Author Spotlight (Chapter 5)

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Stephen King has become one of my favorite authors. I actually started reading literature written by his son before I started reading his stuff. The first thing I read of his was “Carrie”. I’m in the process of reading his Dark Tower series. I’ve read the first book and I need to move on to the second one. Right now I’m in the middle of reading “IT”. It’s a good book but it’s quite a long read. I have a couple of his other works that haven’t been able to read yet, such as Misery and Cujo. I know, I know…..I need to get reading.

What have you read by Stephen King? What is your favorite? Which would you recommend?

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2 new books!

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Well, I acquired two new books today. I know I mentioned not so long ago that I probably wouldn’t purchase any books any time soon. *grins sheepishly* I couldn’t help myself. I found these two books by author Wayne Hancock and just had to have them. I love reading mysteries and Wayne Hancock happens to be an author I like. I really need to get reading with all these books I have added to my collection. At least I won’t have to worry about running out of stuff to read any time soon…

5 tips to read more!

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In the world today, it can be hard to find more time to read when there is so much to do. Maybe your job demands a lot of your attention or you are very busy with school or you have a family to take care of. There are so many things out there in the world that require your attention so that may leave you with very little time to read.

Set goals….

Set yourself a goal to read a little each day. It can be something small, like you can agree to read maybe one chapter a day before going to bed or spend your commute to/from work reading (as long as you’re not the person driving the vehicle) or maybe you can dedicate the last 5 minutes of your lunch break to reading a portion of whatever book you’re on. Whatever it is, start off small with something that is easily obtainable. Once you get yourself in the habit of reading a certain amount everyday, then you can extend it little by little. Like you can extend it from 1 chapter to 2 chapters or maybe reading the last 10 minutes of your lunch break or whatever.

Choose something you’ll enjoy….

Making time for reading will be easier if you are reading something that you really enjoy. Reading will seem a lot more interesting and fun if you’re reading something that captures and holds your attention, thus making it less like a chore. Also, if you run into something that you don’t like, don’t power through it or force yourself to read it. If you’re not enjoying it, move on to the next one.

Keep a list….

Make a list of books you’d like to read and keep it on you. That way, it will make it easier to choose books to read the next time you’re at your local library or bookstore. If you need help finding books to read, you can find bloggers who can offer suggestions that are to your tastes.

Share……

When you read a book you enjoyed, share it with other readers. They may be able to recommend something to you and you’ll find other books to read.

Quiet time…..

If possible, create a quiet space for you to read in that is free of distractions and too much noise. For example, I have all my books in a spare bedroom of the house. I also have a little loveseat in there as well to relax on when I’m reading. My hubby refers to that spare room as my library.

“Ghost Story” by Peter Straub

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I finished reading this book last night and wanted to share it here. I had several people recommend this to me or tell me this would be a really good horror novel to read…..they were not wrong. There may be times where it seems like the are straying off the main story but they are not. You’ll see when you get to the end of the novel….all of that has something to do with the story. I did end up liking this novel because the author did a good job of building the suspense all the way through the end. It’s a good book to keep you on the edge of your seat or if you like ghost stories.

Synopsis: What was the worst thing you’ve ever done?

In the sleepy town of Milburn, New York, four old men gather to tell each other stories—some true, some made-up, all of them frightening. A simple pastime to divert themselves from their quiet lives.

But one story is coming back to haunt them and their small town. A tale of something they did long ago. A wicked mistake. A horrifying accident. And they are about to learn that no one can bury the past forever…

Choosing…?

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This is my 100th post on my blog. I’m so excited! I know my blog hasn’t been around as long and I don’t have quite as many posts on it as some of the others out there. I’d just like to celebrate the little wins with those of you who are following my blog and like to read up on what I’m writing about. I also want to take this time to thank all of you who are following my blog and to anyone who takes the time to read, like or comment any article I write. I know you don’t have to take the time to do that but you did. For that, I say thank you.

Anyway, I’m close to finishing the book I’m currently reading so there will be another post coming soon about it. My thoughts are beginning to stray towards what book I’ll choose next when I am done with this one. So, how do you go about choosing that next book to read when you finish the one you’re on? Do you just pick a book at random? Do rotate through different genres so you don’t get burned out on anything? If so, what genres do you go through and in what order are they? Do you choose books by a specific author? Does your mood determine which one you pick up next? How do you choose?

I usually go by what I feel like reading at that specific moment. I usually spend a few minutes browsing my bookshelves (or my Kindle) to determine which book I’m going to read next. Sometimes, it is an agonizing decision but I do come to a choice eventually.

Stay away from….?

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Are there any specific genre’s that you typically steer clear of? Why?

I typically don’t read any non-fiction. When I’m reading, I normally read for the fun of it or because it offers some sort of entertainment value. I don’t think I’ve read any non-fiction since I was in school, if my memory serves me right. Anyway, if I’m not entertained at all by the book I’m reading then I’m not going to continue reading it.

I also don’t read a lot of romance. I will read a romance once in great while but it is rare. There may be some books I’ve read that may have some elements of romance in them or it’s a side story going on in a book but it’s not the main theme of the story.

Best gift…..?

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What is the best book that you received as a gift?

One year for my birthday, my hubby purchased the first three books in the Harry Potter series. This was right around the time when the 5th book in the series was just being released in paperback form. I got interested in reading Harry Potter books kind of late in the series. I originally didn’t think I would like the series when it first came out because I knew they were books written for kids. But I found out that there were several friends or relatives of mine that were reading the books so I changed my mind and decided to give it a try. I ended up liking the first three books so much that I immediately went out to get the 4th and 5th book with some of my birthday money.

I also ended up renting the first three movies and watching them when I had a couple of days off from work. Before I could return them, my hubby ended up watching them and he ended up liking the movies. So he ends up going to watch all the movies with me when they are released in theater from that point on. He goes with me to see the “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” movies when they come out every other year and I think he is just as excited to see them as I am.

Not like a book?

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What makes you dislike a book you’ve read?

For me, it’s a really poor ending when I’ve invested so much time reading the entire book. I can’t stand spending all that time reading and be disappointed by the way it ends. Now, I’ll admit that this doesn’t happen to me much. Most of the time I’m happy with the way things are wrapped up in the books I’ve read. But once in a while……

What about you? What makes you really not like a particular book? Is it that you can’t get into the story? Are the characters not relatable?

Biggest problem?

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What is your biggest problem with reading?

For me, it’s finding enough time to read. I could spend all day reading if I am allowed to. Unfortunately, I have a job that I have to go to in order to help pay the bills. I do try to do chores and stuff like that on the days that I work so that on the days that I have off from my job, I can spend those days doing stuff I enjoy….like reading. If I could get paid to read, that would be a dream!

Finding enough literature to read is not a problem. You’d see what I mean if you could see all the books I’ve got on my bookshelves and the books I have on my Kindle. I’ve got three bookshelves in the spare bedroom and they’re nearly full. It’s the reason I had to get a Kindle so that I could have books without them taking up a lot of space.

One more round at the bookstore!

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I was able to make one more purchase today at my local bookstore. This may be the last time I am able to make a book purchase for a while. I kind of went book crazy while I was off from work and I’m going to have to save my money for a while before I can buy more books again. The good news is I’ll have plenty of books to read for a while.

Anyway, you can see below what I was able to purchase with the money I had left. I think I’ve made out like a bandit but I’m pretty happy with what I’ve got.

“The Collector” by K. R. Alexander
“The Fear Zone” by K. R. Alexander
“Remember Me” by Chelsea Bobulski
“The Ghost Road” by Charis Cotter
“The Girl in the Locked Room” by Mary Downing Hahn
“After the Fire” by Will Hill
“The Complete Horowitz Horror” by Anthony Horowitz
“Ghost and Bone” by Andrew Prentice
“The War in the Dark” by Nick Setchfield
“The Spider Dance” by Nick Setchfield
“The Shapeshifters” by Stefan Spjut