Tag: genre

Ever Get Tired of Reading the Same Genre all the Time?

John Guillen34 Comments

No.

That was my response yesterday when Jess asked me this question. My reasoning for it is simple. There are great books released in every genre every year. Which means there are always good books out there to be read, no matter the genre. I’ve stated so many times in the past on this blog that I mostly read crime fiction. I don’t think it’s better than any other genre. I don’t think the authors are inherently more talented. I simply enjoy good detective stories.

This is why I want to write crime fiction. Because of what I’ve read. Because of the authors I’ve come to read so many times. For instance, James Patterson is one of my favorite authors. I know he’s always getting criticized for how his books are written and released, but I’ve never not been entertained by one of his Alex Cross novels and I think I’m ten books in. Robert B. Parker has probably influenced every crime writer out there today, and you can definitely see his influence in their work.

See, I don’t have an issue with someone who reads five different genres or dozens of authors all the time. But I think I do have an issue with someone asking this particular question in a manner that suggests one genre isn’t worthy of being read all the time. Because that’s absurd. No one says anything to those readers who only read classics. Or to all those readers who have a never ending YA TBR list. So don’t sit there and ask me how come I only read mysteries. The funny thing is that I’ve read a few different genres and authors in the last two years. JK Rowling. John Green. Anne Frank. Michael Lewis. So even though I might say I mostly read mysteries, I also dabble in other genres along the way.

So tell me, do you ever get tired of reading books within the same genre all the time? You know my answer.

Suggested Reading for the Week of Halloween

John Guillen8 Comments

halloween-header

Photo Credit

I’m sure you’re well aware of the fact that Halloween is this week. Well what better time to read a horror story or something that might keep you awake at night than this week, right? But no, I’m not going to be doing the suggesting here…you are! Y’all know I never recommend books or take recommendations because my taste in reading is my taste and yours is yours. But I’m making an exception. I don’t read horror stories or anything remotely scary at all. I’ve just never really been interested, so I have no idea where to even begin. But I’m hoping some of you have a better idea than I do, and you can pass along your knowledge.

So tell me, what are some books that are sure to get me in the Halloween spirit?

The Perfect Gift…Not

John Guillen6 Comments

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Photo Credit: Darlene Foster

If you’re reading this blog, then you likely have a great interest in books. Maybe you don’t read every day or week, but you might be writing one or editing one or doing something with a book a good amount of your time. The chances are that you even know someone who enjoys books as much as you do. That person is always telling you to read something new or that they’re new novel might finally attract the attention of a traditional publisher. Every winter when Christmas comes around you struggle to come up with the perfect gift idea. After all, you’ve been friends for over a decade. Then you think…BOOKS!

Now here’s where I slap that thought right out of your head. You shouldn’t consider gifting some books to your friends or family members or anyone at all. Why? Because it is rather difficult to really know which book someone might be interested in without just asking the question. Even if you’re aware of their reading habits, it’s still not a good idea. I mean, you could easily just get a book by one of their favorite authors or a new book within their favorite genre. But hopefully we can all agree that just because two books are a part of the same genre does not mean a reader will like them both. It could be the case, but it’s a toss up if you ask me. And it’s likely that your friend has all of the books by their favorite author anyway.

Y’all know I don’t recommend books or gift them because it’s quite a bit easier to just get the Barnes and Noble or Amazon gift card and call it a day. You can show that you know what they’re interested in without trying to guess. I won’t be gifting any books any time soon, will you?

Fun fact: in the photo credit blog post the blogger says that she will give a list of great book gift suggestions that she’s already read. See what I mean? Prime example of someone assuming that you will like a book because she liked a book. Hmm.

Organizing Your Bookshelf

John Guillen33 Comments

Bookshelf 2012 019

Photo Credit: Call Me Crazy Reviews

I know there are plenty of people who have books all over the place. The floor, the coffee table, the sofa…just about everywhere. I wouldn’t consider myself one of these people. I have my two shelves right here that are a bit dusty, but nonetheless fairly organized.

I’ve always wondered at how people organize their own shelves. Not really because I care, but because I can’t see myself organizing mine any differently. Before I tell you how I have my books organized, let’s talk about some ways you might organize yours.

Author Last Name

Fair enough. I think every bookstore I’ve ever been in has organized their books by author last name. The books are easy to find and you have all of the author’s books in close proximity to one another.

Genre

For all of you diverse readers, this may be best suited for you. Maybe you read some romance and sci-fi and YA and mystery and you want them to be separate for when you go back and reread your books. I mean, bookstores are basically set up this way with the different aisles for different genres, so why not your personal collection?

Book Title

Can’t go wrong here. You have your books in alphabetical order based on the book’s title. Easy enough.

Now let me tell you how mine are organized. Answer choice C. I  have my books in alphabetical order based on the book’s title. I suppose I could just as easily have them listed by author last name, but I’ve never liked that. I know it works for others because I’ve seen their shelves, but eh I like my way.

So that’s it. How do you organize your bookshelves? Do you use one of the three systems I mentioned or something else?