Sha’s Comments (group member since May 08, 2018)

Sha’s comments from the The Perks Of Being A Book Addict group.

find me a cover with an abstract design

Elizabeth wrote: "I read ebooks off of my phone instead of a kindle or tablet or any other device. I could just pull out my phone at any moment and start reading without bringing anything extra with me because I always have my phone with me wherever I go."

yes to this. it's so convenient.

and annotations! i color code my highlights and that's been really helpful for refreshers and reviews.

I would definitely recommend a tablet or phone over a dedicated reading device. Its far more flexible.

Harry Potter > Hunger Games > Twilight > Divergent

...what? I enjoyed Twilight for the melodramatic teenage love story it was, and Divergent seemed very knock-offy to me.

Hi! I read a lot of romance. :D

All of the problems I see described above are very real and very common. However, what I do like about the romance novel genre is that over the past bunch of years, there have been a lot of writers who so more nuanced and less cliche plotlines. It's one of the fastest evolving genres there is, and you can probably find something for everyone eventually.

Romance set in Civil War with discussions on race relations? A Hope Divided or An Unconditional Freedom. Modern day romance addressing class differences? Trade Me. Steampunk comedy with quasi-vampires? Prince of Hearts Comedies of manners? Most things by Georgette Heyer qualify- also check out Jo Beverley or Mary Balogh. Semi-angsty family relations and people trying to find themselves? Courtney Milan's Turner Brothers books. Frothy and irreverent contemporary romance with eccentric characters? Jennifer Crusie. Melodrama? Danielle Steel or Judith McNaught. Lighthearted relationship drama? Julia Quinn or Tessa Dare.

@Laurinda
"An agent told me that she didn't like my romance, 'The Harlequin Girl', because the two central characters didn't end up with each other. (My heroine also has a facial disfigurement.)"
I actually read a bunch of articles written recently about how a romance without a Happily Ever After/Happy For Now is not properly classified as romance, but as a love story. It's a genre convention and I think other people express it far better than I do.

@Benjamin
"If the character was anything less than perfect, the book, whatever it is, wouldn't sell."
I wouldn't go that far. A disfigured hero has been used often enough to be an actual trope. Sadly, there is less chance of encountering a disfigured heroine.

I think a lot of people associate reading with "chore" rather than "fun", and choose books accordingly. I read a lot of fiction, a significant proportion of it Sci-Fi/Fantasy and I'm constantly bombarded by well-wishers and family asking me why I won't read something "more useful" or why I read "kid's stories." The latter, by the way, is used to refer to every book that is not completely mired in reality, regardless of content or theme. If there be dragons, they be for kids.

1. Reading too many books at a time. I'm usually pretty good about mentally juggling multiple plotlines but sometimes I drop the ball and then I have to sigh and move a book back to the want to read list. This is especially bad for non-fiction, because I read it in smaller chunks and they tend to get lost in the stream of all the fiction I read.

2. Reading is how I do procrastination, ending up with me reading even when I don't really want to just because I'm scared of messing up my work.

3. Sneaking peeks to the end when I get impatient or stressed out about the characters. Then I have to go back and read it for real and I keep yelling at myself for having lessened my own enjoyment.

Terrence wrote: "Physical Books, EBooks or Audio Books?

The percentage of readers reading eBooks, as compared to physical books, is increasing. And, now, many listen to audio books as well. Will audio books replac..."

I doubt it. Ebooks have a higher chance of replacing print books because they use up less resources in production. Audio books, otoh, and far more resource-intensive to produce, and the viability of a cheaper and simpler option probably will sustain physical/electronic books.

I like ebooks because I can annotate and scribble all over them and I never have to worry about defacement or lack of space. My only problem is all the notes I lose whenever I have to re-format my phone or replace my SD card. :(

As a rule, the fewer the PoV characters the better. I prefer having three PoVs max. in any given book- anything more than that and it gets confusing. There's also the problem of one plotline continuously getting interrupted by another.

I'm not sure if most stories (especially ones with larger scopes) can manage with just one PoV a book. Deathcaster is a good example- there's far too much going on on multiple parts of the continent, and having different povs means that we can be where the action is instead of hearing about it as exposition.

So... sinle pov as much as possible, but limit multiple PoVs if you absolutely have to have 'em.

I really enjoyed getting to talk with all of you, and am planning to join next year's challenge. Hope to see you all there. :)

the contest ending is very strange i don't know what to post anymore.

//staggers drunkenly towards other threads and forums

i have more finished books but i haven't posted them because everything's done? Let me know if I have to do otherwise~

Mirrors are done~
What do we have left?
Hope Poongothais audit/audit preps are going well~

The Mirror's Tale
Apr 25
4. Book 4, Further Tales Adventures Series
8. Char. Elaine

Mini
25B2bb*: read a book with a mirror on the cover

Update: I think I can finish the mirror book. I'm a third of the way through and I have a couple of hours.

I have a mirror cover and it looks like a very light read.

But like everyone else, I can't be sure I'll finish it. :/

I notice we have a shortage of 5s, so I'd like to point out that My Life at the M.B.R.C. takes place in (mostly in) Chicago, (and presumably entirely in) Illinois. I didn't add it in the book post because there were a lot of things to note down and I forgot about that one.

A Duke in Disguise
Apr 21

2. Second Book in Series
7. Character: Verity Plum
8. Location: England
9. Char. Nate
Skip: Char. Portia

MINI
10B2*: C: Char. Caroline
12B2*: A: Char. John "Ash" Ashby
17B1a*: A: See above
18B1a*: C: See above
24B2bb*: read a book with a Romance MPG

Men Explain Things to Me
Apr 21

0. Standalone
6. Author Rebecca Solnit

MINI
9B2*: R: Author Rebecca Solnit

Sorry. :/ Nonfiction so no characters.

Elysium
Apr 20
4. Book 4 in Series
6. Char. Sylvia Klineberg
8. Title
9. Location: New South Wales, Australia
Skip. Char. Sylvia Klineberg



MINI
8B2*: G: Althea "Allie" Gebhardt
9B2*: R: Richard Boyer
10B2*: C: Colette du Moulin
12B2*: A: see above
15B1a*: G: see above
16B1a*: B: see above
17B1a*: A: see above
18B1a*: C: see above