How to Choose the Right Genre for Your Book
1 week ago
My dear friends and readers,
I'm so terribly sorry I have been so lax in posting! College - that monstrous towering being which overshadows all of my waking thoughts - has claimed me in full once again. As well as my classes, I being a theatre major, (Not writing? Shocking!) have been cast in two separate productions. Therefore I have two rehearsals most nights of the week as well as homework!!! ahh! But I do really want to post! I do!
However, in order to post, I have to have something to post about. I really haven't had any hilariously awkward moments, and I haven't been able to read any more books. (Por que!) That's where you come in. If you have a topic you wish me to expound upon, e-mail me!
charleevale@post.com
Until then, I'll try to come up with something. :)
CV
P.S. My website and new suprise blog are coming along nicely!
I'm so terribly sorry I have been so lax in posting! College - that monstrous towering being which overshadows all of my waking thoughts - has claimed me in full once again. As well as my classes, I being a theatre major, (Not writing? Shocking!) have been cast in two separate productions. Therefore I have two rehearsals most nights of the week as well as homework!!! ahh! But I do really want to post! I do!
However, in order to post, I have to have something to post about. I really haven't had any hilariously awkward moments, and I haven't been able to read any more books. (Por que!) That's where you come in. If you have a topic you wish me to expound upon, e-mail me!
charleevale@post.com
Until then, I'll try to come up with something. :)
CV
P.S. My website and new suprise blog are coming along nicely!
Hey guys!
The fireworks, despite my skepticism, were actually pretty awesome. Much better than the display they had last year. It actually inspired a scene for a story that's still in it's formation stage in my head. Yay!
Unfortunately, I have horrible camera timing, so I didn't really get great pictures to share with you. Instead here is an incredible picture which I did not take. :)
So now the discussion of the Two Epic Books the title refers to. In June while I was on vacation in NH, I went to a tiny little bookstore, where each genre was lucky if it had one side of a book shelf. While I was there, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I had heard of the book before, the title had been floating around in blog circles, and the praise was enourmous! I went ahead and bought it without another thought. However, I didn't get around to reading it.
Not long after, I heard that the sequel was coming out. Being somewhat of a series junkie, I pre-ordered it as soon as I could, along with Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse by Kaleb Nation. I got swept up by the summer, and starting college again, so I didn't get around reading these two books until last week, right after Catching Fire had come in the mail.
Oh. My. Goodness. I can honestly say these books are incredible. They sucked me in similarly to the way The Mortal Instruments Series did. (Which if you have been following the blog you know I love) I read Hunger Games in less than 24 hours, finished Catching Fire by the time 48 had passed. As soon as I was finished I told everyone within my immediate vicinity that they HAD to read these books! Now I'm stuck hanging on a 1,000 foot cliff hanger for the third one.
Though the premise of these books is somewhat horrific, (Something of a modern gladitorial spectacle) Collins manages to write in a way that makes it seem natural. She makes you understand that it is a part of these people's lives, and you accept it just as they do. They are packed with action and suspense, I probably could have provided air conditioning for my entire dorm with how fast I was turning pages!
These are books I really don't want to sumarize for you, the ignorance element going into the book I feel is a little more important with this series. All I can say is that my praise for these books could not be higher, and you all should go and purchase them immediately and read them A.S.A.P.
CV
Happy Labor Day everyone!
I, for one, have always found this an exceedingly strange holiday. Celebrating labor? Hmmm.....But, inevitably I go to school in the town where Labor Day was invented so I can't just ignore it and pretend like its just another day off like everyone else in the world. There are festivities!
There will be a small fair and fireworks tonight, which are usually pretty good despite the fact that the college is bigger than the town. But it will be fun. Maybe I'll post some pictures of the fireworks next time for those of you who are my loyal fans. :)
Now that I'm done with Wings, I'm trying to branch out in the world of young adult literature. Though fantasy is my first love, I do enjoy other genres as well, and one of those is historical fiction. On a recent trip to Barnes & Noble with some fellow book lovers, I resolved to buy some books based upon cover and cover copy only. After scouring the store for about an hour, I picked up two books. A Sweet Disorder by Jacqueline Kolosov, and another which shall be revealed after I read it.
A Sweet Disorder has a stunnin
g cover. Not as blatantly dramatic as the Luxe novels, and just enough to keep you interested. It was the cover that first made me pick up the book. The next os the cover copy, which describes an epic struggle for a young woman independence with the only weapon she has in her arsenal: Embroidery. That along with the promise of backstabbing intrigue and lost love clinch the purchase for me.
I was always a huge fan of the 'Dear America' and 'Royal Diaries' series growing up, so I leave B&N with the hope and expectation that it will give me the same thrill. I started it that night, despite the face that I had mountains of homework looming over me, threatening to topple and suffocate me under a ten foot pile of paper. The book doesn't disappoint. It is by definition, a much slower book than say, City of Bones, which has much more of an action aspect to it. But once I got caught up in the intrigues of the English court I found myself turning pages almost as quickly as an action novel.
In this world where wearing the wrong color can mean your death or exile, it's not a physical battle, but a mental one. Kolosov brilliantly depicts the difficulty of being able to trust no one, even those who claim to be loyal. An added dynamic is the one of love. How must it feel to be in love with the court's most sought after knight, the man who was once betrothed to you. With every girl around her scrambling for the affection of the one she loves, the protagonist has a hard enough time just keeping her heart at a steady pace. Layer on the sting of betrayal and I'm not sure how our girl survives the emotional roller coaster.
My only qualm with this book was that it ended quickly. Once everything was laid out, it took almost no time at all for things to fall into a peaceful, happy balance. This was not at all out of place with the remainder of the book; there were no loose ends left, and the audience comes away satisfied that the character's lives are as they should be. It was only my personal opinion that it seemed like a swift end, and in the grand scheme of things, a very little smudge on the polish of a very well written book. It is very solid, and I enjoyed it very much.
Thank you all for being patient with me through school! I don't have nearly as much time as I would like to post to you all. I'm trying to make time as much as I can. If you have anything you would like me to write about, let me know! I'm running out of book reviews, since my school regimen does not allow me much free time to read anything other than textbooks. Feel free to leave a comment or e-mail me!
CV
P.S. Next time, my thoughts on Suzanne Collins' books: The Hunger Games, and Catching Fire!
P.P.S. Don't forget to fan me on facebook for news and novel updates!
I, for one, have always found this an exceedingly strange holiday. Celebrating labor? Hmmm.....But, inevitably I go to school in the town where Labor Day was invented so I can't just ignore it and pretend like its just another day off like everyone else in the world. There are festivities!
There will be a small fair and fireworks tonight, which are usually pretty good despite the fact that the college is bigger than the town. But it will be fun. Maybe I'll post some pictures of the fireworks next time for those of you who are my loyal fans. :)
Now that I'm done with Wings, I'm trying to branch out in the world of young adult literature. Though fantasy is my first love, I do enjoy other genres as well, and one of those is historical fiction. On a recent trip to Barnes & Noble with some fellow book lovers, I resolved to buy some books based upon cover and cover copy only. After scouring the store for about an hour, I picked up two books. A Sweet Disorder by Jacqueline Kolosov, and another which shall be revealed after I read it.
A Sweet Disorder has a stunnin
g cover. Not as blatantly dramatic as the Luxe novels, and just enough to keep you interested. It was the cover that first made me pick up the book. The next os the cover copy, which describes an epic struggle for a young woman independence with the only weapon she has in her arsenal: Embroidery. That along with the promise of backstabbing intrigue and lost love clinch the purchase for me.I was always a huge fan of the 'Dear America' and 'Royal Diaries' series growing up, so I leave B&N with the hope and expectation that it will give me the same thrill. I started it that night, despite the face that I had mountains of homework looming over me, threatening to topple and suffocate me under a ten foot pile of paper. The book doesn't disappoint. It is by definition, a much slower book than say, City of Bones, which has much more of an action aspect to it. But once I got caught up in the intrigues of the English court I found myself turning pages almost as quickly as an action novel.
In this world where wearing the wrong color can mean your death or exile, it's not a physical battle, but a mental one. Kolosov brilliantly depicts the difficulty of being able to trust no one, even those who claim to be loyal. An added dynamic is the one of love. How must it feel to be in love with the court's most sought after knight, the man who was once betrothed to you. With every girl around her scrambling for the affection of the one she loves, the protagonist has a hard enough time just keeping her heart at a steady pace. Layer on the sting of betrayal and I'm not sure how our girl survives the emotional roller coaster.
My only qualm with this book was that it ended quickly. Once everything was laid out, it took almost no time at all for things to fall into a peaceful, happy balance. This was not at all out of place with the remainder of the book; there were no loose ends left, and the audience comes away satisfied that the character's lives are as they should be. It was only my personal opinion that it seemed like a swift end, and in the grand scheme of things, a very little smudge on the polish of a very well written book. It is very solid, and I enjoyed it very much.
Thank you all for being patient with me through school! I don't have nearly as much time as I would like to post to you all. I'm trying to make time as much as I can. If you have anything you would like me to write about, let me know! I'm running out of book reviews, since my school regimen does not allow me much free time to read anything other than textbooks. Feel free to leave a comment or e-mail me!
CV
P.S. Next time, my thoughts on Suzanne Collins' books: The Hunger Games, and Catching Fire!
P.P.S. Don't forget to fan me on facebook for news and novel updates!
So....I tried to post this yesterday, but my computer freaked out and deleted the post! And by that time I had to go to class and couldn't re-write it. So I apologize. I am so sorry that I haven't been able to post this sooner regardless! College has taken over my life again, and I'm having trouble finding time to eat, breath, and sleep...let alone blog. But the semester has just started, once my routine becomes more balanced I'll be able to find more time. Now on to the book!
I really enjoyed 'Wings'. I did not realize that it was the beginning of a series when I bought it, but now that I've finished the book, I'm glad it is. Aprilynne Pike has managed to take a subject matter that is considered over written, and breathe new life and ingenuity into it. She wove vibrant characters that lept off the page (Especially Tamani), ones that I will be happy to continue reading about.
I also have to commend Aprilynne and her editors for their choice of cover. It was the cover design of this book that made me pick it up and want to buy it without reading it. (Something I usually don't do, though I'm making this more a practice of mine) We all may want to start disregarding the phrase "Don't judge a book by it's cover," because it certainly made a difference for me!
The book is fun and entertaining, appropriate reading level for the age. Not only that, but it made me read the chapters far faster than my reading schedule! I'm very glad I read it. My goal in doing this review was to spotlight the work of a new author. Although reading my reviews may have been a little confusing for those of you who have not read the book, it is my hope that this may have inspired you to read it yourself!
So I encorage you to take a change and go buy the book of new author without reading it. You may be pleasantly suprised. :) Now go buy!
CV
P.S. Next time: My review of A Sweet Disorder by Jaqueline Kolosov - A historical fiction novel I just finished.
