IWSG & Blogging News
8 months ago
Books, and Hypes, and Whatnot
One of the perks about being pregnant is that I get to eat and crave whatever I want. The not-so-perky side of pregnancy is that I'm constantly tired and my brain is encased in fog. This morning I had a great idea for a blog post. A shower and breakfast later, I've totally forgotten about it. No matter how hard I try to remember I come up empty. And hungry. So of course I had to go hunt down some snacks, and then I came back only to forget some more. Huh? What were we talking about?
So, in all my rambling glory, I'll just have to wing this post. :-P
Lately, I've been reading a lot. Minimal writing, obviously, because I can't focus enough to be coherent for several paragraphs. I did start a story sometime last week, and I haven't been back since. I've attempted to do some edits but I keep falling asleep by the next page--don't know if that's a bad sign. Does that mean my story is boring, or is this baby factory house using every ounce of energy I've got? Hopefully it's the latter.
Anyway, back to the reading. I've read some AMAZING books and ones that I thought (and were hyped to be) amazing but failed to impress. I'm always sad when a book ends up disappointing me. I put so much eagerness and joy when I dive into the first pages, and I'd really like to keep that smile on my face until the very end. But sometimes, it just doesn't happen and I feel a bit let-down. Especially when I had high expectations going in because of the hype.
What do you think about hypes? Is it better that a book wasn't hyped as much and ended up being fantastic? Or should the marketing geniuses create a hype for a book anyway to garner readership, even if the book does not live up to its hype? (And does it make you want to run out and rant and rave, shake your fist up to the heaven, or is that just me?)
This curious and foggy mind wants to know.
Sometimes my best book finds are accidental. I go to the library and peruse the shelves, looking for something to catch my interest. Maybe it's the unusual cover ('cause my taste runs in the unusual and weird sometimes), or the blurb on the back cover. Maybe it's the genre (library books usually have genre labels on their spines; if I see one that says Horror or Fantasy, I'm sure to check it out), or, and I've done this too, I just pick one just because.
It's a hit-and-miss process, but like I said, I've found great finds (and the not-so-great ones as well) doing this. I also like book recommendations from friends because more often than not, I can trust that if they love a book, I'm sure to love it too.
So, second (or fourth, or fifth) question of the day: How do you choose what to read? I know you're all busy people out there so time is a luxury.
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- Precy Larkins
- I'm a YA writer who loves to read. Also a mom of 3. My life is crazy but always fun. :) I'm a member of The YA Club, a group blog about YA books. You can also find me blogging at: http://precylarkins.wordpress.com Represented by the lovely Julia A. Weber of J. A. Weber Literaturagentur GmbH. Thanks for stopping by! Email me: writercherie@gmail.com
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14 comments:
I usually choose based on recommendations, coupled with the reviews. I have a stack of books ready to be read. I just need the time to absorb them.
This actually why I get a book from the library or borrow it. If I like the book I buy it. It is frustrating for me to buy a book that I am expected to love -the then read it and end up wishing I hadn't bought it.
Of course I also take all hype with a grain of salt and even avoid reading a hyped up book just because I keep hearing about it. So I might not be a good measure.
I think sometimes hype ruins things becasue you expect it to be epic, but it's just okay. And I choose what to read based on recommendations for the most part.
I read what Anita tells me to read.
:)
That baby is sucking all your brain power, love. The fact that you're still managing to blog (darn good posts, by the way) is nothing short of amazing in my eyes. If I made it to work with shoes on when I was pregnant I felt very accomplished for the day.
I really like book recommendations from friends I trust. But the absolute best are the "serendipitous finds." The book I just "picked up" that turns out to be amazing. It's like finding a hidden treasure.
If I'm in the library, I'll usually just pick up whatever cover/title intrigues me and read the blurb; if that also sounds interesting, then I'll take it out. Lately, though, I've just been taking things out based on recommendations and book reviews, since I've been reading less and there's greater risk in randomly browsing.
I buy a lot of books right now just because I figure that unless it's deeply and offensively bad, I'll have a student or two who will like it. But I've definitely had the experience of not liking a book as much as I expected based on hype, and also the opposite where I then often become guilty of creating more hype (see my Scorpio Games post in which I predict that it will prove to be my favorite read of 2012--on Jan. 1!) So I guess it's kind of a vicious cycle!
I found that eating an entire cake or pie every other day seemed to help with the baby brain drain when I was pregnant. Some unsolicited advice for you there. I hate to admit it, but many of the best books I have read I was pulled in by the cover and the blurb on the back. Some of the worst were suggested to me by people who said "you'll love this book!!"
Have I told you I love Bethany?
I agree w/her insight that it's the baby sucking you of all energy and mind power. No worries! You'll get it back by the third trimester when it's time to start nesting. Baby wants an awesome crib! Heh.
Good question about the hype...I'll have to think on that one. And I have a glass of red wine in me that's having the same affect as baby is on you. So ... another time for that discussion. Sleep well, my beauty! :)
@Miranda: Yes, reviews, too--I forgot about them. I do read other people's reviews just to see the pros and cons. Sometimes though, reviews can be misleading because it's so subjective. Just because one person absolutely loved the book doesn't mean I'd love it as much, and vice versa. I guess the only way to find out is to read for sure.
@Krista: Smart girl! I adore libraries. I could live in a library if it were allowed. I only spend the money when I know it's something I must absolutely have with me. ;)
@J.A.: Yep, sadly, hype can ruin things for a reader. Recommendations are always great. At least it gives one something to consider about.
@Bethany: Love ya, my goat sistah! Yep, baby brain drain is stifling my thinking process. But it's all good. My book "Hidden" was conceived while I was preggo with my 2nd baby so who knows? Maybe baby #3 will come up with wild imagination and inspiration for another book. As soon as I get my energy and brain back, of course.
@Connie: You and me, girl. I love serendipitous finds!
@Golden Eagle: True. There is risk in random browsing, especially when you don't have time to spend on a crappy book.
@Mrs. Silverstein: Haha, I guess you're right. It can be a vicious cycle. I know there are books that I really LOVE and I tell people you MUST read this or that, and what if they don't have the same taste as me?
@Julie: Entire cake, huh. I'm getting there. I'm constantly hungry, and even hubs can't believe how much I'm eating nowadays. Goodbye, waistline! So in a way, it's a good thing because I'm no longer as nauseous as before. I just need to get rid of the fatigue and then I think I'll be able to get back on my feet.
@Anita: Me lurves you and Bethany! Thanks for stopping by, lovely! Enjoy your red wine. ;)
I can totally relate to this post!! I'm a pretty tough critic--just check out my Goodreads profile (I rarely give out 5 stars ;o) In all honesty, it's usually a hit or miss thing for me. Sometimes my favorite books are the "hyped up" books, and other times, they're books no one has ever heard of. I usually go off what the back of the book says--especially since the covers can be very misleading.
p.s. Once you get out of this trimester, you'll probably start to feel a lot better (more energy, more braincells ;O) Good luck!
Great question - yeah I think sometimes the hype can kill something b/c I *need* to be bowled over by it. I like the quiet ones that sneak up on me and I start hitting other people with it, insisting they read it.
Congratulations on your pregnancy!!! How far along are you?
And I totally love this post. My pregnant friends call their fogginess "pregnancy stupid," and it never ceases to make me laugh. (Joke will be on me, I suppose, when I get pregnant!)
I totally agree with you about hype. I'm in the middle of two books right now that I think have fallen victim to the hype. If I hadn't expected them to be amazing, they'd probably be fine. But I did, so now I'm disappointed.
(BTW, how fantastic that you dreamed you were reading THE MERMAID GENE! I still like the original title best.)
Now I really want to know what you've been reading. What great find led you to post this??
I'm a total slave to marketing. A good book cover sucks me in every time. It takes one heck of a recommendation to send me into the pages of book that looks cheesy.
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