to me!)
This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner (sequel to These Broken Stars)
The Body Electric and Shades of Earth by Beth Revis (Shades of Earth is the third book in the Across the Universe trilogy and The Body Electric is a standalone novel set within the same era)
Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson (from what I understand this is a scifi dystopian?)

Historical Fiction
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers (the third book in the His Fair Assassin's trilogy, this is a historical fiction fantasy)

Adult Fiction
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
The Valley of Amazement by Amy Tan
A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire

Fantasy
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas (the sequel to Throne of Glass)
Asunder by Jodi Meadows (the sequel to Incarnate)
Prophecy by Ellen Oh
The Ring and the Crown by Melissa de la Cruz
Defy by Sara B. Larson

Series Ending Books
Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers (the third book in the His Fair Assassins trilogy and also on my Historical Fiction TBR)
Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor (the third book in the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy)

So, there's a look at some of the books I want to read and genres I want to read more of in the new year. What are some books you're looking forward to this year?

From the paper world,
V

So I Was Reorganizing My Bookshelves

Recently, I began the process of reorganizing my bookshelves. While I was doing this, I somehow ended up taking a step back (knowing me, I probably tripped over a pile of books) and I looked up to the top shelf of each. This is the space I reserve for my favorite books. You know, the ones that really stayed with me, that I loved, that I took great pride in shelving in this space. And I thought about it, and how my Favorites shelf was filled with these great books, these series I had completed this year, and I thought "I want to try something different."

So, I ended up reorganizing my shelves in such a way that my favorites from this past year aren't really on my favorites shelf anymore and there are these new gaps on the shelf where my favorites used to be. And I couldn't be more excited to have those there, because to me it's space for all the favorites I'm going to find throughout 2015. My 2014 favorites and 2014 reads are definitely still ones I love, but I wanted to go into 2015 with the view that there are books to discover in the new year that I'll love and want to have as favorites, and so I didn't want to feel like I would have to pick and choose between the new and the old. (If you can't tell, I'm a little persnickety about my bookshelf organization.) 

The books I've kept on my favorites shelf are ones that have sequels coming out in 2015 I'm really excited for (like Splintered by A.G. Howard, for example), ones that have sequels already out that I've yet to read but are excited for (such as Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers), and one or two all time favorite series (I am definitely referring to Harry Potter among others here). So, I know it's sort of a random thing to discuss on the blog, but when I reorganize my shelves I like to take the time to make sure I like where everything is, that the books are organized just so, and I like this idea of making space for new favorites. 

So, now I want to know about how you like to organize your bookshelves, whether you have any particular tips for organizing bookshelves, if you have a shelf for your favorites, etc. I really enjoy reorganizing my bookshelves, so I hope this little tidbit gave some insight into how I go about doing this (and why it takes me forever to reorganize my shelves). Hope you all are having a good year so far, and see you next time!

From the paper world,
V

Let's Talk Questions About Posting

I have a question for you book bloggers out there, and you blog readers. It’s a very simple one, but one that I still haven’t figured out the right balance of. How do you know what type of posts to post, and how often? I’ve been posting some interviews and discussion posts lately with Top Ten Tuesdays and reviews, but I never know when how much is too much. That is to say, are two of a certain type of post (i.e. review, list, discussion, etc.) too much to have posted back to back? When is too much too much?

I know this is something that has probably crossed a lot of bloggers’ minds, which is why I come asking for some feedback. And as people who read blogs, what do you like to see in other's posting? There are some regular weekly features that I like to participate in, and then I also try to post either a discussion, tag, review, or something else. So there's some variety, and December is typically one of my favorite blogging months from last year because it was a time to really look back at all of the books of the year, talk about the ones I loved, and then move on to looking forward to next year's books as well. But, I want to make sure that I'm maintaining a balance of posts. 

So, now I want to hear from you. What do you think about posting, and what types of posts you want to see? Let me know in the comments.

Also, Rebecca of The Library Canary did a discussion post months ago about How Often to Post that I think is really thought provoking and I remember first making me think about post content. I definitely recommend looking into her discussion about it!

From the paper world,

V

'Clearing Out My Books' and Other Thoughts on Donating Books

Recently, I became annoyed with my bookshelf. Not neccessarily because it's way overcrowded (although that's definitely the case), but because there were books on there that I either disliked and never want to read again, or felt completely indifferent about and won't pick up, or that I've yet to read and have below zero interest in. So, it becomes time to clear out the shelves. This is something I haven't done in a very long while- maybe that's why the build up is getting so extreme. However, doing this is something that can allow me to organize my shelves (seriously some are jumbled piles and some are double stacked with books it's a mess) and make room for other books.

I just want to say that, despite these not being my favorites, these are books that interested me. As time goes on, and I either read them or don't and lose interest, I've changed as a reader. So, hopefully, these books will be appreciated and beloved by someone else, and I'm happy to provide that opportunity for them. Goodbye, dear books, and may your adventures dazzle another.

Here are the books I got rid of, organized by read and unread.

Read -

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins, 3 Stars

Wither by Lauren DeStefano, 3.5 Stars

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson, 3 Stars

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult & Samantha Van Leer, 3 Stars

A Royal Match by Tyne O'Connell

Started  but Didn't Finish -

Asylum by Madeline Roux

Unread -

Control by Lydia Kang

In the After by Demetria Lunetta

So, there's the beginning of my wanting to go through my TBR, clean it out, and pass some books along to other people who might enjoy them more than I did. Currently, I still have a few of these lying around but want to pass along to others who might be interested, since a few of my book loving friends have yet to read one or two that I think they could enjoy.

How do you clean out your reading piles? Is there a certain criteria for managing your books and what stays and what gets passed along? Let me know if you have any suggestions for going through my books!

From the paper world,
V

What Do You Look For?

Hello everyone! Today's post is a little bit different from others here on the blog. It's definitely still bookish, but it's more of a discussion post and sharing my thoughts on something in particular than it is a part of a series like my Let's Talk and Other Thoughts discussions, but just the random musings of a book blogger. So, what do you look for in a protagonist who tells the story? A narrator for your story is essential to the reading in general. They are your lens, your perspective, your guide into a foreign world, and as such a narrating protagonist can make or break your novel. So, I thought about what makes some books amazing and what makes a protagonist really stand out, and I thought I would list three of these qualities to you all.

A Unique Voice

So, here's the thing. A narrator or protagonist can be unreliable (I mean, the story is coming from their point of view and you're only seeing their side of events) and in other cases they can be reliable. Sometimes they are good people and sometimes they're villains. But in any case, a narrator has to have a unique voice for me. What sets this character from all the others we've read in books? As a reader, can I see their mannerisms and quirks come out from the writing? That's part of what makes a narrator memorable for me.

Flaws
I do not want to read a perfect character. I want to read a character who grows, struggles, and makes mistakes. I want a character that has qualities about himself or herself that they dislike, and has moments where they think back and realize they're in the wrong. If I'm reading about people, then let's have the flawed, imperfect individual who changes and grows.

Depth

Introspection is important in a narrator. They have to be able to see the events going on around them, recognize their place in the happenings, and have the capability to bring more to the story than a record of what happened and who said what. The novel needs to have movement and emotion, and a lot of that comes from the perspective of the narrator. The story reaches a new level when a narrator is able to bring together the events, the characters, and the meaning that is seen through the course of the novel. How do these events impact the narrator, and how do the relationships with the other characters relate? There's something universal about books, and the depth a narrator provides can make a book truly memorable for me.

So, there is a random sort of post about my thoughts on first person narrators and protagonists. I wanted to share this with you all because it'd been on my mind, and I want to hear what you all think of it. I'll see you next time!

From the paper world,
V

Let's Talk the Blogging Life

I've got 99 problems and at least 50 of them involve post drafts and how to schedule reviews. Blogger life.

So, the other day I was talking with a friend and was showing her how I used blogger and this is what my reviews look like, my hauls, how I schedule post in advance, you know, and I realized a few things. First, she was happy I was enjoying myself and shared my enthusiasm. Secondly, talking about blogging mechanics nonstop is not widely considered sparkling conversation to non blogging people. So, I figured who better to talk about blogging life with than with my blogging friends?

Today I pose the question- what is your blogging life like? Let me walk you through my sporadic one. Post inspiration strikes me at random (and typically inconvenient hours), so if I just have an idea but I'm not inspired enough to write it, I'll put the title in as a new draft, and sometimes write down some short notes if there are specific details or examples I want to include later. Then, a blogging storm approaches, and suddenly I'm writing two to four discussions amidst all my reviews for the month that I haven't written on Goodreads. It can be a little crazy. However, other times I'll just write a post here or there, but together it will amount to a solid blogging schedule. And I love that, having enough posts ahead so that if I have blogger's block or a bunch of other things come up, I know the blog is alright and I can just reply to comments if I have no free time. 

But where's the fun in just meeting the minimum? Comments are some of my favorite things about blogging- I love reading comments on my posts, commenting on other blogs to keep in touch, and just connecting with the blogging community. That's definitely one of the best things about being a blogger. So, let's talk about the blogging life for you- share your thoughts down in the comments below, and let me know if you like this series name/set up in lieu of my  'and Other Thoughts' type of discussions (you can find some examples of those when I talk about TBRs, readalongs, and book buying) Although not much has changed aside from the series title and having a specific idea that sparks a general conversation, I'd love your input about these two types of discussion post series, and what other discussions you'd like to see on the blog!

From the paper world,

V

'Sophmore Slump' and Other Thoughts on Sequels

Today I wanted to talk about sequels. The other day, I was reading and there was a comment about how in general sequels can be such huge disappointments after the wonder of the first book. And I thought that while that's true in some cases, there are sequels I've loved and enjoyed even more than the first book, which can be heavy with information, exposition, and introduction. Today I thought I'd share a few sequels I loved, a few I never want to read again, and why I had that reaction/how it compared to the first book.

The Eh

So, why are these four sequels ones that I disliked or was disappointed in? A general answer is the protagonist and character development. I'm the sort who likes a lot of plot development and intrigue, but there has to be compelling characters in order for me to love  series and stay with the story. For these second books, there were several problems. The first two, Insurgent and The Elite, are second books in a trilogy. Whenever these books fall flat it's often called 'sophmore slump', or when a second book is lacking the action and plot development in the first and basically just sitting there staring at the main conflict that can't be resolved until the third book because it's a trilogy. In some aspects, I think Insurgent and The Elite are sophmore slumps for me. However, in both I also found another phenomenon was present- I was annoyed at the protagonists. The narrator would decide that secrecy and deception would be the best options to 'protect everyone' and this trope is something that is tiresome very quickly. 

For the other two, Frostbite and World After, these two are both the second book in a series of five, if I'm not mistaken about Angelfall's intended series length. For both of these, the struggle was found in not much happening. Yes, the protagonists were also annoying here, but in Frostbite, I thought the central conflict/problem was actually just part of the rising action in the story, so I was disappointed by the end. World After seemed to lack the action and compelling story of its predecessor. 

Now, you might be wondering, if I disliked this sequel, did I continue on with the series? For 3 of the 4 books, the answer is yes, and the last book is sitting on my TBR. You might wonder why. The answer is that, simply put, there's enough in the sequel, in the characters and world we met in the original story, that kept me interested in reading on in the journey. I'm not the sort who has to finish every series I pick up. However, there are series where one book isn't the best, but the idea and story interest me enough to go on.

The Favorites

Now, let's talk about some of my favorite sequels and why I think they stand out. (I'm not entirely sure if The Arcana Chronicles -Endless Knight is the sequel- is a trilogy or more, but from the description of the third book and the overall story line I hope this is more than a trilogy. If you know which it is, comment down below and let me know.) 

Anyways, what makes these sequels so wonderful is that they're unexpected, and they further develop and enrich the plot and characters. Breaking Point continues on where Article 5 left off, but everything is still developing. We haven't lost any of the momentum from the first book, the intense tone and action. Instead, we learn more about the characters, who is good, bad, and more complex than they originally appear. The same is true for Endless Knight, where we see characters that weren't featured as much in the first book and yet the main conflict also continues to grow and develop throughout. To be completely honest, Endless Knight is a sequel I loved even more than the first book.

Another sequel I loved more than the first was The Sea of Monsters, where the characters were more interesting and developed than the first book, and the story was entertaining and well written. Finally, I had to mention Unhinged as an example of a sequel I loved because it also has a plethora of plot twists and character development. 

In general, I think what makes a sequel great is plot twists, character development, and a continuation of action and plot development. What are some sequels that fell into the sophmore slump for you, and some that stayed fantastic or even better than their first books?

Curious to see my more detailed thoughts on these sequels?
My Endless Knight Review, My Percy Jackson and the Olympians series Review, My Unhinged Review

And see my thoughts on some of the first books in the series!
Angelfall by Susan Ee (World After), Splintered by A.G. Howard (Unhinged), Poison Princess by Kresley Cole (Endless Knight)

From the paper world,
V

'My Bookmark Revolution' and Other Thoughts on how I read

It's time for another discussion post! Today I'm talking about probably the best thing that has happened to me reading-wise in a few years. I used to have problems keeping track of where I was in a book- I would put what page I was on in Goodreads, but sometimes I'd forget, I'd try to use a bookmark, but it'd fall out or (again) I'd forget. Then, I stumbled across the best reading accessory for me ever.

Magnetic.

Bookmarks.

Yes, this is a big deal for me. I can clip it in on a page, read along, then grab it from the earlier page and put it on. If I have the book in my purse, or I'm traveling, the bookmark won't fall out, and I know exactly where I am. So, magnetic bookmarks have made my reading that much better.

Now, I don't want to make a whole post just talking on about how much I love these bookmarks (although I probably could if I'm being honest). So, I wanted to include other things about how I read. I know for some people, they're about having a specific place to read. For me, reading is sort of an escape from everyday life. So, I've typically got a book on hand at all times, and I'll find a couch, chair, patch of floor, and park myself there to read. I'm not very particular about where I'm reading.

Jamie of the Perpetual Page Turner made an awesome post awhile ago about how she has a book with her everywhere. Firstly, I'm so glad someone tries on a purse by putting a book in it to make sure it fits. I'm not alone in this! Also, she mentioned keeping a book in her car, and it struck me that there are times when it's a good idea to leave a book from your TBR somewhere in case you need something to read. So, I've fallen into the habit of keeping an extra book around that I've yet to start but I'm interested in. 

I like to start and end at a new chapter when I'm reading, so I'll look ahead and budget my reading based on how much time I have and how long the chapter looks. I'll stop in the middle of a chapter if I have to, but I do prefer to begin in a new chapter.

Sort of continuing on with that idea, if I go to a shop and I'm looking at different kinds of books, I'll normally read a chapter from each if I can't decide. However, if a book has long chapters (something I'm not a fan of), then I'll probably only read 10 or so pages. 

There are a few things about how I read. What about you, any quirks?

From the paper world,

V

'Buddy Reads' and Other Thoughts on Group Reads and Readalongs

I really should come up with a banner for this series as the posting has become more frequent. Welcome back to another discussion post. Today, we're talking about readalongs- the fun, the good, and the scheduling. 

First off, let me just say I love readalongs/buddy reads. It's a wonderful opprotunity to talk with other bloggers, and since sharing my love of books is what brought me to the blogging world, a readalong is the perfect opprotunity for that. 

My first readalong...

My readalong-ing, for lack of a better term, began in January when I stumbled across the Incarnate Series Read-A-Thon while on a visit to A Backwards Story. I was intrigued, loved the covers of the books, and thought it might be fun. So, I signed up for this readalong she was hosting with Alexa Loves Books. So, way back when in January, I signed up, and not only did I get the chance to discover a wonderful series, I got to discuss them with other bloggers, chat about them on Twitter and tune into the hangouts (I squealed out loud when they read my questions) and even tweet with Jodi Meadows and interview her! None of this would have happened if this readalong hadn't come to pass and led to my discovering a really wonderful series. 

So, there is my readalong origins story, I guess you can say. However, Buddy Reads is something I'd done starting in January as well. Kerrie is a fellow blogger I started reading and discussing books with back in January. We read Angelfall, World After, and Across the Universe over the course of a few months. Having a set goal and someone to discuss my thoughts with really helped me appreciate the books more, and soon I was asking fellow bloggers to read books together and discuss!

Since then, I've done several readalongs, a few within the past months were reading Sekret with Cassi of My Thoughts...Literally! and Hex Hall with Juhina of Maji Bookshelf and Jaspirit of The Reader's Den. I've loved doing these readalongs, but I do think there are some cons to them sometimes as well.

Scheduling. I am terrible at this. Oftentimes I end up reading multiple books if I'm doing several readalongs, and I can mess up when I need to be in what chapter and anything like that. So, if I've ever blundered and fallen behind in a readalong, then I feel super bad because the other person is staying on track and I'm slowing them down, or we can't discuss the book because I'm not in time.

Reading Ahead. Yes, I've done it once. Or twice. But not often, I promise, and sometimes it's just, again, due to my inability to schedule things properly or then maintain them! However, sometimes if there's a cliffhanger, I'll read a chapter ahead. It happens very rarely, but I do feel bad about it!

Differing Opinions. This one hasn't really happened to me yet. Most of the times, the other person/people and I will be in agreement. So, I'll share this one with you- have you done a readalong and one person hated the book and another loved it? How did that affect your discussion?

In general, readalongs, buddy reads, and group reads are fantastic. Not only do you get to compare ideas and reactions with a bunch of other bloggers (and it's always fun to be reading the same thing and talking about that book boyfriend or that crazy plot twist) but you also get to reach out to a lot of other bloggers and discuss. With that in mind, some issues can arise but as long as everyone just tries to enjoy the reading and have a thoughtful conversation, reading with other people is one of my favorite ways to discover new books.

So, let me know what your buddy reads are like down in the comments! Or, if you've got a book you want a buddy to read with, let me know! 

From the paper world,

V

A Discussion with The Library Canary! - Standalones and Other Thoughts on Contemporaries

Before you get started reading here, head on over to The Library Canary to see what Becca has to say.

Hello! Today I'm super excited to be doing a joint discussion with Becca of The Library Canary. Becca is a really awesome blogger who leaves awesome, insightful comments and writes some of the best discussion posts I've read. So, today we're going to be sharing our thoughts with you on:

What makes a good standalone? 

I would recommend going to check out her post first (the first link) and then come back to see my thoughts!

I definitely agree that there's a shortage of standalones in genres other than contemporary. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is one that I had actually been thinking of as well, since I'm typically a reader of paranormal/supernatural. Personally, I've enjoyed quite a few standalones, but I do agree that there are flaws that many stumble into. Also, there's the idea of standalones that are part of the same universe in a series, which is another thing I think is common in contemporaries as well. 

The main issue in paranormal and supernatural books is world building. You have to create anything from a super power to a world with its own completely new set of rules in a limited page count in addition to everything else that happens in a book like character development, conflict, etc. In contemporaries the author is able to navigate a realistic world and focus more on the story and characters.

Contemporaries in general seem to focus more on the principle character and the love interest and their romance. This, in general, is why I'm normally not the biggest contemporary reader. I tend to like reading about more characters and supernatural goings-on. I hadn't thought of it, but it is true that there are physical characteristics that need to be developed and reiterated in a paranormal in order to help develop the character. For example, what if we only had one book to learn about Karou from Daughter of Smoke & Bone and her peacock blue hair and hamsas? That would have taken away from the idea of how she got that blue hair and why she has those tattoos on her hand. And that's only the beginning, as Rebecca says. There is no set rule for how things operate in a paranormal world, that is completely up to the author. And within the limits of one book, that can mean that other elements of the story have to be pushed back to compensate for the neccessary world building. Even then, there's still the chance of having infodump and the world building overtaking the story entirely. 

Also adding on to what Rebecca said about connecting to the characters in standalones, this is something that can be problematic. I've seen it happen in contemporaries and paranormal standalones alike.

The pacing of the story. This is something that can work for or against the standalone. Sometimes in series you run the risk of the story dragging in a particular book because the overarching plotline needs to develop, or for whatever reason. That's definitely not the case in a standalone, where the only plot is happening in that particular book, but then there can still be problems. 

Endings in general are so difficult! Even as a reviewer, reading the end of a series or standalone is something that really is different for everyone. I dislike every issue and qualm the character had being solved and wrapped up in a bow, and I see that in a lot of contemporaries, yet I typically dislike really open endings as well. There's a balance that has to be maintained, and in a standalone where we've only had a couple hundred pages to be introduced to everyone and everything, it can be hard to maintain that balance.

I absolutely love Rebecca's point about every book being somewhat of a standalone. No one likes the "sophomore slump" or when a book drags in the name of the overarching story. And for standalones, there's a lot to consider in a limited amount of pages. What does make a good book, and where do we find the balance between world, characters, plot, and pages?

So, there is my part of our discussion, be sure to check out Rebecca's, and her wonderful blog as well!

From the paper world,

V

'Having A Good Reading Month' and Other Thoughts on managing my TBR

Today I wanted to do something completely different from what I've posted before. I wanted to do a discussion post, and specifically I was thinking about my TBR pile and monthly TBRs in general.

For many, especially in Booktube, I've seen scheduled TBRs ahead of time, and for bloggers a lot of our TBRs can be determined by books needed for review. Previously I was so interested in TBRs that I created a themed TBR schedule for each month. I was so enthusiastic about the idea I scheduled months in advance, going so far as to fill up my 2014 with themed TBRs. What I hadn't counted on was how much of a mood reader I am.

Let me explain why themed TBRs, and even set TBRs in general, no longer work for me. I started my themed TBRs back in October, when I first started the blog, and in the beginning they worked pretty well for me. Then, something dreadful happened. I was reading a book that just didn't interest me as much, but since it was a part of my theme and the set number of books I had wanted to read, I pushed myself to read on through it. You might be able to predict what happened, and sure enough I fell into a reading slump. November was 'series marathoning month' and I managed to read Percy Jackson, but couldn't complete the third book in the Ruby Red trilogy and couldn't finish Crown of Midnight. I started to feel disappointed in myself, because I wasn't reading a certain number of books or fulfilling my TBR goals.

The reading slump lasted for awhile, and I would read a book over a pretty long period of time, but I wasn't able to read as much. It felt like running into a wall, and I couldn't figure out the problem. I continued to try my themed TBRs through December, January, and into February. During this time the reading slump ended (thankfully!) and I decided to think about things more to try and avoid another reading slump. 

First, I made a decision that I was going to allow myself to DNF a book. Not finishing a book didn't mean I was bad at reviewing it, or should continue on, but that the book wasn't one that I enjoyed as a reader. That's fine. Pushing myself to continue on with such a book, that I didn't even end up finishing anyway, was problematic because it took away my interest in the story. However, the problem had continued on, and that was when I discovered that I'm a mood reader.

For me, I prefer to read a variety of different books throughout the month, and I always want to have the opportunity to spontaneously choose what book I'd like to read next. By February, I had largely figured this out as I sort of allowed myself more freedom in choosing my next read. It was a smashing success, and I base that on how much I enjoyed the books, and not necessarily how many I read. That's another thing I want to address in regards to TBR. For me, my to be read pile had been a numbers game. Every month I pushed myself to read on so that, by the end of the month, I had read many books. While I do naturally read quickly, I decided that I never want it to be pushing myself to read a number of books- it took away from the enjoyment of each book and made the focus to be more on hurrying along to get to the next book.

So, what does all of this rambling mean? Firstly, themed TBRs and set monthly TBRs aren't something I'll continue on with. Yes, I do have a list of ideas for themes picked for each month, and I had even gone to put down a few books for each month when I was first setting up my system. Looking at it now, I don't see the appeal of a TBR for me. I have some books piled up that are from a variety of genres and that I can have as options. But, if I really want to read a book I hadn't chosen, then I grab it from my shelves and read. This is just my personal preference, and it's really helped me in my reading. I've truly enjoyed each book that I've been reading lately. Also, I'm not worried about how many books I read per month, or if I don't finish some of them. Adopting this mentality has, ironically, led me to reading more books and finishing (and more importantly enjoying) many of them. In summation, my TBR isn't a TBR anymore. It's my reading a book, enjoying that, and then continuing on with whichever book I happen to want to read next.

Now I want to hear from you all, if you've had the patience to continue on with the entire post. Thank you! I hope you liked more of a discussion post on the blog, and let me know if there are other topics you'd like me to discuss and if you like this sort of post in general. 

Do you have a set or themed TBR? How do you cope with reading slumps?

In a way, I guess this is my long awaited, mentioned-but-never-written reading slump update. I hope you've all enjoyed, and happy reading!

From the paper world,

V