Musing Monday, hosted at Just One More Page
Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about new authors…
(Here’s a new addition to the TBIF Gallery; my plan is to participate whenever the question grabs me, as this one did.)
For me, in some ways new authors – or new-to-me authors, at any rate – are like any new people in my life; I like to have an introduction from someone else, and these days, the facilitator is usually someone’s book blog. I’m not a library-goer, as I’ve mentioned before, so I’ll probably be buying the book, and it’s nice to know something about it first. Having said that, though, there are many times I’ve brought home a new author just based on the impression his or her book made on me at the “new releases” table in Borders. Some of those encounters haven’t turned out so well, but more often than not, I think it’s worked out just fine; in the best cases, it’s led to a long-term reading relationship.
It may be at least partly because I don’t read a lot in specific genres, but I actually try out new authors pretty often – I have to fill the time while waiting for the next book from one of my established favorites!
How do you prefer “meeting” new authors?
Tuesday Thingers: Questions for LibraryThing members, hosted at Wendi’s Book Corner
My Answer: I subscribe to LibraryThing’s blog in Google Reader, so I knew about this program when it started, but haven’t really checked it out much yet. It could be a nice free-book opportunity, though, as well as a chance to connect with authors who may not have books available in Early Reviewers for one reason or another.
Interestingly, if I’ve read the program info correctly, this is also intended to be a review program: “Member Giveaways are an informal way for authors or members to give away books in exchange for reviews.” It looks like, at least at this point, most of the members offering books are authors and publishers, but garden-variety members can post “free to good home” book offers, too, and that may be something I pursue one of these days. As far as receiving books goes, though, ER is more manageable for me, since new offers go up just once or twice a month, and not every day! I’ll be interested in knowing what other LT members who have tried it out think of the program.
“It’s Tuesday, where are you?”, hosted at An adventure in reading
It’s a few years before the dawn of the Roaring ’20’s, and I’m traveling between the Midwest and New England with boarding-school girl and future debutante Ginevra Perry in Gatsby’s Girl by Caroline Preston. The character is based on Ginevra King, the first love and rumored muse of author F. Scott Fitzgerald, who is suspected to be the inspiration for several of his female characters – including The Great Gatsby‘s Daisy Buchanan.
Teaser Tuesday, hosted at Should be Reading
- Grab your current read.
- Let the book fall open to a random page.
- Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
- You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
- Please avoid spoilers!
Something different this week – a Teaser that’s actually from the book I’m currently reading!
“I stopped, wondering whether a cozy dinner with Scott and Billy was such a good idea. Being married to an aviation pioneer sounded a lot more thrilling than it really was.” (page 163)
– Gatsby’s Girl: A Novel,by Caroline Preston
Booking Through Thursday: Movie Potential
I’ve visited the book/movie topic a couple of times recently, so I’ll try to keep it brief this time.
I rarely think “This would make a great movie!” when I’m reading anything, but if I’m reading it at a time when I know there’s already a movie in the works based on the book, I may start speculating on whether I think the movie is a good idea or not. It’s occurred to me that the novels I’ve read by Kristin Hannah, True Colors and especially Firefly Lane, would make pretty good movies for Lifetime TV – and I realize that might sound like a slam, but I honestly don’t mean it that way. They’re both very oriented toward a women’s-fiction audience.
On the other hand, I think Hollywood needs to leave Jodi Picoult’s novels alone – too much potential to screw things up, what with all the multiple narrative viewpoints – although I know that The Pact was made into a TV movie.
However, as I’ve mentioned in my other posts related to this topic, I’m trying to see books and movies as different forms of storytelling that I evaluate as individual works, and that’s tempered any strong feelings I have about whether specific books should – or shouldn’t, which is sometimes a bigger question – be adapted into films.
Do you have any strong opinions about books you’d like to see – or definitely DON’T want to see – on film?
Friday Fill-ins #115
1. When I look to the left, I see Katie on the couch, holding the remote for the DVD player (we’re watching Season 3 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer).
2. The master bedroom is the room that has the best view in my home.
3. Let it work hard for the money.
4. Dirty deeds done dirt cheap! (Yeah, I know it’s obvious, but I’m in a hurry to finish these!)
5. Serving jury duty is a responsibility that all qualified citizens must share.
6. If you have any time when you get home feel free to start something for dinner.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to an evening with the boys (the girl will be at a sleepover), tomorrow my plans include a facial in the morning and an evening with father and daughter (son will be at a sleepover) and Sunday, I want to do some reading, some writing, and some good old-fashioned hanging out!
You’re invited to pick a Fill-in and answer it in the comments!
I’m around much earlier this time 🙂 Have fun this weekend…ooh a facial! Nice!
You know, with new authors posting sample chapters, interviews, reviews, and other people talking about them online, I don’t worry too much about trying them out. I used to, though. Mostly because I’m not much of a library guy, so I don’t want to spend the money on something I might night like.
Have a good weekend!
Janet – I schedule them every couple of months. It’s good to get away, even if it’s just to a day spa :-).
Mike – Good point; it’s a lot less risky to try out a new author than it used to be.
We’ll get one-on-one (or two-on-one) time with each of the kids this weekend, but they won’t see much of each other. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing, now that I think about it…
I often will jot down the name of an author or the title of a book I discover in the bookstore so I can do a little research before making my final decision on whether to give a new author a try (if I saw the book for the first time in the store). Like you, I do like to know something about it first. Sometimes though, the book looks too good on the sale table or shelf.
I’ve taken a look at the Member Giveaway feature at LT but haven’t taken part in it. As you said, the ER program is more manageable to me (although lately I haven’t been too good about that either).
I thought Plain Truth came across okay as a movie–in regards to Jodi Picoult books, but I do know what you mean and for the most part would agree with you. I’m nervous about My Sister’s Keeper. Especially since I heard they were trying to mess with the ending.
I remember thinking Angels and Demons by Dan Brown would make a great movie when I read it. Now that it is a movie, I’m curious to see if they did it justice.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of my favorite shows. 🙂 Good answer for #5. I had trouble thinking of a response to that one.
I hope you have a great weekend, Florinda.
Wendy (Literary Feline) – I heard that about My Sister’s Keeper too, and I agree that I don’t like the sound of it.
When I’m in a bookstore and stumble across books by new-to-me authors that I haven’t heard anything about, it’s one of the few times I’ll read over the blurbs. If other authors or review sources I respect have good things to say, that can sway me.
I just bought Season 6 of Buffy on DVD. We’re slowly working our way through it with Katie. I thought that it needed to be part of her cultural education once she hit her teens :-).
Enjoy your weekend!
I wonder would happen if Flibbertigibbet and Scobberlotch got together. It would be a mass of botched consonants, I sure.
I really enjoy your Friday posts, Florinda!
Karen – It would be a spelling nightmare, I’m certain. Spell-check programs everywhere would explode :-).
I kind of like the Member Giveaways section – it seems to be a little easier for newer authors to post in. I think I’ll keep posting my giveaways on my blog, but it is nice to know that it is there. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by and participating in Thingers last week! I’ve got the post up for this week, we’re taking a look at the new LT Memes. ~ Wendi
Wendi – I think that I’ll probably keep book giveaways on my blog too. In fact, I’m running one right now 🙂 – it’s open until 3/29!