Weekly Tête-à-Tête #6 - Reading Stints

[Shanon]

Do you find yourself gravitating to a certain theme in books for a while then switching to a different theme later? What about genres - do you gobble up a ton of PNR then switch to straight UF or Horror or Classics?

What's you're latest reading stint and what do you feel is going to be your next?


I have been reading more and more post-apocoliptic books lately. They've really grabbed my attention and I always have one waiting to be read next!

I've been having a craving for the strangest thing in my books right now & I'm looking for the perfect books to fit that need. I want to read some books that are set in the old-school insane asylums... weird huh! I've always been intrigued with how mental illness was once treated and regarded and some fiction around that history sounds really intriguing. I think that's going to be my next "stint" fiction & non-fiction centered around insane asylums.

I usually find weird themes to pick up on though so I guess I shouldn't be surprised by my latest. I have books in my library about the Salem Witch Trials and Circus Freaks as well as other weird themes. They used to be mixed in with my religious books but that looked odd to see my "Mistress of Mayhem" copy (a book about women who murder) next to an uplifting spiritual book. SO, now they have their own sections - segregation in it's finest ;)

[Jessica]

I'm a series girl. I always read series in order, and if I find I enjoy the first book, I will devour the rest within days. I don't really theme read like you're talking about though.

[Shanon]

I used to do the same thing with series Jessica - UNTIL I joined this site and now I feel all scattered in my reading because I'll start TONS of new series and finish them eventually instead of one at a time like I used to.

How do you decide which series to read next? I'm always curious how/why people pick the books they do!

[Jessica]

I'll read any recent releases in series I've already started and then I just pick a new one based on mood. I guess lately I've been into lighter reads. I read the bewitching mysteries and now I'm starting the Pepper Martin mysteries. Both are mystery series with paranormal elements.

[Kathryn]

I think I tend to go through stints of one genre but lately that seems to be disappearng. Now I usually have books going from completely different genres. I'll read a series straight through if I love it and it's excellent.

[Melodie]

I was looking at my spreadsheet for this year's reading so far and I have read an awful lot of vampire books this year!!! Both YA & adult.

[Kathryn]

I think I have too but I wish I could find some good shifter series. I think I like shifters more than anything.

[Shanon]

If you're looking for a PNR about shifters the Moon series by Rebecca York is good. Each book is about a different couple but they all build on each other. I tore through the first 7 in a matter of weeks. The first one is Killing Moon

I can't think of many UF books (that you haven't already read) off the top of my head but I'll keep my eyes open.

[ஐ Katya (Book Queen)ஐ]

I do the same with a series. I tend to wait to start most til I have all the books in a series so I can devour them quickly, in order.

I used to read mostly serial (Harlequin) romances. I then looked back on my reading log and discovered that close to half of the books I read last year were mysteries. Right now, I havn't felt like reading fiction so reading a couple non-fiction books.

[Kathryn]

Thanks Shanon. I have been in a pnr mood so I think I'll start Killing Moon next :)

[[deleted user]]

Ever since I read Redemption Alley, I've only been able to read PNR. It was so dark that I just have to have HEAs for awhile. LOL

[Shanon]

Are all of the Jill Kismet books dark in nature? I haven't tried that series of hers yet.

[Rhianon]

Lilith Saintcrow naturally leans toward being darker than the average UF book. The Kismet books aren't quite as dark as her Valentine series, but they're close.

[[deleted user]]

I agree with Rhi. In general, the Kismet books aren't as dark, but Redemption Alley is the darkest of them. I would say it's about as dark as the darkest Valentine book.
The Kismet books are probably my favorite of hers.

[Rhianon]

Jan wrote: "In general, the Kismet books aren't as dark, but Redemption Alley is the darkest of them. I would say it's about as dark as the darkest Valentine book.."

I had been wondering if she would get back to her "darker" roots, since the earlier Kismet books seemed rather light-handed given her previous style.

[Evangeline]

Well lately I've been dipping into the paranormal romance department. I started out reading just urban fantasy and things like that with not much sex. I was afraid to start in on anything romancish because I figured they would be over sexed. Not that I don't mind some good scenes, I just don't want a whole book of it. I'm still a little wary to pick up anything Sherrilyn Kenyon or JR Ward because I'm afraid there will be too much sex for me. Even though I've heard good things about both authors.

I think next for me may just be some straight horror. I get scared easily, I know wuss, so I don't know who to read. I'm just afraid to buy something and not like it.

[Shanon]

Evangeline wrote: "I think next for me may just be some straight horror. I get scared easily, I know wuss, so I don't know who to read. I'm just afraid to buy something and not like it."

I really enjoyed Faerie Tale. It's a horror story about faeries and a family that encounters them. It's probably a good bridge between UF/PNR and Horror because you get the fantasy element with a bit of a scare.

I'm going to have to try the Dante Valentine series again. I think I just wasn't in the mood when I read the first 3. I'll also have to bump the Kismet books up on my list to read :)

[Jessica]

Evangeline wrote: "...I was afraid to start in on anything romancish because I figured they would be over sexed. Not that I don't mind some good scenes, I just don't want a whole book of it. I'm still a little wary to pick up anything Sherrilyn Kenyon or JR Ward...

The first 2 brotherhood books are very good stories with some nice steamy additions. All of them have good stories, but Wrath & Rhage are the two that were the best, imo. If you read Wrath's story Dark Lover and don't care for the story to sex ratio, you won't like the rest. But I think the first one is a pretty safe read in terms of liking it.

[Paula]

I haven't been switching themes for a while. I stay away from horror 'cause it scares me. I don't read books where a vampire is the main character. I read urban fantasy and paranormal. I like romance, but I don't want it to take over the story. I'm going to read some mystery books, just to get my head away from all the paranormal and fantasy elements. Just a couple mysteries and then I'll be back to reading UF.

[Cathy]

I'm similar to Paula. I switch to sci-fi for a break from the UF, but I've been stuck mostly on UF for a long time. I used to read more traditional fantay and sci-fi, but the world building that I used to love had just felt too exhausing. The urban stuff has the imaginitive edge that keeps it from being too too real, but being set in our world keeps it from being too hard to figure out. But I do have to switch it up sometimes, especially if I read too many really dark books in a row. I'll grab and paranormal romance or a goof sci-fi for a break in the mood.

[Paula]

I know what you mean about dark books. After reading Hunger Games I had to read one of the Needle Crafting mysteries, very light and not thought provoking at all.

[Melodie]

When I read too many UF books in a row I'll usually read some mysteries or pop culture bios, which I'm a sucker for. I like all types of mysteries and when it comes to the pop culture bios I tend toward books about the music business. Have read some really great books like I'll Sleep When I'm Dead The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon and No One Here Gets Out Alive and some not so good like Crazy from the Heat and Wonderful Tonight An Autobiography. Great escape material, sometimes even more so than actual fiction.

[Rachel]

I think I want to delve more into the paranormal for awhile, usually I'll see a movie and want to read all the true crime I can about it -- like The Orphan. Looked on the internet for days about true crime of that nature, found nothing :(

[Erin]

Thinking about it, I guess I do tend to read about various themes in groups. Lately I've been on a bit of a vampire binge, that and Greek and Celtic mythology. I have so many books on my tbr list at the moment, who knows when I'll move on to something else. Fairies are another one I have liked in the past and I have picked up a couple dealing with them lately as well.

[new_user]

I change it up a lot. I've found if I linger in a particular genre for too long, I feel like I'm not engaging all of my brain, so I swap in a little non-fiction, GN, YA, etc. If I'm getting a lot of good reccomendations in the genre, as I am now, it encourages me not to abandon it altogether. :) I'm coming across some engaging UF.

I usually don't binge on themes, LOL, but I will always keep my ear out for particular themes that I enjoy to add to my TBR, like shifters, succubi, dragon shifters, and HPNR. Good stuff like that.

Catherine, I hear you about the F/SF. It can be exhausting, especially the really developed worlds, but I can't give up my fantasy. Never! ;_; It was my first love, and I still have a soft spot for it. And if I really like the book, the exhaustion's worth it, LOL.

[Laura Lulu]

I mix it up too--I'll read a couple YA's then decide I need a little grown up entertainment *wink, wink* in my next book so I'll read a PNR series, then I'll feel like a dirty girl so I'll read a fantasy series, then I'll be ready for a little modern day ass kicking and go to UF. :)

[new_user]

LOL, I'm with you, Laura. Except I never feel like a dirty girl, LOL. *leer*

[[deleted user]]

My stint is just reading so much fiction and to break it down more mostly just paranormal/ supernatural/ horror. I feel like I should read some other genres of fiction and a few nonficton books, maybe memoirs or something (Mostly music or drama related), but whenever I think about non-supernatural fiction it just seems so boring and plain, nothing exciting about it. Though there is one book I found but I am not exactly sure what the genres is.