Tag: Book Stuff

What a bitter-sweet year this is with the final movie release of the final book of the Harry Potter Series.  I have watched my kids grow up around the Harry Potter books.  I have watched documentaries on J K Rowling which only increased my respect for her as a single mom writing out that first book on napkins and scratch paper in a coffee shop.  She truly is a rags to riches story and has long been one of the authors I really respect.

Harry Potter has been a part of my life since 1997.  As I look back over my collection I have to think what a win for Scholastic, winning the bid for the books in the US.  I remember that first copy coming into our home.  I remember my boys had it – I did not read (and would not read it until after I heard a  movie was coming out and wanted to see what they hype was all about – this was in 2000)

And really, after that first reading for me… I was a Potter head.  I had catching up to do as of this time the fourth book in the series was coming out and they were getting BIGGER and BETTER.  The first book started over 200 pages and by the fourth they are between 500 – 700 pages. 

Brilliant.  By this time, each book that came out we had to purchase it triplicate (YAY J K!) as two teenage boys and myself…. we could not share.  We would all be in our designated corners – sworn to not tip the others off if anyone was ahead.  Of course I did mention I had two boys…. so that rule didn’t exactly stick…. groans would be heard as they tried to ruin a scene for the other, sometimes it was true… sometimes it was a fake out “Oh no!  I can not believe he died on page 527!”

Many other Potterish things are happening now as well.  We go to the midnight showings of the movies.  We have waited in lines at 12:01 on book release day to be sure we have our copies and can start reading right away.  Release dates (books and movies) are actually put on the calendar so we are sure to keep that day free and not make other commitments. 

Somewhere I have pictures of the boys running around the house with blankets tied around their necks and pointing sticks at each other as they cast spells for a couple of hours one evening. 

By the time book 7 came out my oldest boy was out of the house and it was just Justin and I reading the books at home.  I had pre ordered the seventh book as we had planned to be camping release day (I know what timing right?).  I had never pre ordered one of these books before and was nervous about delivery.  When our plans changed and we stayed home that weekend I was a wreck release day… wondering if I should have hit the stores at midnight and picked up a copy, wondering if release day did not necessarily mean delivery day and knowing the whole world was already deep into their books while I in Brainerd Minnesota was waiting on my back deck for the UPS man. 

Finally by late morning as I was wondering if anyone in town had any copies left I discovered that my copy of the book was tucked into the screen door off the front door to our home.  Never mind how long it had been there…. I will never know.  😛 

This time, Justin who was working on release day (again…. who’s kid is this who would work on book release day?  Really….) was behind me on reading.  Yup.  So by the time he got home I was 300+ pages in and while I prepped supper (I know I know… I should have ordered in!) he started reading with my ever watchful eye waiting for his reactions….. finally he banished me from watching him read – which is cruel. 

SO….. being the great mom that I am…. the next day while he was working…. I went through his copy of the book and put post it notes on the page AFTER anything big happened.  So – when someone died, or when Mrs. Wheasley swears for the first time in any of the books, on the next page would be a post it note from me saying something like “Whoa!!!  Can you believe that just happened?”  He laughed when he found the first one…. after the second one he asked if I had done that through his entire book.  I chose not to answer.

Every time I pick up one of these books I find something more that impresses me …. things in first books come up again in later books, hints I did not pick up on the first time catch me the second time around. 

There is so much to this season that is Harry Potter.  The merchandising, the websites, Harry Potter world now in Orlando, and Reagan and I are going to the Harry Potter Exhibit while we are in New York at the end of May. SSQQUUUEEEE!!!!

What an opportunity I have had to be along from the start of this ride…. I chalk these up as future classics…. and I for one feel privileged to be among the ones who were there from Hogwarts to Hallows.

I leave you with this – the new trailer for the last of the Harry Potter movies – Deathly Hallows part II – July 15th:

I have been wanting to write this post for a while now.  I am curious if you have a book in your collection that has special meaning to you… it may be your favorite book in the world…. or it may (like in my case) be one you have never even read.  It could be one a parent or adult read to you as a child that still holds fond memories or one handed down for generations.  Really… it could be anything.

My most treasured book, the one I keep in a protective box, belonged to my dad.  My dad died in a house fire along with my sister in 1980.  This book was found in the ashes… while the cover is damaged, the pages are remarkably clean.  The book is one he was given in 1966 when he was in Vietnam.  It is a Viet-Anh Vietnamese to English dictionary.

I have very few items of my dads… pretty much everything was destroyed, so this is a treasure.  Later this week would have been his birthday and I like  to take this out of the box and touch it knowing that a long time ago, his strong hands held this book too.

I would love to hear about your book treasures….  feel free to comment here and if you do decide to write a post about yours, let me know and I will link it here.

 

This is a post that has been in my head for a while and I never see anyone addressing this subject so maybe it is just me…. but I am going to get on my little soap box anyway and see what conversation can be started around this topic.

 

I am curious if readers enjoy watching book trailers.  Book trailers are used to promote book much like movie trailers promote movies.  On the pro side, I have heard that the book trailer can motivate reluctant readers to decide to read a book. It is said that librarians and teachers give a shout out that they love them…

So why don’t I?

 

Lets start with Movie Trailers.  I love them.  If I hear about a movie I think I would like to see I actively seek out the movie trailer.  What I see on the movie trailer is what I will see on the big screen…  the actors, the action, the dialogue…  Nothing changes from the trailer to the movie.

However, a book to me is a world hidden within the pages.  There is a reason this blog is called Book Jour n e y.  Books are journeys… tickets to other countries, to other worlds, forward and backward in time and space.  Within the world of a book that the author has developed – I still hold a little creative license with it.  While the characters may be well described, we still all get a chance to create him or her in our mind.  I love it when the author breathes life into the characters.  We as readers develop the character in our mind as the author gives us details, height, age, hair color, attitude.. the same goes for the development of the space in which this character lives – home, town, state, country…

When I see a book trailer, the trailer puts images in my mind that I carry throughout the book.  Now I have an idea of what the character looks like or the place he/she lives because of what I have seen in the trailer.  That image has now overridden what I would have hoped to discover for myself within the book.

Last fall I read a book I enjoyed very much.  After reading and reviewing the book I came across a book trailer for that same book and thought I would give it a viewing.  When they brought out the male character, he was nothing like the description of the man in the book.  He looked too young to be who I had just read about, and he was shorter than the book had described…. and suddenly this was now the character that over shadowed the one I had envisioned.

Yes, you could say, “But Sheila…. wouldn’t that happen anyway if the book becomes a movie?”

Absolutely – that could happen.  I don’t have all the answers here… I an just chatting.  😛

 

I personally discover books I want to read by reading reviews, stalking my favorite authors online, book sites, and from book lovers I know personally in my day to day life.  If someone gushes about a book… that interests me.

I am not saying book trailers are bad, I am just curious what other readers think of them.  I can see where they may help the reluctant reader to pick up a book but do you think that a visual book trailer is more powerful than a friends raving?

As readers, what do you think?  Do you enjoy seeing a book trailer?  Does it motivate you to want to read the book?  Has a book trailer ever turned you off from a book?

I would be curious to hear from authors too…. do book trailers enhance sales?  What advice would you say is a must if you are going to provide a book trailer for your book?

 

(*Please do not mention specific trailers in a negative way, however feel free to use  positive examples – this post is not to bash book trailers but to gather thoughts about them in general.  I am offering my thoughts here and am not aiming at any trailers personally.  I am basing this post as more conversational, and I am open to your opinions on this topic.)  😀

 

I could really use your help.

Recently I have noticed when I comment on certain blogs my fabulous Gravatar has taken a hike….. gone … vamoose…. in its place… is…

well….

its pretty shameful but it is….

this:

I Know right?

Blank face.

Blank face?  Where did you come from?  What have you done with that wonderful little Gravatar?

I have only a few clues and I am asking for the expertise of all of you to maybe help me solve this mystery and return me to my original Gravatar state…

here is what I know…

It is happens on both WordPress.org and on Blogger – but not all….

I have went into the Gravatar sight and I pop up just fine under the correct email and everything so there is nothing to change there.

Now…

and this may have nothing to do with nothing but as I am clueless right now I will grasp at anything….

I am a contributor on the Banned Books Blog and noticed today that when I am on a Blogger blog and click on me and it takes me to the cute Blogger profile page – this blog, Book Journey does not show up.  The Banned Books Blog does instead and that is not my blog…. I am a team member of it, that is all.

The only place Book Journey shows up is on the webpage link which brings you here.

So – like I said – this may have nothing to do with anything, but I can not find a way to add my WordPress blog to the Blogger profile… and maybe… it doesn’t work like that…

and maybe…

this has nothing to do with my missing Gravatar.

SO – people of the blogesphere, I bow low before you and request any help, advice, and chocolate (oh come on – that’s a good thing!) that you are able to share with me.  I would love to fix this annoying little glitch but have no idea where to begin….  😀

I can not even believe we are here on the cusp of 2011, and I hanging on by a toe hold trying to get this post done.  For me 2010 brought with it my first full year of book blogging.  I learned a lot this year about blogging, reviewing, commenting, giveaways, authors, and more…

I can not write this post without giving a virtual high-five to Natasha at Maw Books and the event she hosts called Bloggiesta.  I will be writing a more detailed post about this event in January, but have to say that Bloggiesta, starting back in June of 2009, really established the ground work of the blog and the blogger you see today.  I recommend Bloggiesta to all bloggers.  It does not matter if you are new or been around the blogosphere for a while, this has something for everyone and I learn from it every time I do it. I have participated every time, twice during 2010.  Click on the logo below to check out what it is all about and join in on the next one that takes place in January.

 

And of course I have to mention BEA (Book Expo America).  Not only did I not even know what this was in 2009, even if I had I would never have imagined myself attending.  Yet, in 2010, I flew by myself for the first time ever to New York where I met up with my new roommates Reagan from Miss Remmer’s Reviews, Esme from Chocolates and Croissants, Care from Care’s Online Book Club, and Kim from Sophisticated Dorkiness.  It was a huge leap for me and I LOVED every minute of it.  I met so many wonderful bloggers, and authors…. I toured Simon and Schuster, went to dinner with authors, a blogger party, the Book Blogger Conference… and the books… oh the books!  Let’s just say it is a book lovers dream! Click the logo below to find out about BEA 2011

 

 

 

 

Of course there are the books and it is hard to look at everything I read in 2010 and pick the books that effected me the most, but I did it and here they are (If you click on the book covers you will be linked to my reviews).

 

To Kill a Mockingbird was one of those classics I always wanted to read but… just had not.  When I was offered a chance to read and review this book for its 50th anniversary this year I knew it was time to jump in… and I am really glad I did.  To Kill A Mockingbird instantly jumped to the all time favorites for me.  This book is amazing and if you have not had the pleasure, please add this to your “MUST READS” for 2011.

 

I have found myself drawn to books like this for some time now and born under a million shadows was one that really touched my heart.  With the feeling of Kite Runner, this one pulled me into a mesmerizing tale of a country I only know through the books I read.

 

 

It is a big deal that I add this book to my top of 2010 list as when I started reading it, I honestly wasn’t sure I would even like it.  As I became more involved in the book I really began to appreciate the brilliant story that Lauren Oliver had created.  In the end, I loved it and I have to give credit where credit is due.  People who enjoy a good YA read should really appreciate this book.

 

 

Most people read this years ago… I only got to it this year, after the book has sat on my shelf for years… unread.  And then, I didn’t read the book, I picked it up on audio from my library as I had travel time to listen to a book.  I am so glad I did.  This audio book is read by author Khaled Hosseini and I am so glad I was able to hear this in his own words… literally.

 

 

 

The Fiddler’s Gun is such a beautiful read as I write this now I do not even know how to describe to you how much I truly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the sequel.

 

 

I really just got into YA reading in the past few years.  It is no secret that I appreciate a good message within my books, especially in a YA read and I found that in this book.  I found Thirteen reasons Why to be amazing and I chatted with author Jay Asher about this unique read.

 

 

This book is receiving my vote for best book club book of the year for 2010 and ranked high on my overall 2010 reads as well.  I did not read as much historical fiction as I would have liked this year and thinking about this book now makes me really want to move to correct that this next year.  Hotel On The Corner Of Bitter and Sweet is a love story but also a historical, factual book that I found left me want ing to know more about the actual events that are mentioned in this book.

 

 

 

I am not even sure why I am adding this one to the list but I feel as thought I should.  I read this one in early 2010 and it was light and fun and for some reason really sticks with me as a “that was a good read!”.

 

 

Finally… I do not think a 2010 recap would be complete without me adding in some of my favorite Morning Meanderings of the past year.  I love the conversations that have been had over my early morning rants and happenings over a cup of coffee…

 

The Secret is out… it is I who has the Invisibility Cloak!

Random Things In My Head…

What Is It With Me and Jayne Eyre?

 

What Would You r Name Have Been?

My Letter from the state and a fine (Life Is Never Dull)

 

“Banned Aid!”  (In honor of Banned Books Week)

 

The Pinky Swear

 

Sleeping At The Library

Why I participate in a bike ride for AIDS

 

I am on the lam!

Crowing a new Book Club Queen

First word of the day, “meh”

Moments for BEA

 

Ok I could do more but I have to run so there is my 2010…. I cant wait to visit all of you in 2011!!!

This past weekend I was on a panel at the Twin Cities Book Festival.  Our topic was The Changing World of Publishing: Getting Books To Readers.

Our problem is not too few good books, but too many. How does a reader decide what to read next despite the growing stack of options on their night table? How does a new author break into a dedicated reader’s “To Be Read” queue when traditional media outlets are disappearing fast? What role will new technologies like social media play now that authors are largely responsible for promoting their books themselves?”

Here is who was on the panel with me:

Tim W. Brown has worked behind the scenes at the Printer’s Row Book Festival in Chicago and at the Independent Press Center in New York City. He has also published three novels and his poetry and nonfiction have appeared in hundred of publications.

Andrew Ervin is the author of Extraordinary Renditions, just out from Coffee House Press. He is also a noted reviewer of books for The Believer, New York Times Book Review, Rain Taxi Review of Books, and other fabulous periodicals.

Jeff Kamin moderates the “Books & Bars” reading series in Minneapolis, which won a City Pages Best of in 2009. He’s also a freelance writer, publicist, and event coordinator at the blog “Mustache Robots,” but only after being El Jefe to his two young boys.

Steph Opitz is the membership director of the Council of Literary Magazines and Presses in New York, and the former publicist at Red Hen Press in Los Angeles.

Moderated by Kevin Smokler, co-founder and CEO of BookTour.com and editor of the anthology Bookmark Now: Writing in Unreaderly Times.

 

 

 

 

Our first questions was:

What do you see as the biggest change to reading and books of the last 5 years?

Several of the panelists agreed that the ways to read books have really been huge over the past five years.  It was also mentioned that the reader’s attention span to get into a book has changed as there are so many options for someone to do now in their free time.  You can order up a movie on your TV, play a video game, work or play on your laptop…

I responded with the amazing growth of the book blogger/reviewers.  While a few years back there may have been a few hundred book blogs – now there were thousands.  I feel, as many of you do too, that the book blogging community carries a strong voice and put many books out there for others to learn about and want to read.  I mentioned that most of my book selections come from a review I read on a book blog.

Our second questions was, what is the biggest challenge to what you do each day as a books professional/avid hobbyist?

The panelists spoke of how hard it is trying to get books into the readers hands.  How does a reader choose a book, with the costs of books when they first come out.  Panelist Tim Brown mentioned that when his first book came out years ago about 200 people would show up for a book signing and he would sell maybe 50 books.  Now, with his latest book out in print, a book signing draws maybe 20 people, and he may sell 3 or 4 books.  While Tim jokingly mentions, he believes he is not getting worse as a writer.

When the question was directed my way, moderator Kevin Smokler asked how I as an avid reader keeps up, he said obviously I can not be purchasing every book I want to review or I would be broke and penniless on the streets.  He is right.  🙂  I spoke on the challenges  I see are choosing what to read.  I explained that receive 5 – 8 book review requests a day.  While I want to read some of the big name books, I also am always hopeful I will find that treasured book in a smaller names publishing company and author.  The weeding through the reviews is tricky because obviously I can, nor do I want to, read every book that comes up as a review request.

Our final question was, what needs to change for the book business to be all it can be?

This one I felt was best answered by panelist Jeff Kamin, from Books and Bars (which if you have not checked out this website – I urge you to do so!).  Jeff said that maybe publishers should release the paper back versions of books at the same time as the hard cover.   He brought up the points of how a select few are going to pay the average $24 asking price for a new hard cover.  Book Clubs and other book enthusiasts are going to wait for the paperback version before purchasing.

Tim Brown mentioned that reviewers needed to reach out beyond the popular authors and anticipated books.  He mentioned how when a big named book comes out that every where you look that book is being talked about in the newspapers by reviewers and critics and the market online and off is saturated in the same information.

I in turn brought that while Tim mentions that the reviews need to broaden their horizons, that authors need to do so as well.  I said no longer can a person publish a book and hope for the best.  Building a community around your book and yourself is huge.  Having a blog, a website, Facebook in some cases, as well as Twitter.   I like to relate to the authors.  I enjoy talking with them and I am more apt to read a book from an author I have talked with on Twitter on had the opportunity to look at a website or a blog.  Authors as well have to be pro active.

I mentioned that even on my way into the panel I spoke with an author whose book I reviewed earlier this year.  He was saying how once the book is out, the publisher can not continue to carry you.  The author needs to make things happen, being involved in book events, being seen on-line.

At this point the discussion was opened up to the room, which was packed (including my bloggy friends that I was hanging out with).  Questions were asked about book trailers – yay or nay?  One lady asked about how do you find good books to read when you don’t want to go with an online book email or trust what the papers or the book stores are saying.  You can bet that she and I talked after the panel.

One lady, asked me how I choose from the requests I receive and I mentioned that in my review policy I ask that when people are offering me a book for review that they give as much information as possible about the book as well as a picture if possible and links to websites, etc, about the book or author.  I explained that most requests do not do this.  They give a brief, “would you review my book” with a title and a little paragraph about it.  I said at that point I take the title into Amazon and drop it in there so I can have a look at the book.  I said honestly, I am a bit of a cover snob and believe that a cover will tell me a bit about the book.  (After the panel was over a few people approached me to say they were cover snobs too).

Over all, this was an amazing experience.  It was interesting to hear the concerns of the future of publishing from these different voices.  As a “beginning writer/author” it really reminded me that the getting your book out there and published is really only the beginning.

Myself and Reagan from Miss Remmer’s Reviews are planning to attend the Twin Cities Book Festival on October 16th and we thought this would be a wonderful time for any book bloggers in the area to meet up.  We are still working out the details and  Reagan (Miss Remmer’s) is looking into hotel prices today as well as area bookish happenings…. but the basics for now is this:

Rain Taxi proudly announces the TENTH annual

TWIN CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL

Saturday, October 16, 2010

10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Minneapolis Community & Technical College,
conveniently located in Downtown Minneapolis.
Click here for directions and map

Spectacular Authors   *   All-Day Exhibit   *   Used Book Sale
Children’s Pavilion   *   Great Panel Discussions   *   Lit Mag Fair

We are thinking of getting together the evening of the 15th for dinner with those who are able to join us, and then attending the Book Festival on Saturday the 16th.  We can gather together again to go and see other area bookstores and more and for those who do not wish to head back home until Sunday morning we will be staying a second night.

If you are interested in this please email me at journeythroughbooks@gmail.com and I will send you more information as it comes available.   If you know of any Book Bloggers who are in this area please let them know about this meet up.  It would be fun to meet some of you!

Here is a link to what is happening so far in the Book Festival.

what’s a great new book blog you’ve discovered since last year’s BBAW?

I had a crazy week and didn’t even know about this question until this morning when I seen it popping up on blogs.   I had an answer in mind all day but with the Monday meme I was going to skip it…. plus my answer breaks a rule right away.

Ooh…. but I kind of like that….

The blog I would like to mention actually no longer exists, but it is still one that is dear to my heart, as is the blogger.

J Kaye from J Kaye’s blog is one of the first book blogs I remember in my early bloggy days.  She always had interesting posts, reviews, and giveaways.  She would post how to do things and was more than happy to help a new blogger (errr…. me).

When J Kaye’s blog was up and going I stopped in daily.  She was a chatty blogger and you could always pop in later in the day and she would have a response to your comment.  I liked that.  It was like having a conversation.  In fact I learned much from her skills as a book blogger and implement some of her style in my own blog.

In February of 2010, as J Kaye was closing down her blog to spend more time on her writing, she passed on to me The It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading meme.  When she asked me if I would continue on with this weekly meme I was so honored.  I still am and try hard to hold it to the wonderful standards she had set.

I can still peak in at J Kaye at her new spot on the web, 365 Days Of Novel Writing, at least for a little while.  And once in a while she will still pop in with a comment or two which always makes me smile.  It is like a visit from an old friend.

Thank you J Kaye for everything you taught me  about blogging.  🙂