Picking books to read

When it comes to picking out a book to read I am really picky. For me, I want a book not only to be entertaining but also to be fun. Personally, I deal with reality enough and I like something that will really captivate my attention and take me on an adventure. A story that intrigues me enough to get to know the characters and why they are important enough to know them.

Judy Blume (Tiger Eyes), Beverly Cleary (Beezus and Ramona, Ralph and the mouse, pretty much all of her books) Jane Austen (Sense and sensibility and Pride and Prejudice), Stephen King (Buick 8, Carry, Pet Cemetary), Anne Rice (Mayfair Witch, interview with a vampire) J.K Rowling (Harry Potter series, The cuckoo’s calling, the casual vacancy), Cassandra Clair (Mortal Instruments), Stephanie Myer (Twilight series), Nora Roberts, John Grisham and Isaac Asimov. 

I could fill several pages of authors and their books I’ve enjoyed reading. I enjoy seeing books be made into either television series or movies. It helps breathe even more life into the books. Even if someone first saw the movie or show, it helps bring attention to a story that otherwise might not have been noticed. The Twilight series might have had a small following however after the movie the book sales increased because of it.

I don’t read short stories (unless the book is 70k words or more), Novelette or Novella. For me to invest my person time and interest I prefer novels. I love singles however if there is a series I’m more apt to check it out. Because I don’t read smaller sized books doesn’t make them worth less than the larger books or horrible books. It’s simply not what I am into personally. There is a market for smaller sized books as well as one for larger ones.

When there are “street teams” for authors I also do not read the books they are promoting. Most street teams I find to be far too aggressive with advertising the book or author and not in a good way. To be fair, there are some street teams who are respectful however unfortunately I’ve dealt with more that are not.

It’s another reason why indie authors have a bad reputation and sadly will always have a difficult battle being recognized. There are some indie authors who are truly amazing that should be more popular than ones who are listed on the top 10 for the New York Times best sellers list. However this won’t happen because they get buried under self-published authors who do not take the time to check story flow, spelling, grammatical errors, word or story confusion. I could write at least a 10 page list of errors and problems I’ve found from self-published authors. When a traditional author’s book does not sell well or generate enough to warrant another book, their being published is finished. When a self-published author writes a crappy book or one that does not warrant another book being published, they throw out a bunch more simply to get there name out there but they are not putting out material that is worth anyone’s time.

I’ve heard people say it’s only .99 so why not just take the risk since it’s cheap and won’t make you broke. Most authors would get .33 cents of that (depending on which ebook avenue they go through.) No it’s not expensive but if you take that attitude with all authors then yes you could go broke and every heard earned dollar is valuable. It adds up and who wants to support an author who truly doesn’t take their writing seriously? Artists prove themselves with their craft, doctors prove themselves or they get caught in law suits and lose their license. A hair stylist takes pride in their work or they can’t find a place that will rent them a chair to work at. If a chef isn’t good a restaurant isn’t going to keep them and neither will the space center put a person in a shuttle that doesn’t know what they are doing just because they are a “good guy.” You need to earn your right even as a self-published author and sadly too many have read crappy books and this leaves a sour taste and a huge hesitancy for people to buy from them. I don’t mind reading self-published authors however I will read the first few pages, that’s all it takes for me to know if it’s going to be worth my time and yes even if it was only a quarter I am still going to be picky.

I believe in leaving reviews. When I do its going to be my honest opinion and very well detailed. I will only give a good review if it warrants it. I won’t leave one simply because I was asked to give a good one, it has to be a good product however I won’t leave a horrible review simply to be mean. If I do leave a lesser review it will be detailed as to why I am doing it and if it’s really bad I will see if it’s possible to contact the author and let them know instead of leaving any reviews publicly. In short, self-publishing has a long way to go before it will ever be on par with traditional published authors.

When authors act belligerent or simply rude or advertise their book where it does not belong this gets their name on my permanent never to be read list. Same as a particular sunglass company which I am not stating the name because they do not deserve the recognition.  Personally when I see an author or any company for that matter making claims that are not true or trying to make themselves sound better then someone else, it doesn’t encourage me to buy their product. If you have a worthy product there should be enough things to speak about rather than make things up or to insult someone else in order to get attention for your own work.

I hate to say it but the author’s attitude does influence me enough to stop purchasing books from them. In every industry you get certain ones who will be rude and call another person horrible at their craft. First example that comes to mind. Stephen King said that Stephanie Myer was a horrible writer while J.K Rowling was a great writer, comparing the two. All three writers have their own talent and really shouldn’t be compared with each other. He’s certainly entitled to his own opinion but he certainly could have kept it to himself when he can negatively impact another person simply because their work does not fit their personal interest. Keep this in mind, when you insult the other author your not only insulting them but also those who enjoy reading their books that were readers of yours also.

\

We all know it’s a horrible thing to compare a child with another; each has their own talent and interesting way of presenting things. We nurture that and when someone calls another horrible, it really doesn’t get me to want to support that person anymore by buying items that back their name. If you truly feel a person is horrible at what they do than let their talent speak for itself. If you don’t like it then don’t buy it. There is no need to bashing someone else’s work. Enjoy your own work and if you take the time to be rude it’s not saying much about you as a person.

I do buy several e-books however I still purchase more physical copies. I like the soft cover over the hard cover unless there is something special about it like being a limited edition. There’s something about going into a bookstore, seeing all the books, the smell and atmosphere. I love it and yes I admit the cover does get my attention however if the back description or the first few pages doesn’t attract me I won’t buy it. I’ve bought a few books because the cover was rather plain. The stories inside were amazing.

There are certain genre’s I tend to read more. I rarely read non-fiction unless it has to do with history or artwork. I prefer a wide range of fiction. So who knows, one day you might decide to write a book and I’m either looking for a physical copy in the store or online, I might end up reading your book. I am and still will be a lover of the written word; I love as many books that I can get my hands on and will always enjoy relaxing and reading a good story. It happens to be my love for stories that I also love writing my own.

It would truly help lessen crime. After all how many “readers or nerds” have you heard start gangs? Reading books helps educate question it and read the Harry Potter series. Yes it is fiction however there is a lot to learn from it. If you haven’t seen the movie idiocracy, you really should. A society that reads is far better off than one that does not read.