I have to say, I’m not really familar with BlogTalkRadio.com, but it’s starting to garner a lot of notice since both HarperCollins and the Hachette Book Group have started their own Blog Talk Radio site and I guess they are not the only ones. According to Publisher’s Weekly, John Wiley used the BTR during the LA Book Fair as a way to showcase some of it’s authors. If you’re looking for some great author interviews, it sounds like they are the place to go.
Jeri Smith-Ready and a few other authors are going to be at Country Club Mall in Cumberland, MD, from 11-3 for their Author Extravaganza. I’m not sure who all is going to be there, but rumor has it there will be at least two dozen authors signing books.
American Bibliophile is asking an interesting question: is it truly possible to recommend a book to a random person or is there more of an art form behind it? Do you need to know and understand the person before you can recommend a book? It’s kind of interesting and I think it depends on the genre of books that one typically reads. Personally, I wouldn’t say I have a hard time recommending one book, whether I it’s hard for me to simply recommend one book. If I’m talking to someone about books and they ask what I would recommend, I could easily list off a half dozen books. I can see Rachel’s point about how hard it can be, however, with the paranormal genre, it’s a little easier to make a recommendation. You just have to know whether someone is into shifters, vampires, witches, etc. Given any supernatural creature, I could probably throw out at least two books to check out. I do have a recommendation post on my site though; however, it’s not exactly a short list.
Vamprie Wire is having a contest for a copy of Carolyn Jewel’s My Wicked Enemy. Here’s the book summary:
A desire that can’t be controlled…Carson Philips is a witch on the run. For years, the notorious mage, Alvaro Magellan, has held her as his psychological prisoner. But once Carson gets a glimpse of the true extent of his evil, she flees Magellan’s mansion–stealing a stone talisman of unimaginable power on the way. Her only hope for survival is a demon who ignites a voracious hunger in her she can’t deny, a longing she can’t resist…
All you have to do for a chance to win is leave a comment at Vamprie Wire with your favorite fantasy book or movie.
Rolling Stone has an interview with Stephanie Meyer about the musical influences for her Twilight series.
Since we did bring up the Twilight series, has anyone been paying attention to the ruckus that’s been going on? I guess there has been some controversy about various elements in her novels. The main concern being what kind of information our younger generation is gleaning from it and how the story hasn’t been living up to its hype. Here are some stories, courtesy of Vampire Wire, about it.
Speaking of Stephanie Meyer, there is much the hullabaloo about cracktastic, and craptastic elements in her stories. Read and make your own decisions.
- Smart Bitches Who Love Trashy Books posit that awesomeness is its own reward.
- Jezebel writes, “I think ultimately we shouldn’t worry too much about what ideas young adult books promulgate. We should worry about whether the books themselves are awesome.
- Stephanie Meyer talks about backlash against Breaking Dawn in video: “There’s no way to make everybody happy.”
- Book Room Reviews talks about the proported backlash. “Out of 1.3 million copies sold, Barnes and Noble has had FIFTEEN copies returned. Ooh such a backlash!”
- Moonbeamdancer reviews Breaking Dawn and comments on Meyer’s religious agenda: “Another thing I didn’t like was how Meyer shoved her religion down everyone throat in this book. Namely waiting until marriage to have sex and that sex is had to only have children.” (Live Journal)
Personally, I think there are some of these people who are taking it out of context and are trying to find a reason to hate it. I.e. Moonbeamdancer’s article about Meyer’s religious agenda – seriously, getting pregnant happens during a honeymoon. It’s not a new occurrence. I personally didn’t see any kind of religious agenda in the novel or the series.
Don’t forget about Amber’s interview with Jocelynn Drake. Her contest ends on Monday I believe.
More exciting news…Jeaniene Frost announced that the rights to her novels, Halfway to the Grave and One Foot in the Grave, have been sold in France so you can expect translations to arrive at some point in the future.
Great post! I always like to see links to other interesting sites and articles. About the Twilight series- I personally thought that Breaking Dawn was the best written of all of them. She did a remarkable job. I didn’t think she shoved anything down our throats- in fact, I thought she could have had her characters get a bit more philosophical overall. It’s funny that everyone takes something different away from a story- but I guess that’s what makes reading (and talking about it) so fun!