What I read is broken down into two clear and distinct camps: Fun and Mental.
Fun is (no sarcasm intended) reading non-fiction of all types, be they bios, memoirs, true crime, general knowledge, history, pop culture, if it's non-fiction, chances are good that I will read it for fun. I also enjoy reading certain kinds of fiction for fun as well, which consists mostly of historical and fantasy.
Mental is (again, no sarcasm intended) reading for reviews. As most of you know, one of the simplest provisions for me to fulfill in my contract is to do at least one book review a quarter of my fellow writer's work. I have since branched that out to review non-Solstice writers as well.
Having to do book reviews is the main reason why I bought a Nook (although I'm having 2nd thoughts) this past summer. I figured that if I was going to do book reviews, the cheapest way to do it would be to buy the book as an e-book.
I'm making slow and steady progress with what I got on my Nook. I say slow and steady, because I try to alternate reading for fun with reading for reviews, while at the same time crank out a few words and promo my book.
As most of you know (at least my long term readers know this) I have recently started exploring different genres to read, with the main reason being that since I have to do book reviews, I might a well expand my horizons.
To give you an idea on how I have expanded my horizons, here is a list of what i have loaded on my Nook. This list is broken down between read & reviewed, waiting to be read & reviewed and one that I'd recently finished on Thanksgiving and reviewed. If any of these titles intrigue you, by all means check them out.
Just finished reading: Softly Say Goodbye by KC Sprayberry (YA about teen drinking).
Having read and reviewed:
- The Millpond Murder Case by Gary Peterson
- The Last Night by Nico Rosso (romance)
- The Substitute by James Hatch
- Invisible by Jeanne Bannon (YA)
- Death & The Journalist by J.L.Petty
- Killing Trail by Charles Gramlich (western shorts)
- Cutman by Mel Odem
- The Chosen by Andrea Buginsky
- Adventures of Cash Laramie and Gideon Welles by Edward Grainger
- Anna's Vision by Joy Redmond
- Crow Feather by Allen Russell
- Days of Beer: A Memoir of a Beer Drinkin' Man by Charles Gramlich
- The Second Vendetta by Carl Brush
And....I have 4 others in paperback from Solstice authors that I have read and reviewed that you might want to check out as well.
- Soul by Erika Hanson
- Year of the Human by Barton Levenson
- Ten-A-Week Steale by Stephen Jared
- Upon A Crazy Horse by Frank Rogers
- An autobio by Sissy Spacek
- A bio of Freddie Mercury
So, to borrow from Capitol One, what's in your reading queue and what do you enjoy reading the most?
Caught up in your clever title. LINE 21 is the only thing in my queue right now. Loving THE FEAST DAY OF FOOLS by James Lee Burke. Hoping to get my Kindle Fire HD any day so I can download your book:)
ReplyDeleteG.A.: Gracias for the upcoming purchase.
ReplyDeleteI like to play word games with my post titles 'cause I'm not one into anything of SEO garbage. If people like me, they'll find me.
I'm making slow but steady progress on the novel from Chris Stovell. It's a romance novel with an interesting setting. Pretty good so far.
That is quite the variety...I like to read all kinds of stuff. Fiction, biography, etc. Right now I am reading some suspense novels that Agatha Christie wrote under a pseudonym. They were classified as "romance" but they aren't.
ReplyDeleteNext up for me is the new Michael Palmer (Political Suicide). I read a little bit of everything.
ReplyDeleteM: Gotta love those strange classifications. Mine is classifed uner "Romance" in addition to "Erotica".
ReplyDeleteI've always been partial towards non-fiction. One of the first non-fiction books that I read when I was young was "The Book of Lists", but having to do book reviews has expanded my horizons quite a bit.
'Course, meeting interesting writers during the past 5 years has helped as well. :D
Mama Z: Sounds interesting. I read a political thriller a few week ago called "The Interrogator". I was very good.
If you're interested, I can slide a copy of mine over to you.
I think that list is alot to read when you consider the FT day-job n all the blogging n writing also-
ReplyDeleteI recently finished Pirate Hunter, by Richard Zacks a historical fact packed account of Captain Kidd in the 17th century with alot of ship action. There's a local rumor some of his hidden treasure is on the Harbor Island seen in my recent post. Now I doubt it!
I'm in the middle of Space by James A Michener, a WWII historical novel.
They were purchased for $1 in the local thrift store which is nearby. Heavy facts to absorb compared to the Sci-Fi strangeness I'm used to. Before those was Dragon's Blood YA Jane Volen (as research).
Next When Darkness Falls Mercedes Lackey n James Mallory , Reckless Abandon Stuart Woods, OtherLand, final volume, Sea of Silver Light Tad Williams.
Prob will take til summer to read all that, now I have VHS movies to watch again-
I got the Nook, too. I like it so far. I just finished "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed.
ReplyDeleteSo often I get bogged down in the books I "have" to read for my two book clubs that I don't have time to read what I really like. Crime fiction. :) Love it.
Snaggle: I acquired a few books via the book sales like that, which in turn got me hooked on a cool mystery series that featured Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell written by Laura King.
ReplyDeleteBut I don't read that much sci-fi that you need an encyclopedia as a companion.
And yes, my reading comes and goes in spurts as well. :D
Lynn: I make a conscious effort to alternate types. At the moment, I'm reading the book by Chris Stovell, which I'll review afterwards, then I'll hop to my local library for a non-fictoin title (saw some really excellent ones that hit the New Non-Fiction shelves).
I find that the Nook is good for doing book reviews, simply because I can bring it to work and get my reading done that way w/o too much aggravation or interference.
I'm still voracious at times, but I do go sometimes for a week without reading but a few pages a day. Work or other things get in the way. And these days I sometimes play mindless video games.
ReplyDeleteCharles: Lately, it seems I do the bulk of my reading at work during lunch and slow periods.
ReplyDeleteI used to bring a newspaper, but its easier and cheaper to bring either a library book or my Nook to read.
Don't do the mindless video games much anymore as I don't have the manual dexterity.
I do play Wii with my daughter and/or my wife, but I usually lose.
As you know I'm not much of a reader, but I have a few books lined up. I just can't remember what they are called. Boy you'd never hear me say that about music! :D
ReplyDeleteJoe: I would definitely never hear you say that about music either. :D
ReplyDeleteSometimes forgetting what you have lined up is a good thing, 'cause when you finally get around to reading something, it becomes a pleasant surprise.