Recently went to my local Books A Million store and boy was it a bit eye-opening! Take a look and see why!
Tag: reading
Video: Why does Barnes and Noble do this!?
I know I disappeared for a bit. I had shoulder surgery in April. Then my home repairs took nearly a month to complete. But that’s in the past.
Today’s video is about Barnes and Noble and their attempt to dissuade shoppers from buying books there. You probably read that and thought it was a typo, but no! Watch and you’ll see.
TBR books I’m excited to read
My to be read (TBR) shelf took a major hit last year due to my reading and slowly I’ve added more and more to it once again. Some of these are newly owned and some aren’t. Which books are on your TBR shelf waiting to be read?
How do I decide which books to buy?
I was wandering my local Barnes and Noble on Sunday when I was asked this question. I thought about it. Then thought some more and realized I have no idea.
That’s only partially true. If I’m reading a series I’m enjoying, then I just continue. There’s the Amazon list of 100 books everyone should read. Sometimes there’s a ton of hype surrounding a book. Some are heavily recommended. And most rarely I’ll just find myself in the bookstore waiting for something to catch my eye. All this to say I have no set way of deciding which books to buy. This likely explains why I have so many books I haven’t yet read. I buy them in a moment of interest and then once the moment passes, so does my willingness to read them.
How do you decide which books to buy?
Half Price Books Mini Haul #2
My second mini haul recently. I may need to stop spending all my money at the bookstore. 😳 Which books have you bought recently?
On Not Reading…Again
I could search through the archives on here and find several posts about not reading. I started the year on an all-time high. I’d finally reached my goal of 50 books in a calendar year. There was no stopping me. Fast forward two months and I haven’t read a single page since mid-January.
At first I was pacing myself. No need to fly through every book in sight. Then life happened. February gave me some phenomenal memories. Then things fell apart. I became distracted by every possible thing, besides my books. But I’ve made a recent decision that will hopefully give me lots of free time in the coming days, weeks, and months. What better to do than get back into a reading groove?
Just have to round the corner and get back into it.
Snow Day Reading
Much of the US is in the midst of a cold snap right at the tail end of winter. Houston is no different. Today is the third time I’ve gotten to see snow in person. But it’s the first time it hasn’t melted away almost immediately.
Do you have any preferred snow day reads?
Giving New Authors a Chance
One thing readers struggle with is finding new authors who aren’t the James Pattersons of the world. It’s so easy to pick up what everyone else already has. It might even make you feel like you’re joining the cool club. But that doesn’t help the little guy.
A few times a year a debut novel will become an instant bestseller. There are plenty of factors behind this, but for every one that’s able to do the impossible, there are dozens that struggle to sell any copies at all. Again, there are many factors that play into when this happens.
What I’ve decided recently is to make a concerted effort to try new authors, specifically debut authors. I’m sure 20 different people could come up with 20 different ways to do this, but my initial plan is simple. The Edgars. The Edgar Awards are awarded annually to the best (mostly) in mystery. It may be a stretch to say they’re the Oscars of mystery books, but not by much. There’s a category for ‘Best First Novel’. I’ll use the category to read debut authors, and I can keep going back year after year if I choose to do so.
January Reading Recap
At the start of the year I decided to set a reasonable pace for my reading and stick to it rather than just seeing what happens. The goal is to avoid the multi-month frenzy I had toward the end of last year. Yes I reached my goal, but I’d prefer to avoid an 11 book December. In January I read four books.
All Quiet on the Western Front
This was my second book set in WWI in recent months. It tells the story from the German perspective. Most notable about this book is that it may be the most antiwar book you ever read. Rated 4 stars.
To Selena, With Love
Chris Perez waited more than a decade to tell his side of their love story. The beauty of this perspective is he isn’t trying to describe the budding superstar, but the person he knew and loved. Rated 5 stars.
D-Day: Minute by Minute
Jonathan Mayo describes the events of D-Day during WWII from first person accounts. Could be a general. Followed by a corporal. Then a journalist. He doesn’t describe it as you’d normally expect, but literally minute by minute. Though different, the format is very well done. Rated 5 stars.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz
I have many thoughts and issues with this book I’ll save for another post when I share my review. But for now, rated 1 star.
Those are the books I started the year with. What did you read last month?
Why Robert Crais is the Best Mystery Author
Robert Crais has been a favorite author of mine for some time now. In 2020 during my record-setting year of reading I read nine of his books. As of this writing I’ve now read all but the most recent two books he’s published. He’s proven to be in a class of his own among his many contemporaries. Who would you say is the best mystery author writing today?
Johnny Reads 