The only help I'm using is to double check spelling, these are all authors I've read. This is a game I play with myself occasionally and these are the first author who I think of with that letter. It's actually harder than you might think
A Lynn Abbey
B Marion Zimmer Bradley
C C J Cherryh
D Diane Duane
E Ru Emerson
F Maggie Furey
G
H Barbara Hambly
I
J Diane Wynne Jones
K Katherine Kurtz
L Ruth Long
M Anne McCaffrey
N Andre Norton
O Pat O'Shea
P Tamora Pierce
Q
R J D Robb
S
T Judith Tarr
U
V Joan D Vigne
W Janny Wurts
X
Y
Z
8 letters so far unrepresenteted, hoping to reduce that before it publishes.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Monday, June 18, 2012
So what makes me an expert?
Well I can't claim to quality of reading, as a matter of fact I probably read a lot of books who will never win awards and get frankly bored with books that win awards. I enjoy story. I also enjoy characters who make me feel something for them. However I've read a lot, at this date in time I've written 3,667 reviews on my librarything account since I joined some of which are short and some longer, most of them are books I read from the library. I'm behind by a fair few that I own and some may need a re-read before reviewing (they lose at least a half-star if I don't find them all that memorable).
However, I've averaged between 1-2 books per day for many years, I've read pretty widely in Fantasy and romance, somewhat in Science Fiction and crime. About 10 years ago I was desperately seeking Urban Fantasy novels because I had tapped out the genre at the time (and find it funny when I hear about newer writers who "invented" the genre).
Why do I call myself an expert? Because I've heard people talk about their expertise and honestly they don't impress me, they haven't read widely enough and don't see the flaws in their favourite writers. Yes, several people I have enjoyed hugely and I cheer when I see a new book but I also can find myself despairing of a book, as a matter of fact one of my stumbling blocks for a number of years is Household Gods by Judith Tarr and Harry Turtledove, both authors I have enjoyed, where, frankly, the main character is annoying me, and not in a good way, every now and again I take it down from a shelf and I read another few pages and remind myself why I hate it. I should let it go, but I hate to be defeated by books!
If you have any topic suggestions, feel free to add them in comments here.
However, I've averaged between 1-2 books per day for many years, I've read pretty widely in Fantasy and romance, somewhat in Science Fiction and crime. About 10 years ago I was desperately seeking Urban Fantasy novels because I had tapped out the genre at the time (and find it funny when I hear about newer writers who "invented" the genre).
Why do I call myself an expert? Because I've heard people talk about their expertise and honestly they don't impress me, they haven't read widely enough and don't see the flaws in their favourite writers. Yes, several people I have enjoyed hugely and I cheer when I see a new book but I also can find myself despairing of a book, as a matter of fact one of my stumbling blocks for a number of years is Household Gods by Judith Tarr and Harry Turtledove, both authors I have enjoyed, where, frankly, the main character is annoying me, and not in a good way, every now and again I take it down from a shelf and I read another few pages and remind myself why I hate it. I should let it go, but I hate to be defeated by books!
If you have any topic suggestions, feel free to add them in comments here.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Reading grooves
.. or could it be a rut?
Sometimes books are like a lie-in. You know you should get up but bed is comfortable, you're just the right temperature and you can see no pressing need to get up.
I've been there, reading the same author over a period of time, and there comes a time when you run out of that authors books or the author changes. I've seen people complain about this, they don't seem to see how people do change and how their lives make these changes. I also notice that I have a tendency to read the same type of books over a period of time.
I've also seen people who re-read the same books over and over to get the same experience out of them, but really you can't. Life changes you, or at least it should change you, your relationship with books changes over time. There are times when some books become like old friends, where you are almost not reading them but experiencing the emotions you had when you first read them, but you change, you experience life and what you do and what is done to you changes your life experience and how you reflect what's in the book. Sometimes when you re-read what you take from the book can be different, and sometimes it can resonate in a different way, sometimes not in the best way.
I spent a lot of my youth worrying about writing something original, not I'm starting to realise that by just writing it myself I'm going to write something original, because it's going to be by me, unless I cut and paste from someone else the worst would be having echoes of some of the authors I enjoy reading, and in some instances that wouldn't be the worst thing I could do.
Sometimes books are like a lie-in. You know you should get up but bed is comfortable, you're just the right temperature and you can see no pressing need to get up.
I've been there, reading the same author over a period of time, and there comes a time when you run out of that authors books or the author changes. I've seen people complain about this, they don't seem to see how people do change and how their lives make these changes. I also notice that I have a tendency to read the same type of books over a period of time.
I've also seen people who re-read the same books over and over to get the same experience out of them, but really you can't. Life changes you, or at least it should change you, your relationship with books changes over time. There are times when some books become like old friends, where you are almost not reading them but experiencing the emotions you had when you first read them, but you change, you experience life and what you do and what is done to you changes your life experience and how you reflect what's in the book. Sometimes when you re-read what you take from the book can be different, and sometimes it can resonate in a different way, sometimes not in the best way.
I spent a lot of my youth worrying about writing something original, not I'm starting to realise that by just writing it myself I'm going to write something original, because it's going to be by me, unless I cut and paste from someone else the worst would be having echoes of some of the authors I enjoy reading, and in some instances that wouldn't be the worst thing I could do.
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