Category Archives: reading

Things That Make Life Easier for Readers

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stack of booksI work a full-time job and write almost every single day while maintaining relationships with friends and family.  Sometimes people ask me, Where do you find time to read?

Others wonder, Where do you find out about all these books?  

And others, But how can you afford your book-buying habit?

These are the tools that allow me to keep up an active and enjoyable reading life.

1. Audio books & multi-tasking.
The truth of the matter is that I simply would not be able to read as much as I do without embracing audiobooks.  I listen while I fall asleep at night, while I get ready in the morning, and while I’m in my car.

2. Audible & multi-tasking.
Again, audiobooks.  A fantastic and flexible subscription to Audible.com allows me to have almost any audiobook on hand anytime I want it.  I listen to these when CDs don’t make sense: while exercising, while tanning.

3. I repeat: multi-tasking.
I don’t do anything mindless without listening to a book, a TEDtalk, or a John Green video.  I mean, if I even want to play a quick game of Tetris, I make sure I have something to listen to.

4. Book blogs & Bloglovin.
I follow 85 blogs,over 50 of them writing- or reading-related.  I couldn’t keep up with this many blogs without the help of my blog reader, bloglovin.com.  It’s easy and intuitive and a time-saver!

5. Google Alerts.
How do I decide which book blogs to follow?  I have Google Alerts for my favorite authors, so every day I’m emailed news and posts about them.  If a blogger loves one of my favorite authors or books, I add them to my Bloglovin reader (assuming they have a similar taste as mine!).

6. Goodreads.
I don’t use Goodreads as much as some other readers, but I do like that it gives me personalized recommendations and that I can read quotes from the book before I decide to read it.  The reviews can be hit or miss without any context for the reviewer (i.e. How do I know if this person has good taste?), but they are sometimes helpful.  It’s also nice to see a collective reader rating on a book before diving in.

7. Barnes & Noble membership & Mastercard.
My membership gives me free shipping on everything (worth exponentially more than the membership dues), and my Mastercard gives me Barnes & Noble giftcards as rewards.  I keep my wishlist items in the “save for later” bin on the B&N website, and when a giftcard arrives in the mail, I spent it in about seven seconds.

Hope you’ve found something helpful in this list!  I’d love to hear YOUR best tips!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme over at The Broke and the Bookish. 

Jackie’s Favorite C.S. Lewis Books

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cs lewis1. The Chronicles of Narnia are hands down my favorite of Jack Lewis’s books and so take the #1 spot.  Were I pressed to delineate the order in which I rank them, I would say this: The Last Battle; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; The Horse and His Boy; The Magician’s Nephew; The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; Prince Caspian; The Silver Chair.  I think.  I love them all though and usually listen to a Narnia audiobook to fall asleep each night.  In this way, I read the whole series perhaps a dozen times a year.  That’s a lot of Narnia– just the way I like it.

2. The space trilogy: Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength.  Theological science fiction?  Heck yes!  And each book is better than the last.

3. The Great Divorce.  One crazy bus ride through the afterlife.

4. Till We Have Faces.

5. A Grief Observed.  Written after his wife died.  I read this in one evening.

6. Mere Christianity.

7. The Problem of Pain.  How can God be all-good and all-powerful if there is still pain in the world?

8. Letters to Children.  A collection of Lewis’s letters written mostly to kiddos.  LOVE.

Notably absent:
The Screwtape Letters.  While this book of advice from one demon to his nephew is an oft-quoted favorite of people, it’s not one of mine.  It’s clever and valuable, and you should definitely read it, but it’s a lot to swim through.  Even Lewis claimed it was “not fun” to write and that he’d never written anything with “less enjoyment.”  He wrote, “Though I had never written anything more easily, I never wrote with less enjoyment . . . though it was easy to twist one’s mind into the diabolical attitude, it was not fun, or not for long. The strain produced a sort of spiritual cramp. The work into which I had to project myself while I spoke through Screwtape was all dust, grit, thirst, and itch.”  He “was resolved never to write another ‘Letter.'”

Surprised by Joy.  This is Lewis’s autobiography, and while it’s been many years since I’ve read it, it certainly wasn’t a favorite of mine.

A to Z Bookish Survey!

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AtoZsurveyI thought this survey, hosted by The Perpetual Page-Turner, looked right up my alley … and yours!

Author you’ve read the most books from:

C.S. Lewis!  (Unless you count the childhood years, in which case, Ann M. Martin wins … I think I owned 150+ Babysitters Club books, ha!)

Best Sequel Ever:

Perelandra by C.S. Lewis or The Piper’s Son by Melina Marchetta

Currently Reading:

UnWholly by Neal Shusterman

Drink of Choice While Reading:

Mmm … hot cocoa.  (Well, in those Minnesota winters, at least!)

E-reader or Physical Book?

Well … I’m mainly an audiobook girl!

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School:

I would have wanted to date Augustus Waters.  Or Jonah Griggs.  Be still, my teenage heart.  (My top 10 literary boyfriends here!)

Glad You Gave This Book A Chance:

City of Bones by Cassie Clare.  This is soooooooo not my normal kind of book, but I ended up really enjoying The Mortal Instruments series!

Hidden Gem Book:

The Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle.  I try my hardest to recruit people to read it!

Important Moment in your Reading Life:

I can think of a couple: 1) Reading Where the Red Fern Grows, the first book to make me cry; 2) Staying up late to finish the Harry Potter series; 3) Reading The Book Thief in pajamas till 5pm one Saturday.

Just Finished:

The Lover’s Dictionary by David Levithan

Kinds of Books You Won’t Read:

Here is a list of books topics that turn me off!

Longest Book You’ve Read:

Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix.  870 pages of teenage angst.

Major book hangover because of:

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.  I take personal offense if people don’t like this book.

Number of Bookcases You Own:

Three.  A “favorites” shelf, a jam-packed fiction and literary writing shelf, and another full non-fiction shelf.

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:

Well, I just read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe five times in the last month.  Narnia addict.

Preferred Place To Read:

I love listening to audiobooks on long car rides!  Otherwise, I want to be in bed!

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read:

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Reading Regret:

I regret giving into the pressure to read Twilight.

Series You Started And Need To Finish(all books are out in series):

The Unwind dystology by Neal Shusterman!  (Actually, I’m not sure the third book is out yet …)

Three of your All-Time Favorite Books:

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (I know that’s cheating, and I don’t care); The Book Thief by Markus Zusak; Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Unapologetic Fangirl For:

Narnia!!! Harry Potter!!!

Yep, we played this before one of the midnight showings ... our blindfold was a Gryffindor scarf.

Yep, we played this before one of the midnight showings … our blindfold was a Gryffindor scarf.

Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others:

Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi

Worst Bookish Habit:

Not using the library enough.  Using my credit card too much.

X Marks The Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book:

To Own a Dragon by Donald Miller and John MacMurray Jr.

Your latest book purchase:

The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider (preordered: it is released later this month!)

ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late):

The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay, which I rather enjoyed.

Review: The Lover’s Dictionary by David Levithan

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lover's dictionaryHaving enjoyed David Levithan’s recent YA book (Every Day) as well as his co-authored book with John Green (Will Grayson, Will Grayson), I was excited to see he had another novel out, The Lover’s Dictionary.

I read it in about an hour.

It’s a delightful little novel/poem/dictionary with short entries and unnamed main characters, just “you” and “I.”  I didn’t know how much I’d get to know the characters through the tiny little vignettes, but the answer was a lot.  And it was a story too– a novel, though a non-traditional one.  The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger, but it seemed quite satisfying for it to end that way.

I hope you’ll enjoy it.  It includes delicious little lines like these:

“Knit me a sweater out of your best stories.”

“It was after sex, when there was still heat and mostly breathing, when there was still touch and mostly thought …”

“Cranes, the birds with the rubber necks, don’t always find carnage.  Sometimes it’s just rain.”

Favorite Endings

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme over at The Broke and the Bookish.  Today’s topic is

TOP TEN BEST BEGINNINGS & ENDINGS.

I’m focusing on endings today.  Remember, I come at this not just as a reader but as a writer … so my favorite endings are not necessarily happy ones.  Sometimes they’re downright sad– but that perfect, satisfying, necessary sadness that works at the end of an incredible story.

I’ll try to go ultra-light on the spoilers, though it’s hard when this post is about endings.

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10. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White | That ending!  That speech!

9. Stargirl & Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli | Yes and yes.  I couldn’t figure out how Love, Stargirl could end in a satisfying way, but Jerry Spinelli pulled it off masterfully!

8. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern | The way it had to end.

7. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead | All i’s dotted and t’s crossed.

6. Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis | BOOM!!!  The ending is INTENSE.

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5. Every Day by David Levithan | A selfless ending.  Blew my mind.

4. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak | Max.

3. The Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle | Mmm, epic.

2. Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling | An ending seven books in the making.

1. The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis | No better ending.

Your turn!  What books have your favorite endings, happy or sad?

Review: Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

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throughtheevernightThe second book of the Under the Never Sky trilogy, Through the Ever Night was great!  As you may remember, I loved the first book but was frustrated with its ending (too much packed in too quickly), but I was willing to keep reading to learn more about Aria, the girl who’d grown up in a biosphere and was now trying to stay alive on the outside, and Perry, the boy who was helping her to do so.

I’m so glad I did.

Hard decisions.  Lots of responsibility.  Heart-pounding drama.  You get it all with this book.

I can’t wait till the third book Into the Still Blue … January 2000-freaking-14.  I really should not start series till they’re all out (that’s what happened with me and Potter, and it was delicious).

Review: Golden by Jessi Kirby

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tbr5Reading contemporary YA books can be a struggle for me, since that’s my genre– it’s my favorite, but I compare it to my own writing so much that sometimes it’s actually hard to read.  (Hence why I cried for two reasons while reading The Fault in Our Stars.)  

Golden is the story of Parker Frost, a high school senior who never takes chances.  Everything she does is dictated by what her mother wants and what people expect of her.  But when a decade-old journal falls into her hands which sheds light on a town mystery (the mysterious car crash of Julianna and Shane, the town’s former golden couple), Parker might need to step out of her shell.

This book had so many great elements to it– a story within a story, plenty of poetry, a cute boy, a mystery.  And yet it fell a little flat for me.  I liked it, but I didn’t love it.  I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.  I found myself frustrated with how pokey Parker was (and that is coming from me, who is definitely a goody-two-shoes), and I felt confused over Parker’s relationship with her best friend Kat.  I guess, ultimately, the problem for me was that I didn’t feel that I truly got to know the characters, and characters are probably the #1 most important part of a story (for me).

Should you read it?  If you’re into contemp, then yes, go for it.  It’s a quick read, and I’m glad I read it.  It’s given me lots of ideas for my WIP.  If it’s not your genre, skip it.  

I need more contemporary YA to read.  Any suggestions?

Review: The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

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Extra points for an awesome cover!

Extra points for an awesome cover!

I had read some advance reviews of The Sea of Tranquility, and they were SO good that I pre-ordered this book months before it came out.  I also bought it on Audible.  I listened to the first half while exercising and tanning (both in preparation for Des’s wedding), and at the halfway point, I decided, This needs to happen RIGHT. NOW.  So I stayed up till 2 am finishing up my paper copy.

I very much enjoyed this book, though I’m not quite willing to add it to my list of favorites.  I also was very fascinated by Josh Bennett, yet he’s not going to make it onto my list of literary boyfriends.  Should you read this book?  Yes, no hesitations there.

It’s about Nastya, a girl who stopped speaking after she was randomly attacked, and about Josh, a boy whose entire family has died.  They are both incredible characters, so deep and rich and FUNNY and real (gosh, this is making me want to go re-read it already!).  This is their story.

Millay’s writing is this no-holds-barred, slap-you-across-the-face kind of wonderful, and the book’s content doesn’t hold back either.  If you’ll be offended by underage drinking, drugs, and sex, then this book is not for you– although I would definitely not call this book gritty.  Not in the usual sense– where teenaged hoodlums are living lives of crime on the street.  These are normal ol’ kids in the ‘burbs– except that they have seen terrible things.

Loved the characters.  Loved the writing.  Loved the story.  It’s fascinating that the book addresses that girls each have “one unforgivable offense” for boys– because this book kind of broached mine— and that alone is why I am not throwing a parade in honor of The Sea of Tranquility.

Read it.  You’ll like it.

Authors Who Deserve More Recognition

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme over at The Broke and the Bookish.  Today’s topic is

TOP TEN AUTHORS WHO DESERVE MORE RECOGNITION.

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10. Annie Dillard | The Writing Life will blow your mind.  The Maytrees is incredible.

9. Luci Shaw | I deeply appreciate Shaw’s ability to write about Christianity without succumbing to over-sentimentality.  Her poems are like truth: good, hard-hitting.

8. Patrick Ness | After reading A Monster Calls (and sobbing like a baby) and then his Chaos Walking trilogy, I am convinced Ness is a different breed of YA author.  I love his depth.

7. Rainbow Rowell | She is definitely becoming more of a household name after the great success of Eleanor and Park— she deserves it!

6. Peter Beagle | I cannot say just how much I love The Last Unicorn, but I try to.

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5. Erin Morgenstern | Morgenstern only has one book out so far– The Night Circus— but the book is so utterly masterful that I want the world to know about her!

4. Leif Enger | Peace Like a River is sheer brilliance.

3. Yann Martel | With the new Life of Pi movie out, Martel is becoming more well-known.  But I am actually more intrigued by his other work: his novel Beatrice and Virgil and his short story “The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios.”

2. Jandy Nelson | Again, Nelson only has one book out so far– The Sky is Everywhere— but it’s gorgeous and has landed her on my auto-buy list.

1. Melina Marchetta | I have an evangelical zeal for spreading the name of this Aussie author.  She is my favorite, and I won’t be satisfied until she has ALLTHERECOGNITION.  There are a lot of reasons you NEED to read Marchetta’s work.

Your turn!  Which authors do you think deserve more recognition?