Original Book Covers Are The Best Book Covers

Why do some people think that when a book is re-released, the cover should be re-designed? Did they learn nothing from the “New Coke” incident of 1985?

When I read a book to death (RIP Watchers & Watership Down), I search for replacement copies of the original covers. I know the content of the books doesn’t change, but I love the originals. I’m sentimental like that.

Does anyone think this:

is better than this?

(The answer is no, in case you wondered.)

I miss the days when authors’ books were easily recognizable by their covers. All of Christopher Pike’s, LJ Smith’s, Dean Koontz’s book covers had designs that were as distinct as their voices.

That being said… I do enjoy getting some classic books with a variety of covers. I have different versions of Pride and Prejudice and some of Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland that I enjoy. I like some of the covers better than others, but I’m not emotionally attached to any of them. Maybe it’s because of when I read them?

Did you hear that the original Babysitter’s Club books are going to be re-released with the original covers, in a collector’s tin? It’s true; you can pre-order them on Amazon. I’ve already bought mine. My collection didn’t survive my parents’ attic.

Where do you weigh in on new vs. old book covers?

Book Challenges- Week 18

I’ve gotten a bit off track with book challenges. It’s because when life is stressful, I basically stress consume books in the way other people might go for pizza. (Though, truthfully, I do that too.) But starting next week, I’m getting back on track. Actually, I’ve already started The Stand. Hopefully it won’t take me much longer than a week, but we’ll see. It’s an interesting book, but so loooonnnngg.

Popsugar Challenge

(17/50)

While I Was Reading Challenge

(4/12)- No progress this week

The Unread Shelf

Running Total: 3 Um… is that really all? I’m not doing so well on this one.

5 Classic Books

(0/5) No progress… I think I’d better get started.

Miscellaneous Reading

Mr. Darcy’s Diary, by Amanda Grange (romance): This book is one of my secret pleasures. It’s like watching a bad movie while eating an entire bag of M&Ms. Not to say the book is bad; it isn’t. But it’s obviously a rip-off of Pride and Predjudice, focusing on the “good parts” with Elizabeth and Darcy but skipping over all the fluff in between. I usually end up reading this book when I need something mindless and enjoyable.

I Hunt Killers, Game, Blood of My Blood, by Barry Lyga (YA mystery/ thriller): These books are a trilogy about Jasper Dent, the son of the world’s most prolific serial killer. He killed a known 126 before he was caught, and he was teaching his son everything he knew. Jasper didn’t want the legacy; he just wants to get through high school and not kill anyone. But when a series of murders happen in his small town, he believes he’s the only one who can catch the killer.

The first book started off slow. Not slow enough to stop, but I did think about it. I liked the characters enough to keep going, and once I hit a certain point, it was a thrill ride. Each of the three books is better than the last (which is rare for a trilogy). The second one required a bit more suspension of disbelief than the other two (one of the characters does some “too stupid to live” stuff), but I went with it. I loved the conclusion to the books, and if there was ever a book where grown up Jasper Dent becomes an FBI agent or something, I’d be all in.

Lucky Day, Career Day, Neutral Mask, by Barry Lyga (YA): I included these separately becuase they’re short prequels to the I Hunt Killers trilogy. They’re not essential to the series, but if you’re like me and can’t get enough of characters you like, they’re worth reading. I got Lucky Day from the library (it’s a novella), but I had to join Wattpad to get the other two (they’re short stories). Of the three, I especially liked Neutral Mask, which is from Connie’s point of view.

Abandoned

None this week.

2018 Running Total: 53

Have you made any progress on your TBR or book challenges?

Book Challenges- Week 15-17

As you can probably imagine, I burned out on blog posts during the A to Z Challenge. I love it, and I’ll talk more about it in my reflection post, but I decided to take a break from reporting in on my book challenges.

Popsugar Challenge

(17/50)

A book with a weather element in the title: Black Lightning, by John Saul (horror): When I was a teenager, I read a ton of John Saul books. Full disclosure: I have no idea if I read this one before or not. It’s a good, straightforward book about a serial killer and some weird paranormal stuff that happens. I enjoyed it, but didn’t love it.

A book that was published in 2018: The Woman In The Window, by AJ Finn (thriller/ mystery): I generally hate the trope of “unreliable narrator who drinks too much and basically causes all their own problems.” This book started off that way, but I stuck with it because a trusted friend recommended it. When it hit 50% or so, there was a twist I loved so much that I was all in, and I couldn’t put it down until the conclusion.

A book about twins: Blood & Salt, by Kim Liggett (YA horror/ paranormal): I decided that I needed to start reading more YA horror, because that’s what I write and enjoy. So that may be why I’ve had a run of particularly enjoyable books, and this is one of them. Ash and her twin know their mother used to belong to a cult, but she got out… or so they thought. When their mom disappears, they find and infiltrate the cult in order to help her, but there’s so much more going on than they bargained for. This book kept me on the edge of my seat, and kept me guessing as to who were the good guys and who were the bad guys up until the end. They wrapped it up enough to satisfy me, but be warned… there is a sequel…

While I Was Reading Challenge

(4/12)- No progress this week

The Unread Shelf

Running Total: 3 Um… is that really all? I’m not doing so well on this one.

5 Classic Books

(0/5) No progress… I think I’d better get started.

Miscellaneous Reading

Fire Up Your Writing Brain: How to Use Proven Neuroscience to Become a More Creative, Productive, and Successful Writer, by Susan Reynolds (non-fiction): This book has a lot of interesting information about the brain and different techniques to work with how the brain likes to do things.

The Girl From the Well, by Rin Chupeco (YA horror): This book is on my favorite books of 2018 list. It’s a fantastic story that draws from Japanese legends. The narrator is a vengeful ghost who kills people who murder children. But when she meets a teenage boy who’s got a demon inside, she starts to think about things other than vengence. It’s a good standalone book but does have a sequel.

Famous Last Words, by Katie Alender (YA mystery/ horror): From the cover (and the description), this one looks like fluff. It’s not. There’s a serial killer and a ghost, and how those two things intersect is a lot of fun.

The Forgotten Book, by Mechthild Glaser (YA fantasy): I was attracted to this one by the gorgeous cover. The book wasn’t what I expected, but I still enjoyed it. I knew that it was a reinterpretation of Pride and Predjudice, and I love all things P&P. That being said, it made the story somewhat predictible. There’s a definite fantasy element that wassn’t in the original book, so it’s a unique angle in that sense. If you’re a P&P fan, it’s worth reading once.

The Dark Side of Nowhere, by Neal Shusterman (YA science fiction): This was a fast read with an interesting premise. It sets up the weird very well and keeps it going throughout the book. The conclusion is satisfuying. I won’t say this was my favorite book this year, but I definitely wanted to see what happened.

We Were Liars, by E. Lockhart (YA mystery): This book. I don’t even know what to say. It’s nearly impossible to discuss with anyone who hasn’t read it. I’ll just say that it was a roller coaster ride from beginning to end, and that if you love mysteries, you should read this.

Dark In Death, by JD Robb (#46) (Mystery/ romance): I am in awe of Nora Roberts (aka JD Robb) for keeping this series going strong for almost 50 books now. I love the characters in these stories, and love how they interact with one another. Having followed this series from the beginning, it’s lovely to see how they’ve all grown and changed over time. I love cop procedurals, but these books are so much more than just that. Some of them I like better than others, and this is one of my favorites. The premise of the murder was creative and a lot of fun.

Abandoned

None this week.

2018 Running Total: 47

Have you made any progress on your TBR or book challenges?

G is for (Books About) Growing Up #atozchallenge

For A to Z 2018, my theme is Books About ____. If you’re stopping by from your own A to Z blog, feel free to leave a link. If you need help with how to do that, you can look here.

If you’re someone looking to read a lot of great blogs, here’s the link for the A to Z challenge.

With the frequency that young adult fiction shows up on this blog, it may come as no surprise that a lot of them have themes about growing up. We all get older, but we don’t all get wiser… at least not at the same rate. I could have done all YA books, but I decided to mix it up a bit. It’s more fun that way.

Everything, Everything, by Nicola Yoon (YA contemporary): Maddy is literally allergic to everything, so she’s not allowed to go outside or interact with other people. She’s lonely but has figured out how to build a life for herself. Growing up often means questioning what people have told us and learning about the world for ourselves, and that’s what Maddy ultimately has to do when she starts developing a friendship with Olly, the boy who moves in next door. I was in Las Vegas, hanging out with a friend I hadn’t seen in years, and I still couldn’t put this book down. I’m pretty sure she’s forgiven me.

Pride & Prejudice, by Jane Austen (literary classic): Elizabeth and Darcy both grow up throughout this book, learning that the assumptions they’ve made about others (but mostly each other) are not correct. I love this book for that reason (and many others). There are so many adults out there who would benefit from learning this lesson.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum (classic): First off, I have to say this… the book is VERY different from the movie. The same main characters are there, and the same basic thing happens, but the book has so much more. When the book starts, Dorothy gets swept away to the land of Oz, and all she wants is for someone to send her back home. She (and eventually the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion) go to seek out Oz to give them the things they want. Along the journey, they have to find their courage and will to fight through obstacles. In the process, Dorothy learns about herself and what’s really important.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith (bildungsroman): I read this last year for the Popsugar challenge, “a genre you’ve never heard of.” Bildungsroman is “a novel dealing with someone’s formative years or spiritual education.” It follows Francie from the time she’s about 11 up until about 16. She’s growing up in the slums with a mother who works too hard and a father who’s a drunk. But through it all, Francie finds ways to stay happy and survive. It’s a quiet novel with little action, but Francie is so compelling that it kept me turning pages.

What books about growing up do you love?

I Highlight in Books, But Only Monsters Dog-Ear Pages

This is from Chapter 1 of the Fault In Our Stars. I didn’t want to post anything that might have spoilers, if people haven’t read it and want to.

Once upon a time, I hated writing in books.  I hated highlighting in them or taking notes.  I thought that it was an awful thing to write in books, and I only did it for school with lot of guilty feelings.

Somewhere along the line, I started using a highlighter in my regular fiction novels.  If something particularly strikes me, I mark it up.  It started with a yellow highlighter, and eventually became pen, when nothing else is available.  It’s like a book tattoo. (These are only my books I do this to… I’d never mark a library book or a book borrowed from a friend.) I also don’t do it if I’m not going to keep the book. To me, marking a book is an act of love. If we’re not in a committed relationship, then I leave it in the condition I found it.

I’ve always loved books with signs of wear.  I love it when the spine is cracked and worn, and the cover has marks.  I love when I get an old book, and there’s something written inside by someone else.  It makes the book look well-loved.  I don’t try to wear out my books, but when I read them over and over, sometimes I’m not as careful as I should be.  I’m walking along, holding the book, and bump into something.  Or I don’t want to put the book down, but I have to because real life, and it ends up face down on a water ring from my drink, or stray veggie soup from my dinner.

That being said, I never dog-ear pages.  I will use anything handy as a bookmark (because I so seldom remember to use a real bookmark).  I’ll put them face down, or I’ll just close them and hope I remember where I was. Dog-earing pages weakens the page, causing tears. I can almost hear books that have been folded like that crying in despair.

For books like Pride and Prejudice, which I’ve read so many times that I can start anywhere and enjoy it, I use post-it notes to mark my favorite parts.  That way, if I’m having a bad day, I can open the book to one of the post-its and read a single section, or read all my post-it marks and enjoy a greatly “abridged” version.

What’s your stand on marking and dog-earing books?

 

To Buy or Not to Buy… That is the Question…

Actually, even though the title of the post is to buy or not, that’s not really the question.  The question is whether to keep them once bought.

I’m a little bit of a hoarder.  I know people who change out their wardrobes seasonally, and have no trouble getting rid of old clothes, but I figure that if I buy it, I should keep it.

That’s why I have thousands of books.  Literally, thousands.

I try not to buy books.  I really try.  I use my local library for both ebooks and paper books.  But when I buy a book, I prefer to have the physical copy.

When I was attempting to shelve my huge collection, I started giving a lot of thought to clutter, and how much I hate it.  I started to really think about why I own so many books.  I haven’t read all of them.  Some of them were given to me by people who know I like books.  Some of them are well-loved books I’ve read a million times or might read again.  So, how do I decide which stay and which ones go?  I’ve made up a few rules.

If it has sentimental value.  My grandfather didn’t read many books, but he read and loved Marley and Me.  I enjoyed that book too, but even if I didn’t, I’d still own a copy.  It always makes me think of him.  And fairy tales make me think of my grandma.

If I’m going to re-read it.  I’ve read Watership Down more times than I can count.  So much so that I recently had to buy a new copy, as my old one was falling apart.  I love books that bear those kinds of marks of how well-loved they are.  My copy of Pride and Prejudice has post-it flags stuck in my favorite parts, so if I’m having a bad day, I can visit my favorite parts of the story and get a quick mood boost.

If it’s a classic.  I’m working my way through many of the classics, and even the ones I didn’t like, I’m keeping on my shelf.  I figure that it it’s stood up that much over the years, I may want to revisit it at a different point in my life.  I tried reading 1984 for the first time a few years ago, and though I recognized that it was a good book and I should like it, I just couldn’t stay interested.  Two years later, I picked it up and sped through it.  What’s going on in my life absolutely affects what I read and how I perceive it.

If it’s a “reference” book.  This is kind of a tricky one.  I write speculative fiction, so having books full of ghost stories, myths and legends, on my shelves is good practice.  I never know where I might find inspiration.

I haven’t read it yet, but I plan to.  I’m a sucker for used bookstores.  Sometimes I just have to pick something up because it looks good, but then I don’t get to it for awhile.  I’m okay with that.  But there are some books that I’ll probably never get to, and I need to learn to let them go.

These rules are flexible and subject to change.  But I’ve already taken two boxes of books to my local Half-Price books, and it feels good to know I’m reducing some of the clutter.

Do you buy books or get them from the library?  How do you decide which to keep and which to get rid of?

What I’m Reading

At the end of the year, I post a list of everything I read, but I think it would be far more fun (and potentially generate more dialog) to talk about what I’m reading a couple times a month.

So, here goes.  So far in January, I’ve read:

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill–  This is a ghost story, but a really, really cool ghost story.  It’s about a guy (Jude) who buys a ghost on an auction website.  It’s a horror story, of course, but what makes the story so interesting is that it’s about interesting people.   The author focuses on the characters’ reactions to what’s going on, and he does a great job of showing how relationships change under stress.  The ghost made it scary, but the ghost was integrated so seamlessly into the story, that I believed it could all happen.  This is one of the best (and most unique) ghost stories I’ve ever read.

In the Unlikely Event, by Judy Blume– I have fond memories of reading Judy Blume from my childhood.  Blubber and Are You There God?  It’s Me, Margaret were pretty much required reading for a girl growing up in the 80s.  I’ve read a few books as an adult, but they haven’t had the same magic.  In the Unlikely Event is based on something that happened in the author’s life, in which there were multiple plane crashes in her hometown in a two month period.  This book is about a group of characters and their lives.

My primary criticism of this book was that there were just far too many characters, and the book kept switching point of view.  I read it on my Kindle, and it was somewhat hard to keep track of everyone and how they were related.  I read it, I liked it, but I wouldn’t buy it.  If you like books about people and how they react to events, it’s a good book, but it’s definitely not at the top of my list.  I like books where I can connect with characters, and with this one, we went broad, but not deep.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen–  I’ve read this book 3,467 times before.  Okay, maybe not that many, but a lot.  It gets better every time.  Published in 1813 (200 years ago… yikes!), it’s about Elizabeth, a witty young woman, and Mr. Darcy, a proud and reserved man.  They have a series of run-ins and misunderstandings.  Throughout the book, they both mature and come to a better understanding about themselves and the price of making assumptions.

I read this one cover to cover about once a year, but I have paperback and Kindle copies of it, so sometimes, if I’m bored, I pick out my favorite passages and reread them.  I love the romance, the portrayal of the time period, and the language.  The language is beautiful without being overbearing.  Often, in literary fiction/ classics, the language becomes so “beautiful” that I have no idea what anyone’s saying.  Not so with this book.  If you’ve never read it, go out and buy it right now.

If you’ve read any of these books, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

The Timelessness of Stories

The death of Alan Rickman got me to thinking about stories, and how important they are, in so many ways, to us all.

Everyone loves a good story, whether it’s one that’s been written down, acted out, or told.  Stories are one of the oldest forms of entertainment.  They’re endlessly flexible, and though the core of them has never changed (good vs. evil, love, etc), the way they are told does reflect the times.  Fiction has a way of holding up a mirror to what’s important in society.

Alan Rickman was a wonderful actor who played a myriad of parts, though he’s perhaps best known for his villains.  His death has led others to speak out about what a wonderful man and friend he was as well, something I didn’t give much thought to before his death.  To me he was Snape, Hans Gruber, the Metatron, the Sherrif of Nottingham, and so many other characters.

That’s the power that stories have.  Stories transport us from our everyday lives, and have the ability to speak truths more profound than if they were plainly stated.  There’s a reason why artists of every kind are important to a society, and why the stories they tell, if told well, overshadow the writer, the actor, the teller.  The tale is what’s important, and if told well, becomes alive.

Pride and Prejudice was first published in 1813.  That’s over 200 years ago.  Yet there have been dozens of movie and TV adaptations of it.  Most recently, a parody novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies has been published and will be made into a movie.  The story takes the classic version and adds our currently cultural obsession.  There have been countless adaptations and spinoffs.  The story is timeless, and both Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy are characters with lives of their own.  They’re not just names on paper; they’re living, breathing, people.  They’ve lived 200 years, and it’s unlikely that they’ll ever die.

I expect that Harry Potter will be the same way.  In our movie age, though, it’s likely that the books and the movies will always be merged, to an extent.  Who can picture Severus Snape without picturing Alan Rickman?  I can’t.  Will Alan Rickman still be Professor Snape 200 years from now?  Only time will tell, of course, but I’d like to believe that even if the movies are redone decades from now with fresh faces, Alan Rickman will always be the Snape that others are measured against.

There’s nothing I love better than a good story.  I want to be transported to different times and places.  I want to live inside someone else’s head for a little while, see through their eyes.  I love to talk to others about their stories, or the stories they love, or the stories they don’t love, and why.

I don’t want to hear about the weather; I want to hear about how the sun baked your skin, why you use sunblock (or don’t), what you think about vampires, and about whether or not you dance in the rain.

I don’t want to watch you use your cell phone while we’re at dinner; I want to hear about the last really great meal you had, whether or not you think you should have dessert first (because life’s short), whether or not you think that cell phones are secretly used by the government to listen to me talk about the weather, and how you use your phone to stay in touch with the people who are most important to you.

In other words, I’d rather hear you say something absurd than something mundane.  We’re all so in the habit of having safe conversations that we don’t say the really interesting things we’re thinking.  I’m wondering if people even have interesting thoughts anymore, or if cat videos are the current highlight of human insight.

Smile at me.  Say something absurd.  Tell me a story.

 

Pride and Prejudice-A Review

On Throwback Thursdays, I review a book that’s been around for awhile, and that I think everyone should read.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is one of those books I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to read in high school, but we didn’t.  In my high school, we skipped many classics to read things our teacher thought we would like better (we didn’t).

I read this sometime after high school, trying to give myself an education on some of the classics.  I never expected to like it.

I loved it.

It was a little hard to get into at first, with the language being different than modern day English, but it didn’t take me long to adjust to the rhythm and style.  The thing of this book is that the story is wonderful.  And while it’s set in the 1800’s in England, it’s a story that’s still relevant today.

Elizabeth Bennett is a spitfire with an embarrassing family.  Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy meet at a neighborhood ball, as Mr. Darcy is in town visiting a friend.   Mr. Darcy seems arrogant and aloof, as if he believes he’s too good to be there.  He insults Elizabeth, which in turn make her dislike him.

The book follows Elizabeth on her adventures as she travels and has to deal with her family.  She and Mr. Darcy meet again and again, and though she doesn’t like him, she’s not intimidated by him, and their verbal exchanges are always amusing.

If you haven’t read Pride and Prejudice, now’s the time to read it and be able to say you’ve read a classic.  It’s a pretty short book, but if you’re anything like me, you’ll want to read it again and again.

*If you’re a Pride and Prejudice fan already, and you like horror spoofs, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was pretty funny.  I’d rather read the original, but it was worth reading once.

My 10 Favorite Books

It’s no secret that I love to read, and in fact, I’m a re-reader.  I know that not everyone does that, but for me, it’s like visiting an old friend.  I have a shelf of books that I read at least once (or twice) a year.  Some of these books I’ve read upwards of 50 times.

10.  Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen- I read this one the first time because it was a classic, and I was trying to read more of the classics, but I absolutely adored it, and I even have pages post-it noted with my favorite parts, so that if I don’t feel like reading the whole thing, I can read a page here and a page there.

9.  Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte- I really have no idea what possessed me to read this book.  I’m pretty sure that it wasn’t a school thing.  I read it the first time somewhere in my teenage years.  When I re-read it, I usually skip over the parts with young Jane at the school and go straight to her time at Thornfield Hall

8.  Beautiful Disaster, by Jamie McGuire- This is a fairly recent addition to the favorites list. It’s a romance novel with all the turmoil and drama of young love, with two dysfunctional characters who don’t pretend to be anything but who they are. Travis and Abby are friends first, then lovers, then friends again before they get it right.

7.  Watership Down, by Richard Adams- Yes, it’s a book about rabbits. No, I’ve never seen the movie, so I have no idea how it compares. While the main characters are rabbits, it’s not a kids’ book. Fiver has a premonition that their home is about to be destroyed, and with the help of his brother, Hazel, they and a small group of rabbits set off to find a new home. On their way, they encounter deceit, a megalomaniac, superstition, and fear, and must learn to trust themselves and one another.

6.  Where The Red Fern Grows, by Wilson Rawls- I cry every time I read this book, and I’ve been reading it once or twice a year (or more) since I was in elementary school. Twelve year old Billy wants hunting dogs more than anything, so he saves money for two years to buy the dogs. It’s a beautiful story of friendship, family, and enduring love.

5.  Lightning, by Dean Koontz- On the night Laura Shane is born, a stranger shows up at the doctor’s home, preventing him from leaving and forcing another doctor to attend the birth. The stranger continues to show up at critical points in her life as she ages, matures, and lives her life. As with all Dean Koontz books, there’s action, adventure, romance, and paranormal overtones.

4.  Harry Potter series, by JK Rowling- It’s a series, so it counts as one book. This is one of the best series ever, no matter what age. The series is about good and evil, friendship, family, and growing up. I love re-reading them from start to finish.

3.  Pollyanna, by Eleanor M. Porter- Pollyanna is an orphan who goes to live with her cranky Aunt Polly. No matter what, Pollyanna always finds a reason to be glad, and she teaches others to look at the bright side with her sunny disposition and show that of you look for the best in people, they’ll eventually prove you right.

2.  The Circle Trilogy, by Nora Roberts- Six people have been chosen to make a stand against evil. They discover that each one of them is stronger than they imagined, and that together, they’re stronger than any one of them is separately.

1.  Watchers, by Dean Koontz- This has been my favorite book since I read it in 1988.  Einstein is a genetically engineered, super-intelligent dog.  He meets Travis, a good man without any real reason to live.  Travis dedicates himself to keeping Einstein free, and along the way, finds the meaning that was missing, and a family.

While it was difficult to come up with only 10 books for the list, I did it by asking myself what books I’d want if I were stranded on a desert island and could only have these 10 for the rest of my life. Luckily, that’s not the case. 🙂

What’s your favorite book or books?