Blurbs
I’ve heard blurbs don’t really work. Well, I took out a book I’d never heard of from the library because of a blurb. On the back of the book, Kate Messner said the book was funny, warm, and wonderful – full of the everyday magic of true community. The book is One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street by Joanne Rocklin. I’m not even half way through, so I can’t really comment yet. But it will fall into that classic type of Middle Grade.
On the Kindle
I have lots of great books lined up to read. Stampede Fever by Anya Winter and Burn by Addison Moore. I have the sample of The Clearing by Anne Riley and thought the first chapter was incredible and will most likely purchase.
Buzz
Mainly through buzz online I am patiently waiting to order these books. Imaginary Girls, Hourglass, Wildefire, Between…and there was one more and I can’t remember the title! Ack! #ifyouknowsendmeatweet Only three of them will be hardcover and the others on my Kindle, but I’m not saying which. And I’m patiently waiting for a certain arc to arrive in the mail.
Blogs
I am still debating about blogging about writing. My opinions are not fully formed yet. (Actually, I’m very opinionated, even if I’m wrong, so I’m trying to figure out if my strong opinions hold any weight.) I loved Roni Loren’s post on the subject. I love that we’re all trying to figure it out together.
Twitter chats
I followed two great twitter chats last night. #mglitchat and #bookcountry. Guess what #bookcountry was talking about? Author blogs. Very timely.
Big question. I have two Kindle books on my Mac and I can’t figure out how to transfer them to my Kindle. They were sent to me free as a file, which is why they are on my computer. I’ve tried to email them to my Kindle and it doesn’t work. Does anyone know what I should do?
If you don’t know the answer to that: what books are you excited to read?
I’ll have to look for some of those books, Laura. I don’t have an e-reader yet, so can’t help you with the tech.
Anything by John Green; Paper Towns definitely lived up to my expectations and then some. Laini Taylor’s Lips Touch which I won and am semi-patiently awaiting.
I don’t have an e reader either. I’m still catching up on my TBR list. Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick and Shine by Jeri Smith Ready. Oh and here’s on I’ve read and doesn’t come out until January–Cracked by K.M. Walton.
I like blurbs. 🙂
I don’t have a Kindle, so can’t help you there.
I missed #mglitchat. Tweetdeck isn’t working, so I just changed over to Hootsuite. We’ll see if that works better.
I feel like I’m constantly playing “catch up” this summer with news and stuff. Thanks to people like Laura I can at least catch the highlights!
Have a great day!
India Drummond let me know on Twitter that I should copy paste the file from My Doc/My Kindle to Kindle/my docs. I haven’t tried it yet but hopefully it works! In summer I feel like I’m playing catch up too, with reading, writing…etc.
Are they pdf files? Can you sync your Kindle to your comp and move them over? I can do that with my Nook.
I’m nearly finished reading “Seabiscuit” by Laura Hillenbrand right now. I don’t read a lot of nonfiction, but this book is terrific. It’s written so well that I feel like I’m reading a novel.
Up next: “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak!
I don’t know about Kindle, but nook has a special folder you drag/drop files (PDF, EPUB) into to transfer them.
I’m going on vacation and had to insist my boys get paper books – the competition for the nook is getting fierce!
I’m with you on the writing-blog-conundrum! I look forward to seeing which strongly opinionated side of you wins! 🙂
I’m just getting into borrowing e-books from the library. Will try it out this weekend. I’m really curious–I have no idea what YA or MG titles are available.
LAURA: Hmm…will ask Husband if he knows answer to that ? Awesome post, btw!
MG: Our library is low on the YA and the MG. I may actually try to get on the library board just to help with this situation…competition is tough, though.
I loved HOURGLASS it was breathtaking! Truly a great read!!!
As far as my Kindle I still haven’t read an Ebook I just can’t get into it!!!
As far as blogging about writing I keep to my own thoughts. I love sharing little tidbits of what I’ve learned, what I’m working on, and how to cope but I don’t give full examples. I suppose it’s a fine line of what you feel is right!
I don’t look at blurbs. I think there cool when a friend of mine gets someone on the New York Times Bestseller list but it doesn’t make or break my buying needs!
Latest book I’m excited to read – Girls in White Dresses!
Well, on my MAC I have the Kindle App (which is free) and I believe you can then transfer between devices. There might be a limit on how many you can use, but I’m not sure?
Anyhow, I like your list. It’s pretty accurate for me too. Occasionally it will be an impulse purchase based on the cover/back, but honestly, since starting this whole “writing” thing, I almost always read a little first to make sure it catches my attention. I have so many books to read at any given time, and spend so much money on them that I don’t want to waste my time on something. That sounds pretty snooty huh? 🙁
I never used to read blurbs, but I have been lately. They are fun to read 🙂
Thanks for sharing the link to Roni Loren’s post. I’m still trying to figure this all out too…
Happy reading!
I read Roni Loren’s post too! Very interesting! I also read quite a bit of her new author blog and was really impressed at her strategy.
I am looking forward to Between also. I’ll see if sample chapters are avaialable for the others you mentioned, esp. Wildefire. I’m also impatiently waiting for an ARC for Shifting that’s being passed along (such a great idea – ARCs really should passed along, not just touted for giveaways. My opinion).
I don’t have a kindle yet, but have downloaded a few onto Kindle for PC. I love the ease of getting a book immediately and am hoping to get an e-reader as soon as the next gift giving occasion approaches.
Blurbs, word of mouth, and reader buzz definitely influence what I choose to read. As well as what my writing buddies are writing! 🙂
Thanks everyone for commenting. I’ve been gone shopping for the day again. My last stop was a visit to Borders going out of business sale. The store will be open until September. It was 20 percent off except the hardcovers were still more expensive than amazon. Now at 50% there were several I would’ve purchased. But I did buy a few paperbacks to give books a try that I normally wouldn’t purchase. We’ll see. It was an experiment.
I can’t help you with regard to the Kindle question. Actually, I am brand new to an e-reader. My father recently passed away, and my mother gave me his Nook, which I have no idea how to use. His taste in books was completely different from mine, but i think I may take a crack at a couple of those military thrillers he had in there. 🙂
I am a rocker at heart. I am currently reading SWEET DEMOTION by ex-rock/heavy metal journalist Lonn Friend, and I am really enjoying it.
I’m wrestling with the blog questions too. I’m leaning toward the mixed bag approach. I think I’ll always attract other writers, so blogging about writing once a week is probably a given. Also, readers, therefore book blogs are good. I’m hoping to attract fans in the future, readers of my books, who will for the most part be teenagers, so I want to write to them as well. Plus there’s the non-writing part of me to share, which currently is primarily the travel part. That could change over time. So, I’m not sure how it will all work, I’m in the experimental stages right now.
It is nice we’re trying to figure this all out together!
I believe you can plug your Kindle into your Mac, then drag and drop files as if it is an external memory. Just keep track of where you drag it so it shows up on your Kindle menu. Good luck.
I just downloaded Hourglass onto my Kindle. I wish I could add a few more weeks onto summer.
I’d need to write a novel just to list all the books I plan to read. My kids told me I’m not allowed to buy anymore until I finish the YA books on my bookshelf. So I downloaded a new on on my iPod yesterday. They’ll never know. 😀
The first thing that catches my eye is the cover, if I like it, I pick the book up and read the blurb. If it sells me, I buy. Now, there have been times when the cover failed to impress me but I’ve gotten the book anyway.
As for blogs about writing. I’m 50/50 torn. I’ve read on Kristen Lamb’s blog that it’s a no-no but let’s face it, “our audience” is made up of other writers and those searching the blog for a good read. MG and YA audiences don’t read blogs. Yet. So if you’re pulling in writers, why not target them? And also put up something for fun for others stopping by? That’s what I focus on, but mostly blogs are put up to give people a “feel” of who we are, our voice. So I let the Muse lead me.
I picked up Divergent by Veronica Roth, a book (can’t recall the title) by Ted Dekker (who I’ve heard so much about), and Thirst #3 by Christopher Pike.
I can’t answer your Kindle question. I blog about writing occasionally, but it’s usually about self-publishing or something I’m struggling with. Not loaded with advice because I’m not in the position to teach anyone yet.
I need to get back into the Twitter chats. I used to do those quite a bit and since I’ve gotten into Tweetdeck, I watch my columns and miss the chats.
Thanks for the reminder!
I also loved Roni Loren’s post about writing blogs, and I also appreciate how we can all hash this out together.
As for reading, next up is ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET, and MOCKINGJAY. I have a feeling both of them will be amazing!
I’m really psyched to read Matched by Allie Condie and Across the Universe by Beth Revis. They both look so fantastic!
In the past, I’ve bought books just on the back cover blurb. Also, I look at the recommendations on Amazon to help me make a decision.
For transferring files, I plug the Kindle to the computer and save them to the Kindle. Of course, I have to be careful where I saw them, otherwise they don’t show up on the Kindle. You do have to save them to documents on the Kindle.
I don’t think I’ve ever paid attention to a book blurb. It’s good to know some people do though.
I haven’t figured out anything on to do on my Kindle except download and read a book. The Guide looked so easy . .
I do read blurbs. They don’t 100% sell me on a book, but it is the first step in deciding on a book to read.
……..dhole