What do you want us to talk/write about? Showing 251-300 of 1,312

[Debbie]

Hello John. I had to reply to your question about the Fantasy/Adventure genre. I think the genre is getting stronger as the authors writing in it come from more diverse backgrounds. It's not all just "sword and sorcery" any more. I do sometimes feel that the urban fantasy sub-genre is overtaking the field, but mostly because that isn't my favorite type of book.

Good luck with your series.

[John]

Thanks Debbie,

Great feedback. I agree. I believe it is getting stronger quite simply because so much has been done before new ideas are necessary to breakthrough. There have been some great twists and turns on the traditional story lines lately.

John Cicero

[Amanda]

Hi Ann and Michael,
I haven't read all of the previous posts so, sorry if this has been suggested before. Lately I have been thinking of mental palate cleansers. I'll explain: Yesterday I finished the brilliant Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes, a very intense and immersive reading experience. It probably didn't help that I took a multi media approach to it. In addition to reading the book I also listened to the audio version. The narrator was so great that he made the audiobook almost a traumatic experience. Can you get PTSD from a book? Now that I have finished this book I am wondering what to read next. I tried to read The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender but it was such a different setting from Matterhorn that I couldn't get past the first page. I need almost a literary palate cleanser, because I don't want to be reading war books for ever. Any one else ever had this experience, or am I nuts? I would be interested in hearing a discussion on the podcast about this.

[[deleted user]]

Amanda wrote: "I haven't read all of the previous posts so, sorry if this has been suggested before. Lately I have been thinking of mental palate cleansers. I'll explain: Yesterday I finished the brilliant Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes, a very intense and immersive reading experience. It probably didn't help that I took a multi media approach to it. In addition to reading the book I also listened to the audio version. The narrator was so great that he made the audiobook almost a traumatic experience. Can you get PTSD from a book? Now that I have finished this book I am wondering what to read next. I tried to read The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender but it was such a different setting from Matterhorn that I couldn't get past the first page. I need almost a literary palate cleanser, because I don't want to be reading war books for ever. Any one else ever had this experience, or am I nuts? I would be interested in hearing a discussion on the podcast about this."

I had the same experience with Matterhorn (by Karl Marlantes; narrated by Bronson Pinchot.) It took me two weeks to get "out of the bush!" Everything I've tried to listen to after that has come up miserably short. The only thing I might recommend is another fantastic print/audio experience: Shantaram (by Gregory David Roberts; narrated by Humphrey Bowers) or; To Kill a Mockingbird (by Harper Lee; narrated by Sissy Spacek.) Otherwise, I would recommend giving yourself a break (listen to some music...)until you're ready :-)

[Kate]

I have not read Matterhorn, but have had the sma experience of completing a great book and not being able to get into another right away. For mental palate cleansers I have used lighter novels by authors such as Janet Evanovich, Ed McBain or Robert B Parker all of whom write mysteries with a lot of quick witted dialogue. They are easy to get into and keep your interest, but do not require a real emotional commitment that some great novels require. After one or two, I am ready again for more challenging, literary fare.

[Amanda]

Hi Tanya,
It's uncanny that you should suggest Shantaram or To Kill a Mocking bird. I have listened to each of these audios in the past few months. I enjoyed then very much but I didn't find thme as hard to leave behind as Matterhorn. I downloaded Room by Emma Donoghue. I'm listening to that today as I drive around. It seems to be doing the trick. Also Im reading The BFG to my 7 yr old daughter I think that is helping too.

[Alexia]

I haven't read through all 275 messages in this thread so forgive me if this has been suggested...

I'd love to listen to a podcast that talks about books in collaboration with different types of media. For example, the television show "Castle" is about a mystery writer, Richard Castle. There is at least one actual book "written by" Richard Castle. Another example is the "39 Clues" young adult series that has a web site and cards that go along with the books.

Hope my post makes sense. It's Friday and all the coffee in the world isn't going to help me today.

[Ann]

Alexia, yes, this makes sense.
I confess that not a lot comes immediately to mind, but it's Monday morning and I've had *no* coffee!

Thanks for the suggestion -- I'll keep thinking on it :)

[Joanne-in-Canada]

I recommend the Number One Lady Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith as a mental palate cleanser.

[[deleted user]]

My idea is a show about actors/actresses who are also authors:

Buried Child
The Hottest State
Paradise Alley
Beyond the Stars: Quest for Tomorrow
The Apostle

[Ann]

Todd, nice! I had no idea.

[Callie]

Alexia wrote: "I haven't read through all 275 messages in this thread so forgive me if this has been suggested...

I'd love to listen to a podcast that talks about books in collaboration with different types of m..."

EW.com actually has a slideshow about this:
http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20437...
Admittedly, they're all fairly cheesy, but it did remind me about Bad Twin, which was a tie-in to the show Lost. Added many things to the already-dense Lost mythology!

[Linda]

My idea is about one hit authors. Obviously this would include Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird, but how about Arthur Golden Memoirs of a Geisha. What happened to Kent Haruf? Plainsong

[Victoria]

Linda wrote: "My idea is about one hit authors. Obviously this would include Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird, but how about Arthur Golden Memoirs of a Geisha. What happened to Kent Ha..."

Ooh good idea Linda. I bet there's loads of them.

[[deleted user]]

As I was listening to BOTNS 101, I found myself wondering what advice would you give to writers. A good writer knows that reading plays an integral part in their craft. As avid readers and employees of a publishing company, do you have a list of books that every writer should read (whether it is fiction, non-fiction, etc.)? Do you have advice for us as we move towards publishing our materials? Moreover, what do you think we should know in general about the process of creation and distribution?

I think this would make for a great podcast!

I often find that journals and letters of authors can be very helpful. I especially like the correspondence of both Jack Kerouac and Sylvia Plath.

[Ann]

Hi Todd,
Since we work with authors after their books have already been acquired by editors, publishers have signed off, and the money spent, we hope that they already know how to write. So I think that for me, most of the conversations we have with authors is about how the process works. So much of it is a complete surprise. Also, so much of it changing, and rapidly.

I think every writer should read as much as possible, and read across as many areas as he or she can. There is something to be learned from literature, from commercial fiction, from nonfiction, and even (maybe especially) from "bad" books.

As for learning how publishing works, I'd recommend reading blogs, following relevant people on twitter, etc. There aren't many books that are current. If you are a "mainstream" writer, then literary agent blogs such as Nathan Bransford's are great. Pimp My Novel is another blog written by a publishing insider that has great information.

You're right, it could make for an interesting podcast. Thanks!

[Dottie]

Kent Haruf has written several books in addition to Plain Song. Even Tide (if I am remembering correctly) is a bit of a sequel but he also has The Tie that Binds and West of Last Chance and Where you once
Belonged.

[Linda]

Dottie and others, I did not mean to imply that Kent Haruf had only written one book. I know he has written several - all which I own. But he hasn't written a new novel since Eventide in 2005.

[Lil]

How about a show on good free reads from out of copyright books now that google books has so many to choose from? Readers could call in with suggestions that are perhaps off the beaten path from all the well known classics. I'm amazed that someone(s) went to the trouble to scan all these books from libraries...crazy cool but I haven't figured out how to best utilize this resource.

[[deleted user]]

Hi Michael and Ann - I'm a fan of your podcast. I've recently finished a book that gave me one of the top reading experiences of my life (If you are interested, the book was "As Meat Loves Salt" by Maria McCann). You know what I'm talking about, every so often a book comes along that seems to plug directly into your soul, the stars align and you lose track of time as you move along the pages with an occasional gasp or sigh. Well, now that it's over, I don't know what to do! It struck me that this post PEAK READ experience is like the end of a romantic relationship. I find myself listless and skimming books that just don't seem to be up to snuff. I could take a cue from you guys and pick up your faves (for instance The Sparrow, or Any Human Heart which I've bought) I am sure they will treat me right. But perhaps you can talk on your podcast (or here) about "getting over" a previous literary love. Are there tips? Like, is there a ritual? Should I just have fun for a while and keep switching between books in my 'to read' stack? What if I'm a serial monogamist? HELP! :-) ~Kent

[Jennifer]

Kent, I know how you feel - its wonderful and terrible all at once to love a book so much that the next one is bound to disappoint. Before jumping into another "good" book (like one that someone else is saying you will love - and believe me, you will love the Sparrow and Any Human Heart!) I would do the palate cleanser suggestion that Amanda and Tanya talked about above. I usually pick up something very light that I'm familiar with like an Agatha Christie I haven't read yet or something that I know will be enjoyable but almost forgettable (I do not mean to disparage Dame Agatha!!) to my reading head back to neutral.

I am currently reading Matterhorn so it sounds like I will have this same problem soon!

[[deleted user]]

Jennifer, Ahhh It seems I'm not the only one who's had this issue arise, next time i'll read the thread. Thank you for recapping and sharing the palate cleansing tip.

Enjoy Matterhorn!

[Kathleen]

Hi Ann and Michael,
First, I want to tell you both how much I enjoy your podcast. I listen to several book-related podcasts, and yours is the only one I listen to from begin to end every time.

I would like to hear a podcast devoted to books related to the art world. One of my favorite reads of 2010 was LUNCHEON OF THE BOATING PARTY. My husband bought a print of the Renoir painting for me to admire while I read it.

[Diane]

I would love to hear a podcast about a particular author's body of work. When I like an author, I read several books by him or her, so I would enjoy a podcast on wonderful authors.

[Chris]

Heather KS wrote: "I'm also interested in the links to some other great book blogs. I love Books on the Nightstand, but would like some other blogs to read in all my free time. Thanks!"

Hi Heather--a passion for reading and enjoyment of writing is all you need! I've been blogging about books for a year now and find it very rewarding. My blog is:
http://wildmoobooks.blogspot.com/

[Chris]

How about a show on gay/lesbian fiction? Classics, hot new titles, forthcoming?

[Jim]

Hi - With 2011 being the centennial of the Tennessee William's birth (he was born in Columbus, Miss., in 1911), what about a show featuring Southern Literature /Southern writers?
Keep up the good work !!
Jim Vandevender
New York City

[Vanessa]

How about a segment on books about educators or special education experiences? I read Dibs: In Search of Self by Virginia Axline and The Thread That Runs So True by Jesse Stuart almost 20 years ago and remember loving them. I'd love to hear about other books in the same vein.

[Linda]

Vanessa wrote: "How about a segment on books about educators or special education experiences? I read Dibs: In Search of Self by Virginia Axline and The Thread That Runs So True by Jesse Stuart almost 20 years a..."


Laughing Allegra

Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's

Beautiful Child

[Readnponder]

I love the narrative non-fiction by Torey Hayden about the special needs kids she has worked with.

[Ellen]

Readnponder wrote: "I love the narrative non-fiction by Torey Hayden about the special needs kids she has worked with."
Oh me too-& 3, 4, & however many it takes-I've read all of Hayden I could find & love her. I'm a special ed teacher & I still love her Sometimes when you're in the field these books can be overly romanticized, boringly pedestrian or amazingly narcissistic. She's entertaining, vividly real, & focused majorly on the kids. Love her.

[Ellen]

Vanessa wrote: "How about a segment on books about educators or special education experiences? I read Dibs: In Search of Self by Virginia Axline and The Thread That Runs So True by Jesse Stuart almost 20 years a..."

As a special educator, I'm all for this :)
Not so much Axline since I think she misses the boat on autism (even though she got me into the field to begin with-I'm such an ingrate!) But there's so much out there. I loved Look Me in the Eye. And then there's Donna Williams Nobody Nowhere: the Extraordinary Autobiography of an Autistic
I say let's do it!

[Chris]

This may be a bit on the morbid side, but I thought of this thread when I was driving in this morning, listening to a wonderful interview with Reynolds Price, who recently passed away. How about toward the end of the year revisiting big writers who have passed away and some of their notable works? Or, throughout the year when it happens? I think I might have read a Price book in my past, but after listening to the interview, I'm going to go back and investigate.

[Ellen]

I personally like that idea (although it may be I am morbid). It seems like the best kind of tribute, memorial to a writer we could make: to read his or her work. Actually (maybe depending on the threads) it seems too respectful to be morbid.
The only problem I can think of is that maybe people would be hesitent to respond freely to the work, given that the author had just, you know, died. It might inhibit a really free flow of ideas.

[Loretta]

I'd love you guys to do a show on books that are hard to get into, but worth it.

For example, I know many people (myself included, at least lately) will give up on a book if it hasn't caught their interest at the 50 page mark, or 10% mark, or whatever individual barometer they use to determine when the book isn't worth it.

But, I've had the experience in the past where I've been bored by a book for some number of pages, only for it to magically become absolutely enthralling at a certain point. As a matter of fact, two of my all-time favorite books had been abandoned at one point, only for me to pick them back up at a later date, start over from the beginning, and fall absolutely in love. (If you'e curious, the two books I'm speaking of are Les Misérables and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay). I know a number of other people were bored by the first 50 pages of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (though I myself was not).

So I guess my point is that there are books that are "easy" to read (and these can be great too), but there are also "difficult," books, many of which are truly excellent. And it can sometimes be hard to know if you're simply not in the mood, if there's a hurdle over which you have to jump, or if the book really is not for you (or just not very good).

So I'd love to hear your experiences about books that have (to use a runner's term) a "wall," but that once you get past it, the other side is wonderful.

[Patrick]

I have been reading many books lately, on my iPod Touch. All of the them have been downloaded for free from Project Gutenberg (gutenberg.org). I have discovered many books I "should have" read by now, and understand why. So how about an occasional series of 'Classics'

[Kate]

To go back to the recently deceased authors, with one of my book groups we have begun doing this for the last few years fro the authors we christen "literary lions". We read (or reread)The Catcher in the Ryeand Nine Storiesafter J.D. Salinger passed away as well as Alexsandr Solzehenitsyn's One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. Next up for us is Reynolds Price'sKate Vaiden. They have been great conversations about not only the particular book, but the author's whole body of work, which sometimes makes for a different perspective, seeing when an author wrote something and what came before or after. We are still trying to figure out how and when to read Noman Mailer as all his books are very long and we try to keep our selections 500 pages or less, I know The Executioner's Songis one of his shorter works, but is it representative of his whole body of work?

[Chris]

Kate wrote: "To go back to the recently deceased authors, with one of my book groups we have begun doing this for the last few years fro the authors we christen "literary lions". We read (or reread)[book:The C..."

"Literary Lions," I love that! In terms of Mailer, I've never read him, but have always wanted to, especially "The Executioners Song." I heard an interview with him, again, after he passed away (I really do listen to interviews with people who are living, I promise!) and he talked a lot about "The Naked and the Dead." It was a huge success when it came out, and he was young, in his 20s or so. Yes, all his books are mammoth!

[Janet]

I became aware of Price's Kate Vaiden when reading Me Times Three by Alex Wichtel. Paul, one of the main characters, says "There are few things I love in life more than the novel "Kate Vaiden." I quite liked that book, and also KV. http://books.google.com/books?id=CJ54...

[Scott]

I am new to BOTN, and am going through the older podcasts now. One thing I have not noticed you mentioning when you discuss a book is speculation on the title - why was that particular tile chosen (over possible others), what are the possible meanings, could there have been a "better" title, etc. Some, of course, would be obvious. Many are not (to me, anyway).

I find myself wondering about this with some books.

I still have a lot to catch up on, so perhaps this has be covered previously.

[Melissa]

As a segment on one of your podcasts, I would love for you to discuss how the cover art for a book is selected. The cover can make or break a decision about whether or not I purchase a book and I am wondering if it is the same for others.

[Katie]

Melissa wrote: "As a segment on one of your podcasts, I would love for you to discuss how the cover art for a book is selected. The cover can make or break a decision about whether or not I purchase a book and I ..."

That's a great idea! You could talk about US vs. UK covers, hardcover vs. paperback, reissues of classics, etc. Good one Melissa.

[Heather]

Loretta wrote: "I'd love you guys to do a show on books that are hard to get into, but worth it..."

I love this idea! I tend to go with the Nancy Pearl Rule of 100 (take your age and subtract it from 100, whatever is left is the number of pages to read before giving up). I also subscribe to the idea that many books speak more to us at certain times of life / circumstances.

I would especially love to hear Michael and Ann's thoughts on the signs that a book is worth it, and what signs that tell you to "run away!"

Good idea Loretta!

[Heather]

Patrick wrote: "I have been reading many books lately, on my iPod Touch. All of the them have been downloaded for free from Project Gutenberg (gutenberg.org). I have discovered many books I "should have" read ..."

I also love the idea of a Project Gutenberg themed show! I've discovered a lot of hidden gems there, not only classics, but books that were considered popular or scholarly literature.

For instance, the best one was the forward to a "Selected Letters of Jane Austen" in which the editor talked about how much life had changed in between Jane Austen's time (early 1800s) and his time (it was written in the early 1900s). I'm paraphrasing, but: Why now, a person can barely digest the news from the morning edition of the paper before the evening edition comes out!

Reading things like that, and reflecting on the coronary that that editor would have if he was plonked down into early 2000s is just great!

[Scott]

Many years ago, I was a member of a (I think) Doubleday book club called 'International Collector's Library'. The club would reproduce classic literate with fairly cheap, but attractive covers. The books did not age well unless taken very good care of - acidic paper, etc. but they looked nice on the shelf and I read a lot of classics that I probably never would have otherwise considered. whatever happened to ICL and other book clubs of the past that are no longer around?

[Loretta]

@ Heather: Thanks! :)

I like your 100 - (Age) = pages to read idea too.

[Diana]

Hey guys, I really love the work you're doing. I've been following you podcast for a few months now and I'm looking forward to the next Wednesday in each Wednesday (or Tuesday, or Thursday, not sure about this one).

Maybe I'm a bit weird, but I really don't get why murder novels are called mysteries. I mean, yea, the mystery is that we don't know who the murderer is but, still... All I wanted to say is that my idea of mystery goes like "Jane Eyre" or "Rebecca" or, to finally get to the point of my comment, Diane Setterfield's "The Thirteenth Tale". I absolutely loved this book and I couldn't find anything similar to it (maybe you have some recommendations?). Anyway, my question is whether you know if this author's second book is soon to come out on the market. This second book is already featured on GoodReads but it has no title so.. It would be great to have some news!

Thanks!

[Elaine]

Here are my ideas for a segment -- there is site called the neglected classics I read a book Moonflower Vine from that site last year and just loved it so wondering about a neglected classics segment. Also I note that several well-known authors Pat Conroy, Jane Smiley and Stephen King have books about their reading and writing so wonder about a show on what authors like to read. Elaine McCarty

[Gerald]

MY newest idea.Since Lent is about to begin my newest idea is...Three books you could give up for Lent and Three books that you could never give up for Lent.Ger

[[deleted user]]

Gerald wrote: "MY newest idea.Since Lent is about to begin my newest idea is...Three books you could give up for Lent and Three books that you could never give up for Lent.Ger"

I'm not Catholic but I'd give up anything BUT books for Lent.