New vs. Old

It’s Wednesday, so I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts, Books On The Nightstand, this morning while getting ready for the day.  The topic in segment two that got the wheels turning in my mind was about whether you should “resist the lure of the new?”  New books that is.  Yes!!  They are shiny and seductive but they cloud the view of those books that haven’t been read yet though they’ve been sitting on your shelves for a while now.  There is nothing wrong with reading that new best seller.  That hot title from that hot new author that all the bloggers are raving about and read advanced reading copies (ARC’s) of months ago.  I was that blogger once.  I feel like I pioneered the fan-wagon for The Art of Racing In The Rain by the wonderful Garth Stein.  That book continues to make waves and it was published in May 2008.  But because I read the new hot thing for so long, and more often than that book that slipped through my radar initially, I have missed out on some great books.  I may own them already, but I never made time for them once I had them.  I am working on correcting that problem.  It’s not really a problem I guess.  There are worse problems to have, but the fact that I have a library of half-read books is weighing on me.  So, like I said in my last post, I did “go shopping” in my personal library of enticing titles.  I will be seduced into reading some new books published in late 2012 and in 2013.  I will just read!  I won’t think about deadlines, or getting that ARC.  It’s a freeing feeling for me and I love it.

I’m almost done with my first read of 2013 and let me tell you, I’m loving it.  I’m not going to tell you what it is till I review it but I hope you will check it out and add it to your “flew past my radar” list.

I also want to share with you an upcoming read-along hosted by my friend Tina at BookChatter.net.  The read-along will start April 1st and the book will be The Wind Up Bird Chronicles by Haruki Murakami.  I have not read anything by him, though I own a few titles already, so I’ll be reading along with Tina and her blog followers.

Now that I proofread this post I realize that it’s all over the place, but that’s okay.  I’m still feeling a bit scattered but I am getting a grasp on things again.  Blogging/writing, like reading, is a muscle in the brain.  (Thanks Tina for reminding me of that!) I know I’m on the right track to getting back on the blogging/reading wagon.  It won’t happen overnight, but it’s happening.  Thanks for coming back to Planet Books or for visiting for the first time!

XOXO-K

Books on the Nightstand ~ Your Summer Reading List #136

While getting ready for work this morning I listened to the latest podcast by Books on the Nightstand.  It was titled “Your Summer Reading List” and since Michael was on vacation for the recording of the podcast, co-host Ann requested that listeners call in and leave a voicemail stating the book(s) that they were most excited to read this summer.  I did not remember to call in myself so I am taking this opportunity to let you know of the titles I am most looking forward to sitting down with and reading this summer.  You can listen to the podcast and read the blog post over on Books on the Nightstand HERE. 

There are a few titles that I am really excited about reading this summer.  I am about to finish the first on that list.  It’s Jennifer Weiner’s upcoming release, Then Came You.  I don’t want to say too much about it since I’ll be writing/posting my review within the next 48 hours but OMG is it good.  I am putting this in the Good In Bed and Little Earthquakes category of best Jennifer Weiner books!

I am thrilled to readthis next book because I am lucky enough to call the author friend over the years through e-mails.  Ellen Baker is one of my generation’s best novelists and I tell everyone who asks me for a book suggestion to read her first book, Keeping The House.  Her second novel comes out August 2nd and I am so happy to have a galley of it to read after I finish Jennifer Weiner’s book. (Thank you Ellen!!)  Ellen Baker’s book will be titled I Gave My Heart To Know This.  I have complete faith that it will be engrossing and amazing just like Keeping The House. 

Third on my summer reading list is The Paris Wife by Paula McLain.  I had the great pleasure of not only listening to Paula speak at the Gaithersburg Book Festival in May but I also had a few moments with her in the signing tent to talk and gush over her.  She is sooo adorable and interesting!  Her enthusiasm was contagious and I feel awful that it’s taking me so long to get to her book on my stack. 

I was excited to learn that I had won two books from Goodreads.com.  The first is In The Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson.  This book has been receiving tons of praise from bloggers and critics alike.  It will be a bit of a step off the beaten path for me as it is non-fiction.  I had a hard time with Larson’s book The Devil In The White City but I am hoping to find my groove with his latest book because it is about our country’s first diplomat to Nazi Germany and his family.  I love a good WWII story!

The other book I won from Goodreads.com is The Things We Cherished by Pam Jenoff.  I have had other titles by Jenoff on my want-to-read list but like you know, there are just so many books out there!  Well now I own the ARC of Jenoff’s upcoming release (July 12th) and I’m going to read it this summer.  It sounds like an epic tale that spans the twentieth century and has its roots in WWII. 

I will be attending the book event for the last “must-read” book on my list this summer.  J. Courtney Sullivan will be appearing at D.C.’s Politics & Prose Bookstore later this month and I can’t wait to meet her.  I read her debut novel Commencement two years ago and loved it.  Her sophomore release, Maine, is out now and I keep hearing wonderful things about it.  I look forward to picking up the book at the event, having Sullivan sign it and then reading it this summer.   

Listening to the BOTNS podcast I found that the most common book people want to read this summer is the upcoming Game of Thrones title that comes out later this month.  I didn’t watch the HBO series but Hubby became enraptured with it and is considering reading the series now. 

What are YOU most excited to read this summer season?  Please let me know.  You might have a book title I’m unfamiliar with and may catch my interest.  Thanks!

Books on the Nightstand podcasts are so GREAT!

I have been a fan of podcasts since I got my iPod for Christmas in 2006.  Recently I have been taking advantage of listening to them on my iPad 2 while I get ready in the mornings and am doing my hair and applying my make-up.  I’m obsessed with listening to author interviews and book review podcasts and in my searches I have discovered a wonderful podcast and blog called Books on the Nightstand (BOTNS).  The hosts are Michael Kindness and Ann Kingman who work for Random House but the podcasts are their own personal opinions about books they love and industry chatter.  Their format is nice and covers a discussion topic, hot industry topics/titles/reading lists and two books they can’t wait for their audience to read.

I was listening to Podcast #128 the other day and I wanted to respond to it.  I thought responding on my blog would be a great way to do that so I’m starting a new thing here.  Responding to Books on the Nightstand podcast topics and possibly other podcasts as I come across them.  Be sure to check out Books on the Nightstand yourself.  If you would please click on the link to the podcast I’ll be responding to in posts and listen to it first and then come back and read my response I would love you for it.  I will always link to the podcast just like I did above.

Planet Books RESPONSE to the question “Do you read the epigraph?”:

Epigraph ~ (n) ~ a quotation at the beginning of a book, chapter, etc, suggesting its theme

I do read the epigraph!  Sometimes it does connect to the book and sometimes I go back while reading the book and the wonder what the hell it means.  Most times the epigraph ends up being relevant but on the rare occasion it remains a puzzle.  I believe that the epigraph can set the tone for the book.  It can give the reader a little hint of what is in store for them ahead.  I agree with Michael when he says he thinks that sometimes the epigraph was that one thread that the author jumped off from and got the idea for their book. 

It’s an interesting question!  Do you read the epigraph?  Did you used to read it when you were holding the old-fashioned paper and ink book in your hands and now you have an e-reader that automatically goes to the first page when starting a book so you forget about it?  I always go back to the cover page on my Kindle and then look at each page as I click my way towards the first page of the story. 

Let me know your thoughts and feel free to respond on the BOTNS site too.  I don’t know Michael and Ann but I like what they are doing with the podcast medium.  Their web site is great and chock full of book and publishing information and I’m learning about even more books out there and som behind the scenes info too.