Books Bought and Nook Considered

Okay, I have posted a couple times already within the last week but wanted to post what I bought today when I went to Barnes and Noble along with something I am considering. For Christmas, my mom and stepdad gave me a book card to the store as they do almost every year. I love that present because I always use it. This time I actually went with a plan on books I wanted to buy, which is unusual, and although I planned to get books from my "want" list on GoodReads, I did end up with one new book I had never heard of until I saw it on the shelf.

One of my reading goals for 2012 is to read 10 books in The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan (might change it to 8, couldn't remember how long the series was) which I initially started reading in high school but only made it 3 or 4 books in. However, I couldn't find books 1 and 2, just 3 and 4. So, I had to buy the first two books in order for me to reach the goal.

Then I bought Game of Thrones by George RR Martin because my reading group on Writing.Com will probably end up reading it in February. Right now only 6 have voted on the poll but the majority is leaning towards that book as the one.

The final book that I bought was one I had never heard of until I saw it on the shelf. I went through my list of books I wanted on GoodReads on my phone and couldn't make up my mind, then saw this one and bought it. The book is The House of Discarded Dreams by Ekaterina Sedia. Read the back of the book and decided to give it a try. Hard to pass up a book that includes "a psychic energy baby living in the telephone wires..."  Will be an interesting read, I hope.




Now for the other part of the blog post. While I will always love and prefer paperback books, I could really use an e-reader. My sister has a nook and my stepdad has a umm something or other, it's not the amazon one(kindle) and he buys his e-books from Barnes and Noble but it isn't a nook either. He still prefers print over the e-reader but does use it. Sister absolutely loves her nook. And even with my love of paperback, I can see that having an e-reader would come in handy.

When I renewed my Barnes and Noble membership (along with the books I bought) I also got a coupon for 25$ off the nook color. So I thought I would look the nooks up and consider them. And I am rather tempted to buy one of them. The color one is kind of pricey though, even with the coupon. There is the simple touch, which is only 99$ right now, and that one wouldn't be too bad. But the color one is tempting even with the higher price.

Not making any decisions yet, but it's under definite consideration.

Books as Gifts

I have been meaning to do this post for a couple of months now because it's a topic that I have some uncertainty over along with personal experience. I love books and a gift card for me to buy books is one of the best gifts that I could get. And I give certain readers in my family gift cards too because then they can buy books on their own. However, actually buying a book for someone else can be hit or miss. I am getting my dad a book but I know he likes the series/author, is collecting the books in paperback to fit on his shelf and he promised not to buy that specific book. But there is no surprise in the gift because of that. There are pitfalls to buying books as presents and I'm going to talk about them.


1. Knowing what the person likes to read.

There are a few people I know what they like. My stepdad and dad have a few authors in common, and my stepdad also likes books like Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and even found the Hunger Games interesting. My sister reads the most and loves YA. One of her favorite authors is Tamora Pierce and she loves reading both fantasy and realistic fiction. She has a Nook now and adores it. However, my two stepsisters... I had no idea what they read or if they read. I know one may not have time right now with her new career as a nurse and the other, well I texted her because I was curious.

On the other hand, sometimes people give me books as presents and every now and then they get one I can't wait to read, but often I wonder if they know what I like to read. I am always grateful for the gifts and I keep the books though a few get put near the bottom of the to read list because I am still willing to give them a try but have so many books waiting already. But I've gotten books that seem more suited for my sister (including a book involved in a series I haven't read) and books on writing but not for the writing I do. I still read the book on writing and I have the others waiting because I will still try to get to them but it's one of the reasons I find gift cards to be a better gift currently than buying the actual books for someone.


2. What books do they already own?

While I haven't come across this problem too much in receiving gifts, it is something I worry about when considering giving books to someone. Knowing what they read can definitely help but there is also a danger of buying them a book they already own. Even for the ones I bought books for the Epic Giveaway, I was worried because I don't know what they read, what they like and what they already own. I have no idea what books my siblings currently have, so would struggle to give them a book as a gift. And I own a lot of books with so many I have read and a just as great of number of books that I haven't read yet. Unless you are around the person and their book collection, it can be a hard task knowing the book you are buying that they would like isn't one they already have.

(Note: For this reason, I am adding on my goodreads page shelves for books I own and books I want.)


3. Do they even like to read?

Introducing reading to someone who doesn't read very much can be a very great gift but it doesn't always work that way. Some people just don't want to read books very often. My mom is not much of a reader. There is a specific kind of book she will read, some times, but she isn't the one to buy books for because most of the time she doesn't read. It's worth the effort sometimes to at least try but for some, they may never be big on reading but an occasional book gift isn't a bad idea for even them.


Conclusion

I am still mixed on the idea of books as gifts. I am definitely and probably will always be a big fan of gift cards for books as a gift. But I'm still not sure about giving books to someone. It can be a great thing but there are also pitfalls and things to think about.



What do you think?
Are books great gifts as presents?

Reflection and New Year

The year 2011 is gone and the time has come to reflect on the year I've had with this wonderful blog. This year was a bit more off and on with blogging than the year before.  In 2010 I had 110 blog posts and for 2011 this will make number 65. That smaller number of posts has included a variety of writing topics, challenges, a couple blogfests, new blog announced, a month long event and other stuff included.

Beginning of the year started, as many do, with promise and goals. I started getting together the book review blog, Reading at Dawn. I discussed my internship a little, though I know a few people are hoping to hear even more about that part.

March brought about a couple of writing challenges and a couple of interesting topics including "gay character versus gay story" and an author interview. Which was then followed in April by the great blogging challenge of blogging from A to Z. Quite fun to take part in and I may consider it again this year.

The next months were much slower, with only 1 to 5 posts per month. Work got in the way and my idea of the epic giveaway had such promise but since I still have prizes to mail out when I gather the money and get to the post office, it was more of an epic fail than success. Yes, I still have all the emails and what not and I'll probably re-email those that are still waiting in case anyone moved. I will get those prizes out, I promise.

And it didn't get much better from there. Nanowrimo was very distracting since I ended up write 125,000 words for the month. In fact, the last month I blogged was September. Kind of sad, but no worries, I am back to blogging and my goal is to blog at least 4 times a month all year long. I shall keep going and have some topics in mind for January.

So, that was 2011 and I look forward to a more successful blogging year for 2012.

MG Author Eisley Jacobs and Born to be a Dragon

Middle Grade Feature Author & Book: Eisley Jacobs and her book Born to be a Dragon

Eisley Jacobs is one of the few middle grade authors I actually know and she was kind enough to let me interview her about her mg book for this month's topic. Here is the interview, enjoy!

How long have you been writing?
I think I’ve been writing since around the fifth grade. Seriously though, I was writing in spiral notebooks and creating stories for my peers to read. Poetry and actual stories that were probably rubbish, but I loved to write.


Sounds like fun. Rubbish is a good start, I know my first poems were just that, lol.
What is your book about?
BORN TO BE A DRAGON is about the epic friendship between a ten-year-old dragon and a ten-year-old girl. It’s a book about following your dreams and not listening to what the “world” says… It’s an amazing adventure for all ages.


Sounds awesome. I'm looking forward to reading the book.
Where did you get the idea for your book?
You know, a lot of people ask that and I really don’t have an answer. Story ideas come from many places and this one just happened to come at a time that I was ready to write it. My children love this story (as do many others) and it was just the right time.


Makes sense. Some ideas are hard to pinpoint an origin to but it's good you have a wonderful audience (your children). I remember hearing about them and the book on twitter. And when you published it that made things even better.
Publication story: What publication route did you go and how did you go about getting there?
I queried BORN TO BE A DRAGON (under a different name) at least 80 times. Sent a few fulls and a few partials and no one really wanted it right then. One agent said it wasn’t the right “time” for this type of story, while another said that she just couldn’t take on another dragon story. So I did my research and decided CreateSpace was the right place for me and I haven’t been disappointed.


I'm glad you found a route that works for you. Have heard some good things about CreateSpace too. Now, let's talk about other people's books.
What books do you like to recommend to others?
If you are reading in my genre, middle grade, I would recommend Chronicles of Narnia, Percy Jackson, Series of Unfortunate Events, The Secret Series and 39 Clues ;)


Haven't read any of them but I have heard of most, surprisingly. Genre time!
If you could write in any genre, which would you do?
I’ve never been asked this question, but I would honestly have to say I am doing it now. Middle Grade and Young Adult are fabulous genre’s and I will probably write them forever. I just love the audience and the reactions I receive. It’s really just awesome.


Great that you found something you can write and continue to love.
Is there a genre you wouldn't write in?
Probably adult fiction. I just can’t relate to it as a kid at heart.


Ah, okay. That's a good reason and we each have our own comfort zones in writing.
Do you have a project(story) you are working on now, or want to start working on soon?
I am currently working on Dragons Forever 2 and when it’s done, I will hopefully be doing a final read through of RINGS OF TIME, a YA Fantasy Novel.


Thank you Eisley for taking the time to let me interview you. Can't wait to read your book some day. People check out this author, you won't regret it.
Where online can the wonderful readers find you and your book?
http://EisleyJacobs.com/blog/
http://www.amazon.com/Dragons-Forever-Dragon-Eisley-Jacobs/dp/1456360965/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316412100&sr=8-1
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dragons-forever-born-to-be-a-dragon-eisley-jacobs/1104199721
and
https://www.createspace.com/3504302

Writing for Middle Grade

Note to self: When doing a month long topic about something you know nothing about, prepare ahead of time. And try to find stuff you know about personally.

There are some great posts coming soon but for now, I'm going to use different sources to provide tips for people who do write middle grade stories.


Writing a Middle Grade Masterpiece by Margot Finke at http://www.underdown.org/mf-middle-grade.htm

Here are some tips on writing for middle grade that appeals both the upper aged and the younger ones since a variety of readers find themselves in the middle grade section (often found in the children's section of bookstores) found on the site by Finke.

Here are some ingredients for a Middle Grade Masterpiece:
Use powerful and active verbs.
A cool and fast paced plot to keep the reader going.
Have your own unique voice.
Alive character with authenticity and dialogue that matches.
Hook readers at the end of every chapter.

Other tips:
Observe kids in their natural habitat. See how they interact, speak and such.
Read published middle grade books and dissect them to see what makes them work.
Network with other middle grade writers.


You Can Write a Middle Grade Novel at http://www.squidoo.com/middlegradenovels

- Get started and don't quit.

- Research

- Provide characters and conflict

- Check out this web site for more details



There are some organizations that can help, especially this one:
The Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators
http://www.scbwi.org/

Favorite Middle Grade Novels

This is a simple post. While I don't remember every middle grade book I've read in the past, there are some that stick with me. And some I'm not sure if they count as middle grade but I read them during that time so maybe they count. Either way, here are some of my favorites.

Matilda by Roald Dahl

The Silver Crown by Robert C. O'Brien

Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison (wore this book out)

City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

A World Without Heroes (Beyonders) by Brandon Mull

Nancy Drew books by Carolyn Keene

Books by Kenneth Thomasma:

    Amee-nah: Zuni Boy Runs the Race of His Life

    Soun Tetoken: Nez Perce Boy Tames a Stallion

    Naya Nuki: Shoshoni Girl Who Ran

    Moho Wat: Sheepeater Boy Attempts a Rescue

And there are others that I remember some details about reading because I was very into reading back when I was younger. I would read all the time. But I don't remember things like titles, authors or even character names or the exact plots per say. So, there are many great books even from when I was middle grade age. And some of the ones on the list are ones I've read as an adult.

What are your favorite middle grade novels?

Middle Grade Month

Welcome to September and one of many monthly topics. This month is all about middle grade books.

(image link)

The first question is of course: What is Middle Grade?

Often found in the children's section of book stores, middle grade is a term generally used for books geared towards readers aged 8-12. Though like many genres, there are some gray areas even with the age range of the readers and subsequently, the main characters. Not every store places the same either. Sometimes the same book can be found in young adult in one store but middle grade in a different store.

Here is a site that tries to put a light to the difference between middle grade and young adult: http://www.write4kids.com/feature6.html

Age: Often, the age of main characters (and readers) are 8 to 12 years old, though sometimes depending on the story, a character can be a little older and still be considered middle grade. 13 is sort of an in between age because many see young adult as 14-18, so the story does really matter.

Length: While one might expect middle grade books to be shorter, that is not always the case. Especially for established authors in genres like fantasy, the novels can be quite long. In fact, I have one I read an ARC for that is actually longer than a few adult epic fantasy novels I own.

Subject: The subject matter is a little different from young adult, for the most part. Not that there isn't questionable content in any middle grade books, but the focus of plots are often viewed as different. According to the Write4Kids site listed above explains the difference between middle grade and young adult with how the middle grade conflict is focused more inward to the main character. When the character grows, the changes are more focused. Young adult had inward change too but that is often affect by outward influences and a "bigger picture" plot. Of course, there are always exceptions.

While I don't know much about middle grade, I am going to try and learn more this month. Also, over on Reading at Dawn, I will be reviewing middle grade books all month. Hope everyone enjoys September.



What does middle grade mean to you?
Do you read and/or write middle grade?