And just to let you know, I tend to put Amazon links to my book within some of the posts, but if you're interested in getting Glittering Ashes from a different vendor, feel free to look at the "My Books" tab above, where I have several links to other places for purchase.
Okay, enough plugging, how are y'all doing? Like always, it's been so many moons since we've spoken. Let me know below so I can blog hop easier!
Now to leave you with a song to write by, "Oh Darling" by Plug in Stereo. It's cutesy and indie sounding, no?
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance. Swoooon worthy. So well done it borders on ridiculous. So if you’re looking for a no magic, lovey-dovey romance with some edge (just a slight one), then this is the book for you.
Cover: I like it. You know I normally detest covers with real people on them with this unbridled fiery passion. Well this one is okay. The people look how they’re supposed to look, give or take, and it definitely captures the feel of the book and Perkin’s style.
Plot: The book sounded good to me right off the best. Wacky want to be costume designer in a love story? Sign me up. But then I read a little more about it and was slightly worried about it maybe not being my style. But it was. The pages practically turned themselves, after the first few chapters, and I willingly went along for the ride. Put it this way, I started it last the night before last and had it done by 3PM the next day, and that’s with work in between.
Romantic Element: Yes, there is a love triangle, but this one seems authentic, even though I know that love triangles may be a little overdone for some of you. I still like them IF they’re done well, not just thrown in for some oomph. This one was authentic. Very, very well done. And yes, if you have a hankerin for some Anna and St.Claire (from Anna and the French Kiss), they’re in there, but I felt like they weren’t necessary but nice to have, you know? As far as the guys themselves go, there’s a bad-arse rocker boy, my normal type, and a dorky lovable, dorky, did I say dorky?, adorable guy who is just…adorable. So, I was happy. Perkins went light on the rocker boy, but I still say he was there almost the perfect amount.
Overall: if you even remotely like contemporary romance, Stephanie Perkins should be your go-to. I’ve made her officially mine. I didn’t think I’d heart contemporary romance, but Perkins has made a believer of me, yet again, I might add.
Sooo, have you read it? Are you dying to? What’d you think? Let me know below!!!
Oh, and if you're wondering how my Nanowrimo experience is going, I'm hear to tell you, it isn't at the moment, lol. But I have faith, and there's still time in the month. Miracles have happened before with others I've heard. Let me know how you're doing! (i.e. guilt me back into this thing) :)
Psst: I did not receive any compensation in exchange for this review.
Hi, everyone! Happy Friday. Hope yours (and mine) is amazeballs. Every weekend should be amazing, in my opinion. It should be a requirement of the weekends to make the week stuff worth it. Okay, just a thought.
Today, I want to happily announce that I've won the Liebster Blog Award very recently from Megan who is a new campaign friend, has an awesome bio, and a cute blog. Check it out!
Here's the award in all of its amazingness:
Because I am not good at juggling so many things, I almost missed that I received this award a little bit ago from E.R.King at her amazing blog, so belated thanks to her and a Thank you to Megan for thinking of me.
My job now is to give it to 5 people made of extra awesome who have under 200 followers...which is hard for me because I have so many amazing blogger friends on here. SO, I'm picking 5 of many people who deserve it. Here goes!
Carrie Butler: she has a super cool blog, and even made an awesome vlog like thing the other day. I recommend it and her :)
Marlena Cassidy: Because she's a sweetheart; I <3 her posts; AND she puts up excerpts of her work, and they're oh-so entertaining.
Jeff King: He has a writing focused blog, and he puts up bits of his work for critique. Really constructive site, and it makes you think about the craft of writing more :)
Michelle Porth: This isn't a writing blog, but it's adorable, and I learn a lot of crafty things from it. She also has amazing taste on Pinterest too :)
Laura + the Voices: She writes about all kinds of things, from going to college to writing to everything else. I <3 the way she words things.
Also: the aforementioned Jeff gave me and a bunch of incredible blogs a nod for being read-worthy. I highly suggest you checking out his list, because I am :) Thanks, Jeff!
Happy, happy Friday!
Now to leave you with a song to write by, "I Want You" by Kelly Clarkson. <3 this song. Has a 50s vibe to me, in fringe way, but it's a good Friday song :)
ALSO, because I can't stop adding things to my posts, Glittering Ashes is available for order as a paperback here. SO, if you were Kindle, Nook, iPod or iPad challenged, or hated looking at a computer all day (toootally understandable), you can now have Glittering Ashes minus batteries. (and if you still want it from Amazon:
Photo taken from Goodreads for review purposes only (http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1304810997l/9182478.jpg). I do not own this picture.
Hourglass by Myra McEntire
Source: Library
Publisher: Egmont USA
Publication Date: June 14, 2011
Blurb from Goodreads (I do not own this blurb. Used for review purposes only):
For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.
So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.
Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?
Genre: YA paranormal, no vamps, werewolves, or demons. It's a YA Time Travel novel. I've never read a time travel novel, YA or otherwise, so this smacked of originality. I'm semi-resistant to a lot of fantasy sounding books, but this wasn't anything like I expected.
The Cover: Really intriguing. I don't know if I would have been dying to read it based on the cover alone, but it does have an "Hmm, let's see what that's about" element. The girl's hair on the cover makes you know something will be off about the book, in a good way. I do like simplistic covers with a new element, and this book cover definitely applies.
The Plot: Emerson (love the name) is going through a lot, namely her parents' deaths and her unwelcome ability to see people from other time periods at inopportune moments. She's fed up with dealing with them, and her brother decides to help by bringing in Michael to give her ways to deal with what she's seeing. The plot was original to me. I hadn't read anything like it. It had enough plot movement to keep you from being bored with the sciency bits and to keep the pages moving almost by themselves. When one thing may have gotten burned out, something new happened between Emerson and Michael, or to them, rather, and that kept things really interesting. I love when a book can keep my attention.
The Romantic Element: Huge props to McEntire for her romantic prowess. She manages to make an awesome MMC (main male character), while having, you guessed it, a love triangle. Color me pleased. The love triangle really didn't feel contrived at all like some novels fall in danger of having, and she even had a gut-wrenching tension-y moment. I live for them, almost literally, when I read YA. I re-read that section like three times. Not going to lie about that.
Carry-on Factor: Hourglass will stick with you. Emerson was perfect-y enough to make you want to be like her but real enough to make you not hate her while you're reading about her. You get invested in her story, and Michael, and another character who will remain nameless but makes it worth looking forward to read Hourglass #2…
Overall: McEntire's spin on making YA paranormal romances new again is definitely appreciated by me. I'm looking forward to reading the next one as she did leave some things undone in the typical YA fashion. BUT, don't be afraid to start this book for fear of a cliff-hanger. McEntire did not leave us saying WTH, I promise. She just left some things to be resolved. That's all.
Have you read this book? If you did, what'd you think? If you haven't, do you want to? Let me know below! :)
Now to leave you with a song to write by, "Who Knew " by Pink. I was hooked on this song something crazy when it came out, still am. I <3 Pink.
No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.
Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward.
But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.
Kirsten Hubbard lends her artistry into this ultimate backpacker novel, weaving her drawings into the text. Her career as a travel writer and her experiences as a real-life vagabond backpacking Central America are deeply seeded in this inspiring story
I chose this book because I loved the cover. I had a hankering for a YA contemporary, so when I saw this title, I thought, "This is what I was asking for."
My version of the blurb: When Bria, the artist, decides she wants to break out from the norm and travel abroad, she wasn't expecting a middle-aged tour group to be her companions. But after meeting a care-free, ponytailed, free-spirit, travel-bitten backpacker Rowan, and his sister Starling, Bria will find her own adventure and a way to find herself away from her fighting parents, best friends, and heart-breaking ex-boyfriend.
Genre: YA contemporary/romance. I wouldn't say contemporary romance because the story is a lot about traveling (the love of) and Bria finding herself. So even though romance is important in the book, there's a balance between the story and the romance.
The Cover: I like it. It caught my attention. It's simple, but effective. I think it's spot on to what the book is about, and Bria's description matches the cover perfectly to me.
The Plot: This book is travel heavy. If you're into travel at all, this is the book for you. I felt like I was in the islands with Bria, that Rowan was guiding me as much as he's guiding her. It's very setting heavy, because the fun of the book is that you're traveling without the plane fees. If you haven't been bitten by the travel bug, it might not be as interesting to you, but if you've even wanted to just pretend like you could up and go off to wherever, this book will be fascinating. Bria is a novice traveler on an exploration, and you can be too as you travel along with her and Rowan.
The Romantic Element: This book is definitely a slow burn in the romance department. Bria and Rowan travel, and you get little bits of them. You want to read the book to see if anything will happen between them, and it keeps you guessing if it really will.
Carry-on Factor: The descriptions of the setting made the book. Hubbard seemed well-versed in the places described, and after finding out that she really does know about back-packing, the book seems pretty authentic in that respect. I know I've gained knowledge about places, and in some instances, I feel like I could have been there.
Overall: This is a travel YA. If you've been looking for a no magic, backpacking adventure, then this is your book. From the opening, you're with Bria as she goes off the grid, finds friends, and tries to find herself. If that sounds like something you'd dig, then this book wouldn't disappoint.
Now for a song to write by, which is eerily perfect for this book, "Kihei Town" by The Throwdowns. I found this song randomly a while ago. I love the laid back vibe. Perfect for Wanderlove!
*I do not own this picture, book, or the book blurb taken from Goodreads. The use of these things are for review purposes only.
Disclaimer: I did not receive anything in exchange for this review (or any review), although there are several Amazon affiliate links on this blog post.
Reminder: Don't miss out on a chance to win a copy of my book Glittering Ashes! Stop by my interview at The Character Depot and comment--that's all you have to do to enter. Drawing is Friday! Thank you much :)
Before I get to my post, I wanted to pause to make a quick announcement. On Monday, I will be doing an author interview on J.L. Campbell's amazing blog, The Character Depot. She is also hosting a giveaway of Glittering Ashes that goes with the interview, and all you have to do to enter is comment on my author interview that day. How amazing is that? I want to thank her for having me, and don't worry, I'll remind y'all on Monday to run over there to read the interview and enter! Okay, now back to the regularly scheduled blog post...
Today, I'm doing another book review. Yes, I, too, am amazed, lol. I finished all of Gayle Forman's Where She Went on Wednesday, and you can too if you happen to have an un-busy day, and I had been chugging through Born At Midnight by C.C. Hunter for a while and happened to finish it yesterday.
Hunter's Born At Midnight is a YA paranormal romance/Bildungsroman-ish (coming of age story).
My version of the blurb is that Kylie Galen, in the midst of a family ordeal, is dealing with her own personal struggle to find out who she is and why she sees what she sees. When her mother sends her to Shadow Falls camp to work things out for herself, Kylie is mortified because everyone at camp is a delinquent weirdo, or at least has been labeled as such, and Kylie doesn't feel she fits the bill. While Kylie tries to find out more about herself, she also finds friends, loves, and has a few realizations while solving a mystery of sorts that flows through the novel (as well as the mystery of finding out who she really is).
That was surely more complicated than Hunter's own blurb, which you can find by Googling or clicking on the book picture above, but I like blurbing, and I feel like it'll tell you more about the story than a book's usual sales pitch. (And I hate spoilers, so I would never want to do that to anyone, no worries).
The Cover: I like this cover. It's simplistic, which I love, but it's also eye catching. I tend to like metallic looking things, and really, I like the spine of the book more than the front, but that's a personal preference. Either way, I don't have any real complaints about the cover, and the girl could be Kylie, so it's appropriate.
The Plot: This book is probably longer than a lot of YAs I've read lately, 398 pages. So there's a lot put into one book here. Lots of drama, lots of mystery, lots of love triangly goodness, if that's your cup of tea. As far as the plot goes, if you like paranormal, coming of age stories, Hunter is what you'd want. It reads like a slightly more in depth teen TV drama. I could see it as a TV series, with all of the paranormal stuff that's on the CW and MTV and such now. For us readers who moonlight as teenagers when we read, it might read a little young, but it's pretty spot on for the intended audience, I'd say.
The Romantic Element: Because there's a lot of this in this one. I asked for lots of love drama, Hunter delivered. There's exes, a love triangle, and complications. I wasn't full on swooning the entire time I read this book, but there's a lot of romantic element to work with here. My only complaint (and it's little and maybe nitpicky), is that you, as the reader, may like just one of the romantic players in Kylie's life, and so all of the drama might not be as appetizing. But, if you just like reading about love drama, the book has more than enough to satisfy.
Carry-on Factor: Born At Midnight is the beginning of the Shadow Falls series; so while everything is pretty much tied up plot-wise by the end, Hunter has to leave some things to pull you into the next book. It's a good, paranormal coming-of-age, so if that's what you're looking for, Born At Midnight is where you can find it. It just has to be a paranormal coming-of-age that you're looking for.
Overall: Hunter did a lot in 398 (print) pages. She introduces Kylie, her family, and secondary and love interest characters to the point that you feel like you could know a lot of them by the end. That's impressive to juggle that many balls in the air. If you want to read paranormal YA, the kind of paranormal YA that deals with finding oneself and finding others in the process, Born at Midnight (Shadow Falls Novel) will not disappoint.
Have you heard of this book? Read it? Want to read it? Let me know below.
Now to leave you with a song to write by, one I don't personally own, but I kind of want to because it was unexpected for me, Lil' Wayne's "How To Love" (For 69 cents through this link to Amazon). He's singing, not rapping, just in case you didn't know about this song. I had to go with a love themed song. Completely necessary, people.
P.S. I got this book from the library and did not receive any compensation for doing this review (some of the links are affiliated links, however).
Today, it's time for another book review. After much cajoling by people online, I was encouraged to read Where She Went by Gayle Forman, the follow-up novel to If I Stay, which I read earlier this year.
If I Stay, if you hadn't heard of it, was a book about Mia, who after suffering a HUGE tragedy, has to be painfully aware of everything going on around her as she decides whether or not to stay on earth.
When I first read about If I Stay, I thought it would be hokey. The premise sounds good, but it also sounds hard to pull off, right? Well Forman did. It's a weirdly poetic, purposefully awkward, heart-wrenching kind of book. It's not something I clamored to read or had to tell everyone and their mom about when I finished, but it was extremely well-written and had a soft power to how it was told. If you wanted something emotionally charged and out of the regular, If I Stay is your book.
Where She Went is no different. The book is basically a slightly later on in life follow-up to If I Stay. Where If I Stay is from Mia's point of view as she works through everything, including watching her boyfriend Adam watch her, Where She Went is from Adam's point of view after he has everything he supposedly could want but still isn't happy. He's trying to reconcile his thoughts about Mia, and they have one night together, years after the first book, to figure out who they are to each other and what all happened between them.
I loved Adam in If I Stay. He's the rocker, literally, who has the heart of gold. Music is paramount in both books, and it was refreshing to see a YA really championing having a passion for something, and having a dream to be big in something. So, reading Where She Went was great for me because it was Adam all the time. I think Gayle Forman, overall, had a decent grasp on a 20-year-old hot guitarist male perspective.
Oh, and for those of you who were like me and had read If I Stay, but hadn't gotten to Where She Went yet, If I Stay dealt mainly in the past, out of necessity, through flashbacks. I'd say Where She Went dealt in the past of Adam too, also out of necessity, but also dealt a lot with his future anxieties.
I liked Where She Went more than If I Stay, but you need to read If I Stay to get the full weight of Where She Went.
Okay, here's for the traditional review points:
The Cover: Pretty. Doesn't make me clamor for it, but it matches the mood of the book, so it's effective.
The Plot: Like I said, Forman can write. Well. And it shows in this book. Her ability to weave in and out of the present without giving the reader whiplash is something worth reading about.
The Romantic Element: Confusing in this book. I don't think that's the right word. Romance is obviously there, and it's more authentic feeling than most, but overall, I felt more like saying "Hmm" than "Awww" at all times. It's still a good romance, but I liked the romance in If I Stay better, personally.
Carry-on factor: A lot of people love Gayle Forman, and they have lots of reasons to. If I Stay stuck with me. Where She Went fills in the gaps left from If I Stay. I'd say If I Stay has more carry-on factor, but Where She Went is the rest of the story, so you have to read it if you've read If I Stay.
Overall: Like I said, if you even remotely liked If I Stay, Where She Went is a must. If you like emotions, not just romantic, for a charged story, then these are your books and Gayle Forman is your writer. It's not about action; it's about loss and life and passion and talents, and love. So if that sounds like something you'd dig, these books, especially the second, are done well enough to satisfy. Good emotional reads all around.
Now let me know what you thought of If I Stay or Where She Went below, or if you're just now hearing about them, are they something you'd like?
Now to leave you with a song to write by, "I'm Not In Love" by 10 CCs. It is old school, funny, and I just like it as an untraditional romantic song. So, I feel it's appropriate, lol.
Note: I got my copy of Where She Went from the library, and I did not receive any compensation in exchange for this review (except if I sell any books through affiliate links). Thanks!
Today, I want to talk about slow burns in novels. I live for them. I'm talking about how this pertains to romance here, because I hate slow burns to action in, say, thrillers, or something. The only time I like a slow burn, or a slow build, is in the romantic elements of a book.
If you rush the mushy stuff, if it comes on too quick, my gag reflexes act up. I hate when the main girl sees the guy, falls in love on sight, and he reciprocates immediately (not being gender specific here, with either or any gender, it's annoying). Ugh. The fun is in the chase, people.
The same basic principles can happen:
Girl or boy sees the person.
Fireworks ensue. The person is awesome possum amazing, and they are in love immediately.
Now here's where the changes happen: I much prefer if there are obstacles that get in the way of the other person liking them back immediately. The other person could be taken, could hate them for whatever reason, or could even just not know (a classic), but something has to keep the person from saying, "OMG, I too have just realized that you are amazing. Let's live in drama-less bliss for the next 200 pages."
Want to know an annoying fun fact about most books that I read?
You all know I'm a romance junkie, especially in YA. I prefer the story to go beyond just the romance, but as long as there's romance, I'm a happy camper (unless it happens too early).
Well the annoying fact is that most books with the AMAZING romantic scenes use them sparingly. I've read some great books voraciously just hoping person A and B can have a moment together. The payoff is way sweeter when they do, but I always finish the book thinking I would have begged to have more of A and B and less of everything else. But really, I wouldn't. Their absence makes my heart go fonder and all of that jazz.
I'm reading Divergent (Divergent Trilogy) now by Veronica Roth, and it's a slow burner, and I am liking it. It has a good enough story that I can read and want to keep reading, but I'm living for snippets of Four at the same time. No spoilers, please.
Do you all like slow burn romantic books? Why? And do you know of any amazing ones? I'd be much obliged if you left them in the comments below.
Now to leave you with a song to write by, "Addicted"by Kelly Clarkson, because I like it, and it works with my romantic addiction, I'd say.
P.S. I changed up the blog layout and background. Do y'all like it? :)
Hey everyone! Thanks for all the well wishes I got from people about my new YA paranormal romance Glittering Ashes. I'm really excited to see what will come from it.
Tell everyone you know (because I am). Thanks again for all the support, and I'll be back tomorrow to blog properly!!
Here's the cover and blurb again (in case you missed it):
At seventeen, Roe Daniels didn’t need to believe in fairy tales, she knew they didn’t exist. But when Roe moves to Gaudium Falls to be with her aunt, she finds the elusive friend, a love triangle turned square, and the magic that she would have bet six bucks never existed.
Within a new town Roe doesn’t trust enough to call home, she’ll find a place she knows is too good to get used to and too perfect to trust, and a boy also too close to that description to fall for. She’ll survive the contact with the world that feels so foreign to her and the boy who is big enough to shake that world and her life to its core, or she’ll watch everything she’s just beginning to know and to love burn to glittering ashes at her feet.
Yes, bloggers, lurkers, causal passers by on the internet highways, I have officially clicked the publish buttons on Amazon, Smashwords, and PubIt!
I'm really excited about it. VERY "yelling over the internet in caps" excited about it. I just want people to read it and maybe even talk about it. I won't even say anything if that were to occur. I'd just sit back and giggle like a crazy.
Here's the blurb and cover art for my new book, Glittering Ashes:
At seventeen, Roe Daniels didn’t need to believe in fairy tales, she knew they didn’t exist. But when Roe moves to Gaudium Falls to be with her aunt, she finds the elusive friend, a love triangle turned square, and the magic that she would have bet six bucks never existed.
Within a new town Roe doesn’t trust enough to call home, she’ll find a place she knows is too good to get used to and too perfect to trust, and a boy also too close to that description to fall for. She’ll survive the contact with the world that feels so foreign to her and the boy who is big enough to shake that world and her life to its core, or she’ll watch everything she’s just beginning to know and to love burn to glittering ashes at her feet.
AHH! Did I mention I was excited? Hopefully one (or lots more) of you will take a chance on me and give it a buy, and if you do, I'd love if you could review it. It would really mean a lot. I'm spreading the word by word of mouth, and I'm hoping you all will work your mouths too! (Weird. I know that sounded very weird, but the sentiment is real...)
Right now, it's available for purchase on Smashwords here. It'll be live on Amazon in the next 24-72 hours, or so they tell me. And PubIt! hates me, so we'll see when that one shows up. But if you did want a copy for your Nook, you can get that at Smashwords now. I also put together the paperback of the book, but I have to get the proof before that one goes live. I'm sure I'll tell y'all the second that it does. Or very shortly thereafter (I like that word).
Thanks, everyone for reading this, and I hope you all check it out!
For a song to write by, I want something happy. Hmmm...."Electric Boogie" by Marcia Griffiths. Raaandom, but I might be doing various forms of this tonight in celebration. Please top me by giving me a better celebration song. I want a track list full, so let me know below!
Last week, I wrote a post about guys in YA (mostly) books that were just the bee's knees. Today, it's time for kick arse girls in YA (solely this time.) So here are 5 of my favorite heroines in YA. (Not in any particular order)
1. Remy King in Hollowland by Amanda Hocking. She's take charge, no time for emotions (but still has them…), and complications ensue as she goes on a quest in a post-apocalyptic world. Just neat. I liked the whole book, and it's 99 cents. Take the plunge, people.
2. Rhine Ellery in Lauren DeStefano's Wither. Was it the best book ever ever ever? Not necessarily, but I give major points for different, and I liked her. Worth looking into, I'd say.
3. Rose Hathaway from The Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. If you're going to have a top-notch guy (Dimitri, hello), you have to have a great girl to make the story work. Rose is great. She's strong, and she's believable.
4. Evie from Paranormalcy by Kiersten White. I really liked this book. I really liked Evie. I want to read the second one because the first was playful, and it makes the reader care about Evie. Not an easy feat.
5. Anna from Stephanie Perkin's Anna and the French Kiss. Sigh. I haven't heard anyone (literally) read this book and not like it. It's the perfect contemporary YA romance. It's realistic, and Anna's brain waves are similar to my own. Every time I wanted her to say or do something, she did it. How amazing is that for a reader? Pretty, I'd say.
So, if you haven't checked these out, please do. And if you have, please spill below about whether or not you thought they were super neato keen, because I did.
Now to leave you with a song to write by, "Goodbye" by My Darkest Days. Love it. Listened to this a million times. The album is great. They are great. AND I've seen them in concert twice, and I completely vouch for their awesomeness live. And how adorable is Sal (far right below)? Okay, I'll stop now…
What makes you want to read a book, particularly a YA book? For me it comes down to three factors:
The premise has to be original (and I like a hint of romance, if not full out). It has to have something different, that, at least at first glance, I haven't felt like I've read before. If it doesn't ring a familiar bell, I'll give the first few pages a shot.
Recommendations from others. I read on the Kindleboards * recently that someone said he or she will "give in" to reading a book if they keep hearing about it. If everywhere they turn, they see or hear something about it, they give the book the benefit of the doubt, and they try it out. I am, to an extent, the same way. If I hear something is amazing like whoa, I'll be curious enough to pick it up at least. (and blog recommendations are always welcome and googled for awesomeness)
Cover. I am a cover sucker. If the cover is good, I'm picking it up. If the cover is okay, but it at least has a little something that made me pause, I'll pick it up to look at it more. BUT, if the cover is UGH awful, I don't pick it up. I guess I figure if the story could pertain to a cover that gawsh darn awful, it might not be the best book---but I have been proven wrong, so this isn't the end all of rules.
What makes you pick up a book? One of my three? All of them? None of them? Let me know below.
Now to leave you with a song to write by, "The Fear" by Lily Allen. It's snarky and catchy.
*BTW, I'm "Writtled" on Kindleboards as well. If you're on there, say hi! :)
