Classification of Readers Infographic

I borrowed this cool infographic from Laura E. Kelly at laura-e-kelly.com. What kind of reader are you? I had a hard time choosing just one. It was fun to read through them, though. I think I am an Immersive Reader and an All-The-Timer. Oh, and a Kindle Convert. And an Audiobook Listener. 

Visit Laura-e-Kelly.com for more about books, reading, and authors.

Authors: What's On Your Website?

You do have a website, don't you? Or a blog. Doesn't matter. I just need a way to find you and your books. When I go to your website or blog, there are a few things I am looking for.


* Who are you?
I like to know a bit about who wrote the books I read. Do you have an about me section? Tell me a little about the person behind the words.

* What have you written?
Show me your books! I want to see the cover, title, and blurb for each book.

*Where can I get it?
I want to know everywhere I can possibly buy your book. And I want links so all I have to do is click to take me to the page where I can get it. Make it easy for me.

*Where can I find you?
Are you online anywhere else? Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest? Can I get your Authorgraph? You don't have to be everywhere, but one or two would be nice. And I want links!


So there you have it. Just a few things I am looking for when I visit an author's blog or website. If this seems pretty basic, good for you! I have been to authors' sites that were missing one or more of these. And there are authors with no blog or website at all. So do you agree or disagree with my list? Something I'm missing? Let me know!

What Makes a Five Star Read?

Rating books is so subjective. I admit, I am an emotional reader. I tend to rate a book based on how I felt as I read it, or when I finished. So what makes a book good? Of course, it depends on the genre, but I have found that a five star read for me tends to have most of the following characteristics:

• Characters I can care about. 

They shouldn't be perfect, but need to be relatable in some way. I need to at least understand where they are coming from. I have to care what happens to them and really want them to reach their goals, whatever they might be.

• Evokes strong emotion.

Laughter, fun, tears, rip-my-guts-out angst, suspense that has me biting my nails. This definitely depends on the genre, but I tend to love a book that makes me feel something strongly.

• Unpredictable plot twists.

"I didn't see that one coming" almost always gets five stars from me. It has to make sense in the context of the story, but I like being surprised. 

• Readability.

I don't like to be bogged down with unnecessary description or narration. Wordiness tends to turn me off, as well as a lot of jargon or unfamiliar terms. I want the story to pull me along. I can overlook some typos, but the fewer the better.

• Unputdownable.

I stayed up too late, neglected the housework, and fed the kids pizza. For whatever reason the book held my attention so much that I read every spare moment I could manage until I finished. 

• Something different.

There is something to be said for books that are comfortable and predictable, and it can be risky to step outside of the expected. But again, I like surprises and I usually love a book that gives me something different and that isn't like anything I've read before.

So there's a little peek into my mind. If a book has all or most of these, it generally gets five stars from me. So what's on your list? What makes a five star book for you?

Reviewing Pays Off

I write reviews for fun and because I read a lot. I am also addicted to entering contests. Last month I entered a contest, Write a Review, Win an iPad 2. You could choose any of the listed books, write one or more reviews, and get entered to win. I was the winner! My prize came in the mail yesterday, with my name on the back and everything. I am so excited! So I just wanted to send them a big thank you! Please check out their books by clicking the cover.. And click here to see the review I wrote to enter.

Allegiance by Derek Blass

Dark Waters by Shannon Mayer 

This Time Forever by Patricia Paris

The Bedeviled Heart by Carmen Caine

Jockeys and Jewels by Bev Petterson

The Book I Will Never Part With

Unfortunately, over the years I have had to part with books. This has happened for a variety of reasons, usually due to lack of space. It is always painful, but I would prefer to make room for new books than have boxes of books sitting around in the basement doing no one any good. I do have one book that, no matter how many times my husband says, "Do you really need this?" I will never part with.

My dictionary

"Why?" you might ask. Mainly sentimental reasons. I vividly remember when I received this as a Christmas gift. From the same uncle that took me to get my first library card. Did he know me, or what?

It's spelled John, but I was 10

I thought this book was beautiful, with the gold on the page edges and slightly padded cover. It was also the biggest book I owned. Way better than the children's dictionary that I have since parted ways with.

And this wasn't just a dictionary. There are also some special sections in the back. My favorite being the presidential section.

The other thing I loved? It contained President George Bush, the first one. Not that I had any particular fondness for him, but he was elected in the 1988 election. This was Christmas 1989. That shows just how new this book was.

Remember, this was back before the internet, when we had to use the World Book Encyclopedia and card catalogs to find information. So yes, I was pretty excited to have such an up-to-date dictionary.

And that is why I will never part with this book. Even though when I want to look something up now I just go to Google or dictionary.com. And my children are going to learn how to look up words in an old-fashioned dictionary whether they think they need to know or not.

Now that I have shown just how nerdy I was (and still am), how about you? Any particular books you will never part with?

Don't Read This

I mean it.  Really. Oh, you're reading this, aren't you. Ok. It's just that, the more people that read my blog, the more freaked out I get. I am not a writer, I just like to read books. Why have a blog in the first place, you ask?


Reason 1: I read a lot. I used to read in a bubble, picking up the next book as soon as I finished one. I might pass a book to my sister and say, "This was good, if you want to read it." But that was pretty much the extent of it. There are times that I have no idea what to read unless someone hands me a book and says, "This was good, if you want to read it." Or sometimes I will come across a review that sounds good. It is true that you can't judge a book by its cover and occasionally a book not what I expected. I figured that other readers could benefit from my experience.




Reason 2: I like books. Authors write books. Authors like reviews. So I decided I would do my best to write reviews. I put them on Amazon, Goodreads, and here. I keep telling myself to do BN as well, but I haven't done it yet. I put in my profile as a disclaimer that I was never good at book reports. It's true. One quarter in 5th grade my teacher gave me an F in Language Arts because of my lack of book reports. She did it to prove a point, I think. I had an A the next quarter. My point is that I love reading books, but I never know what to say about them. So if you are looking for a critical review or something profound, you won't find it here. I will say what I liked about it and leave it at that.



Basically I want to help other readers find books that they will like, as well as help support the authors that write the books that I love. If you find my musings helpful, let me know by leaving a comment! Then I won't get so freaked out that people are actually reading this stuff.

Wish List

Some books that I'm hoping Santa will bring.


Gabriel's Inferno by Sylvain Reynard
Enigmatic and attractive, Professor Gabriel Emerson is a man tortured by his past. Though he takes great pride in his prestigious role as a Dante specialist, he knows he is a magnet for sin, especially lust.

When the virtuous Julia Mitchell joins his graduate seminar at the University of Toronto, she alters their lives irrevocably. Through their connection, Gabriel begins a journey that forces him to unravel the mysteries of their past entanglement, as well as face his many demons.

A sinful exploration of sex, love, and redemption, “Gabriel's Inferno” is a beguiling intelligent romance filled with intrigue, seduction and forgiveness.

Told through witty, dark humor, the narrator relates a captivating tale of Gabriel’s odyssey through the Inferno.

I read a version of this when it was fan fiction.  So good.  Cannot wait to read!

Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James
When literature student Anastasia Steele is drafted to interview the successful young entrepreneur Christian Grey for her campus magazine, she finds him attractive, enigmatic and intimidating. Convinced their meeting went badly, she tries to put Grey out of her mind - until he happens to turn up at the out-of-town hardware store where she works part-time.

The unworldly, innocent Ana is shocked to realize she wants this man, and when he warns her to keep her distance it only makes her more desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her - but on his own terms.

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey's singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success – his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving adoptive family – Grey is man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a passionate, physical and daring affair, Ana learns more about her own dark desires, as well as the Christian Grey hidden away from public scrutiny.

Can their relationship transcend physical passion? Will Ana find it in herself to submit to the self-indulgent Master? And if she does, will she still love what she finds?

Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever.

Again, read it as fan fiction.  I believe the third is coming out soon. They are all on my TBR list.
Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia
He counts her smiles every day and night at the train station. And morning and evening, the beautiful commuter acknowledges him—just like she does everyone else on the platform. But Blake Hartt is not like the others . . . he’s homeless. Memories of a broken childhood have robbed him of peace and twisted delusions into his soul. He stays secluded from the sun, sure the world would run from him in the harsh light of day.

Each day, Livia McHugh smiles politely and acknowledges her fellow commuters as she waits for the train to the city. She dismisses this kindness as nothing special, just like her. She’s the same as a million other girls—certainly no one to be cherished. But special or not, she smiles every day, never imagining that someone would rely on the simple gesture as if it were air to breathe.

When the moment comes that Livia must do more than smile, without hesitation she steps into the fray to defend the homeless man. And she's surprised to discover an inexplicable connection with her new friend. After danger subsides, their smiles become conversation. Their words usher in a friendship, which awakens something in each of them. But it’s not long before their bond must prove its strength. Entanglements from the past challenge both their love and their lives.

Blake’s heart beats for Livia’s, even if her hands have to keep its rhythm. Love is patient. Love is kind. Love never fails. Love never fails, right?

In an interwoven tale of unlikely loves and relationships forged by fire, Debra Anastasia takes readers into the darkest corners of human existence, only to show them the radiant power of pure adoration and true sacrifice. Complicated families and confused souls find their way to light in this novel, which manages to be racy, profane, funny, and reverent all at once.

Would you be surprised to hear that I read it as fan fiction?  However, through some type of real life fail, I missed the last chapter or two.  I need to find out what happens!

Trust in Advertising by Victoria Michaels
Lexi White finds herself at a crossroads. After putting everything on hold to care for her ailing father, it’s finally time for her to start living her life again. An exciting new job holds the promise of a fresh start, until she comes face to face with someone from her past who has always stopped her dead in her tracks, and who evidently still has the power to make her forget her own name. This time around, Lexi’s a grown woman who refuses to back away from her dreams, even if it requires working with her old high school crush. Side by side. Every day. Will he end up being her downfall or exactly what she needs?

Vincent doesn’t even remember Lexi from high school, but he begins to take notice when the fiery young woman is hired as his new assistant. Quickly, Lexi turns his world upside down and becomes an invaluable addition not only to his team, but to his life. Having learned a few hard lessons about trust in the past, Vincent is reluctant to let down his guard, especially when it appears that someone is out to sabotage his family’s advertising agency. Professionally, they are dynamite together, but when sparks fly between them personally, will Vincent let lies and jealousy ruin everything between them, or will he finally learn not only how to love, but ultimately trust…in advertising?

Victoria Michaels once again delivers a can’t-put-it-down novel loaded with engaging characters, cheeky dialogue, and powerful emotions. Trust in Advertising is a cleverly woven tale about two people getting to know each other and ultimately themselves.

In keeping with the theme here, I read this one as fan fiction as well.  While not as funny as Boycotts & Barflies (which I own) by the same author, it is just as good. 

Welcome

I live in Wisconsin and I love books, hence the title.  I used to be one of those snobby people who said they would never get an e-reader because nothing could replace actual paper books, blah, blah.  Oh, yes, I was also anti-audio books.  Thought they were for people who don't read.  I have since changed my tune and love books in all of their various forms.  It is all my iPod's fault.

A few years ago my husband bought a used car and they threw in a brand-new iPod touch.  Being cheap frugal, I never would have purchased one as it is not a necessity, but I immediately stole liberated it for my own purposes.  Being frugal, of course, I use my library's services quite frequently.  I soon discovered that they had a website for downloading audio books onto your mobile device.  Now they have a great selection of e-books as well.  Of course I now have the Kindle and Nook apps as well. 

So now I have tons of books at my fingertips wherever I go.  They fit in my pocket and I can read whatever I want, whenever I want.  I don't have to be embarrassed by what I am reading because the cover won't give me away.  I can always lie.  And with the library and all of the free e-books available out there, most of what I read is free (the people who love me give me gift cards for the rest). The only way you could pry this iTouch out of my fingers would be to replace it with an iPhone.

Welcome to wilovebooks. I hope you will find something to read. I was never good at book reports and read faster than I review!