A serious side effect of book blogging is finding new things to read!! The book-blog community offers numerous channels for identifying new authors to read and love: reviews, ARCs, challenges, etc. After reviewing the list of the books I’ve read over the last few months, I realized that I have been undeniably influenced by this, the book blogging community. Here are some of the books and authors I’ve discovered as a result.
REVIEWS
Looking for Alaska, by John Green – Nymeth at Things Mean a Lot posted a review of this book in July. After reading her poignant review, I knew immediately that I needed to run out, find this book, and devour it. And so I did. John Green is a masterful writer of adolescents and an author I’ll be keeping my eye on.
The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey, by Trenton Lee Stewart -Sassymonkey Reads posted a review of the first book in this series in April. She didn’t give anything away, but yearned for the second book. With that kind of endorsement, I was in. I snatched up the first book and fell in love with Stewart’s cast of kids. The second book cemented my opinion of Stewart, and I’ll be eagerly awaiting more from him.
ARCs
Farworld: Water Keep, by J. Scott Savage – J. Scott Savage‘s self-organized blog tour was the first blog tour I ever signed up for and Farworld: Water Keep was the first ARC I ever received. His commitment to his book is extreme. He’s also an extremely good writer. The book kept me spellbound and left me wanting more.
The Questory of Root Karbunkulus, by Kamilla Reid – After reading book blogs for a while, I found out about companies that put together blog tours. One of my favorite such companies, Pump Up Your Book Promotion, sent me this book to read. Boy. Oh. Boy. I loved it. Reid really put a story together. (And, she was really nice and agreed to do a Q&A with me.) I can’t wait for the rest of this series.
Monique and the Mango Rains, by Kris Holloway – This book was my first LibraryThing Early Reviewers book, and I was enthralled. This memoir of Holloway’s two years in Africa for the Peace Corps was unlike anything else I’d ever read. Holloway managed to convey Africa without sounding superior or patronizing. She made Monique real and unforgettable.
The River, by Moonlight, by Camille Marchetta – This was the first book that another great blog tour company, Blog Stop Book Tours, sent me to read. And, I have to say, I was blown away. Marchetta’s story stuck with me for days. The writing was seamless, with historical details woven in ever so subtly for flavor. I’ve got Marchetta’s back list on my TBR list now!
CHALLENGES
On Chesil Beach, by Ian McEwan – So, like everyone else on the planet, I’d heard of Ian McEwan. I knew that he wrote Atonement. I knew he was famous. But I hadn’t ever read anything by him. In February, I signed up for my very first reading challenge, Trish’s Novella Challenge. Some other challenge participants had listed On Chesil Beach as one of their picks, so I picked it up at the bookstore on a whim. Then I read it. So far, it’s one of my favorite books of the year. McEwan can write!! Now I have Atonement, Saturday, and Amsterdam sitting on the TBR pile.
See what a difference a book blog makes! Thanks to everyone who reads and blogs. You inspire me.
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The side effects are great aren’t they?
I picked up an ARC of Looking for Alaska while at an ALA conference with my library husband a few of years ago, and I still haven’t read it. I guess I’m going to have to move it to my TBR pile sometime soon.
This is definitely one of my favourite things about blogging :) There are so many great books I wouldn’t have discovered otherwise.
I’ve always considered myself a well-read person, but WOW!! I have gleaned an enormous number of new books by reading book blogs.
Blogging has turned my reading habits upside down! It’s crazy everything that gets added to the TBR after reading blogs.
Book blogging definitely gives the term “side effect” some positive connotation! I used to baffle at what I’d read next; now it’s finding the time to read all that is recommended by book bloggers!
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