Don't judge a book by its cover, or do you?

I think everyone knows this English idiom. It's a metaphorical phrase which of course means "you shouldn't prejudge the worth or value of something, by its outward appearance alone".Now there is something I have to confess: I'm Renée, and I *do* judge books by it's cover.

It feels good to get that confession of my chest. Yeah, I judge my books by their looks. If a book has an amazing cover, I have to read it! But if everyone is raving about a story, but the cover sucks... It's bye bye book...

But does this mean I'm missing out on some amazing stories with an ugly exterior? Probably... 

Do I think I can change? Probably not...

I love pretty covers! A gorgeous cover is for me a reason to buy a book. When I'm in a bookstore I even stroke the pretty covers! 

So does this make me a bad person? Or is this screening process working for me? 

Let's check some covers of books I've read:

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

I LOVED this cover. Cool kick-ass chick, smoking red dress, great background, and of course the most amazing weapon ever (I don't know if you know this, but I have a thing for crossbows) the crossbow!

But did this cover mean it was an amazing story? Hell yeah! 

One of my favorite books EVER!

So that's 1 for judging books.

Darkness & Light by J.A. Belfield

As soon as I saw this cover I had to read it. It was cool, interesting, original. I can't really say why, I just needed to know more about it.

The genre was a new genre for me, but I tried it anyways. And I was glad I did. It's now one of my favorite series and Julie is one of my favorite authors and bookish friends.

BUT after a while D&L got another cover, a cover that fitted the rest of the series. And truth be told, I don't know I'd have read this novel only based on it's cover if it had this cover to begin with. (SRY JULIE!)

So I read this novel, because of it's cover, and loved it. So that would make it another point for my screening process. But I wouldn't have read this book based on it's new cover (I guess I would still have read it though, because of my co-blogger Jen's raving reviews), so that means a point against judging books.

That would make the score now: 2 points for screening by looks vs 1 point against.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

This book, I wouldn't have read if it wasn't for it's cover. 

As soon as I saw this cover I was intrigued. I needed to know more, so I looked it up on Goodreads. But the blurb on there didn't really interest me, so I decided to put the book on my 'might read' shelve and forgot about it. But I kept seeing this cover, and the more I saw it, the more I needed to read it. 

And I was so glad I did! I loved it!

So that's one point for screening books AGAIN! That makes 3 vs 1.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
I HATE the first cover! HATE IT! I think it looks horrible! I read some amazing reviews about this story, but just couldn't put myself to picking up this book. But when they released it in it's new cover I did read it. And I have to say, I'm glad I didn't miss out on this book. It's a great story.

Again a point against judging books by it's cover, which makes the final score: 3 vs 2.

The final score isn't really convincing me to stop judging. And to be fair, I never think I will. But I will try to keep an open-mind and read books that other people are raving about, but aren't great lookers.

What about you guys? Are you a judger? And are there any books you've read and loved, but you hated the cover? Or the other way around, great lookers with a bad story?

Happy reading,

Top Ten Tuesday - New-to-me Authors 2012

Top Ten Tuesday is an original meme hosted at Broke and Bookish! The top ten of this week:

Top Ten Favorite New-To-Me Authors I Read In 2012

To be honest, this one wasn't that hard to answer! I just checked Goodreads and looked through all the books I read this year. It's funny how easy it is to pick the good from the bad! Here is my top ten from the best to... still super good but not as good as the best.

1. Caragh M. O'Brien
Caragh M. O'Brien is the author of the Birthmarked series. I have read Birthmarked and Prized, the first two books and I was very surprised at how much I loved it. Birthmarked introduces us to Gaia, a sixteen-year-old midwife in a dystopian world. The blurb never really pulled me in and I have had the book on my to-be-read list for ages and then I found that -> cover in my local bookstore. And since I am a sucker for pretty covers I bought it. And loved it. And send it to other people for their birthdays to force them to read it too. (And love it). This is a must-read for dystopian lovers.


2. Rhiannon Frater
On a sunny day in May I sat down in the garden and started my buddy read with Jen (Friday-girl). And I got sucked right into this amazing zombie world. You know that tv-series The Walking Dead? Same feeling, same vibe.. but in a book (which makes it even better!). The main characters are two kick-ass woman. The only thing that still bothers me is how expensive these books are. Seriously. I still haven't read anything else in this series (even though I am dying to) just because I am too poor to buy books with that price tag. Okay, and maybe I just don't wanna spend that much money on one book. 
But they're awesome. Just freaking awesome. Read it, get scared, learn how to survive a Zombie-apocalypse and erm... just awesome.

3. Michelle Sagara West
So for my birthday this year Brittany (Monday-girl) gave me the first book in the Chronicles of Elantra. The cover is kinda meh to me so it took me a while to read it. But when I did I got sucked right in! So far I have read three and the fourth one is impatiently waiting for me to pick it up. In this series you meet Kaylin and in each book so far you learn more about her world and about certain species. Some of them are weird. Think tentacles. I wasn't a big fan of Kaylin at first, she is not easy to love. But when you do she is one of those characters that doesn't let you go anymore. Try it, it's a series that deserves more fans!
 
4. Gabrielle Zevin
In 2012 I read the first book of her Birthright series. It's a book I have had on my to-be-read list even before it came out and when it did I didn't read it. No, it took one of those desperate 'I-need-to-buy-a-book-in-this-story.. any-book' moments. (How come all the books I don't really feel like buying/reading end up being awesome?) Yep, it was awesome.
It's rough and edgy and gangstery. And chocolate is forbidden. It's full of powerful people and their schemes. It's different and I am very curious to see how Gabrielle Zevin is going to continue this series.
 

5. Lauren Oliver
Look at that cover! Boooooring. And even though the blurb rocked my socks I wasn't buying it. Until one of my friends send it to me. Who cares about that cover when the story is this amazing. It is. 

6. Josephine Angelini
The blurb turned me off, big time. Starcrossed lovers? Seriously? And then the whole thing about them instantly hating each other because of some sort of curse? BOOOORING. Or maybe not. Cause I was actually very surprised by this one. I really like mythology and the way Angelini told the story of how the curse came to be. And maybe the romance is really romantic, who knew that starcrossed lovers could be so interesting. I also liked the personalities of the main characters. The guy she hates/loves has a great family, it's one of those families you wish you had. And the boy might be really hot.

7. Paolo Bacigalupi

I picked this one up in the Waterstones is Amsterdam. I really liked the cover and I am a big fan of dystopian books. Luckily I wasn't disapointed. I like male leads, the stories are more about adventures and action then love. Nailer is a teenage boy who scavenges boats for copper wiring, it makes money but it's very dangerous! And then his life turns upside down. Everything changes. But it also changes Nailer, for the good in my opinion. Nailer is a loveable young man who by accident goes on a huge adventure.
 
8. Carrie Vaughn
I hate werewolves! I really do! Don't I? So maybe this little werewolf woman changed my mind. The creepy shapeshifting didn't creep me out, the whole pack thing wasn't that gross (well it is but it changes) and Kitty actually has a life! She works, she has friends, she pees and she's not just busy being a werewolf. I actually liked her as a character and she might be the wolf that changes my mind about the ickyness of werewolves. Way to go Kitty!
 
 9. Janice Hardy
 The Healing Wars is a series that creeps up on you. You read the first book and decide to read the second and after the second you read the third. And then you discover that this series is done and you read it all in one go. Huh. This series for me, is awesome in a quiet sneaky way. Nya is one of those characters that grows on you, she can be kinda annoying but you end up forgiving her for all of it. And the magic is pretty awesome. And her friends are very loyal. And the world is confusing at first but after a while it makes you wanna live there. The love interest isn't that interesting and to me, not the main subject in this story. Yes! Cause sometimes I can't handle all the love!

And number 10? Well to be honest I couldn't really find my number 10. I read some awesome books from new authors this year,  but not all of them are worthy of being in this top ten.

So! Who do you think deserves that last spot? Who is your new favorite-new-to-you author of 2012?

What made you start reading

Sorry for both the late post and the fact I missed my first one due to travelling. 

What got you into reading? Was it school, family or like many of us just a really great series that hooked you? For me it was a bit of a combination. I grew up with a love for books due to my mum reading to me and with me when I was young. However for many years I had basically stopped reading. Then I ran into a different fantasy series. While I did not start at the beginning I quickly got addicted to it and still look forward to new books coming out today. The series is the Saga of Recluce by L.E. Modesitt.

This is the book I started with, picked it up 'cause it was on sale at the local bookstore. It helped renew my love of reading and I recommend it to those who enjoy long fantasy series filled with politics, intrigue and magic, lots of magic. This is a well-developed world that I just love learning more about. You can start basically anywhere in the series but I do suggest starting at the beginning.

Since then I have found many series that capture my attention and the suggestions from these lovely ladies have made my tbr list unmanageable.

So, what started you and why do you keep on reading?

Follow Friday #2



Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee. They ask a question, in which you answer on your own blog, and then you link back up with them. After you post, you can go back to the other links to discover new blogs and friends!

 

 

Q: Activity! Who do you want to be? If you could choose any character from a book. What do you think that character looks like and what do you have in common?

 

If I could be anybody from any book, well... I would have to go with my comic book hero(ine): Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Oh yeah, I went there.

 

 

 

The girl is totally badass, not to mention she has (and loses) her share of hot guys (er, nice vamps?)

 

But Wait! You say, That's a tv show! Not a book! And that's were you would be wrong my friend, the amazing Joss Whedon actually turned Season 8 of Buffy into a comic book series!  

 

And this is where I tell you that you should branch out (yes YOU!) and find yourself some awesome comic books to read if you don't already! If you're unsure, you could always start with Buffy! Go on, give it a go!

 

As far as us having anything in common with the slayer... well, let's just say my nightly adventures aren't just strolls in the park ;)

 

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

 

 

 

Synthesis: the Best Worlds in Contemporary Fantasy

Creating a good fantasy setting in the modern world sounds like it should be easy, right? It's not like traditional fantasy, where you have to invent entire worlds, cultures, magical systems, traditions, and more. Just throw in a few witches, vampires, and werewolves and you're all set.

Hey Van Helsing, the Wicked Witch of the West called.
She wants her flying monkeys back.

You could do that, and any number of authors have done so very successfully. But the best urban fantasy authors have not only something to explain their worlds but also a story that ties them together and fits them into the world we live in. They're the ones that take any number of myths and legends and bring them all together in a way that makes you pause for half a second and think, "Hey, I could almost believe that." In no particular order, here are my favorite examples.

Kate Daniels
Ilona Andrews

The Kate Daniels series could actually qualify as a post-apocalyptic novel as well as urban fantasy. After millennia of technology being on the rise, the scales have finally tipped back in magic's favor. Periods of magic and technology alternate unpredictably, and many organizations compete for power. This series has myths and legends from all over the world, not to mention some things you've never heard of, and Ilona Andrews makes it work. The level of offhand detail in this world makes it seem more realistic, and it's a great story as well.

The Hollows (Rachel Morgan)
Kim Harrison

About fifty years ago, genetically modified tomatoes gone horribly wrong and killed off half of the human population. The magical denizens of the world, having been in hiding for years, took the opportunity to come out of the coffin/cauldron/crate, and have been a begrudged part of the world ever since. The way the magical groups interact is one of my favorite parts of this series: they have histories and hatreds that go back thousands of years. Plus there's the whole deadly tomatoes thing.

The Edge
Ilona Andrews

The Edge lies between the Broken, our magicless reality, and the Weird, populated by a powerful aristocracy and rich in magic. The Weird has replaced our technological conveniences with magical ones, and has its own rivalries and divisions, while the Edge is virtually lawless. Again, the details casually dropped in this series make it come to life, and the characters are brilliant.

The Dresden Files
Jim Butcher

The Dresden Files takes myths and legends from all sorts of places and sort of reinvents them. Three vampire Courts, a Council of wizards, fallen angels, a variety of shapeshifters, the sidhe, psychics, magic dogs, talking skulls, necromancers, ghosts, zombies, dinosaurs.... You'd think all that would get confusing, but Jim Butcher has a way of weaving everything together that makes it seem like the world couldn't be any other way. Also there are Star Wars jokes. I like Star Wars jokes. Ash ;)

October Daye
Seanan McGuire

Unlike most of the previous series, the only magical creatures in the October Daye are the fae. (Probably.) This series does an amazing job incorporating fairy tales, children's rhymes, and other little things you'd probably never even think about into a whole world that doesn't feel like a children's story at all. Seanan McGuire does an amazing job making fairies scary, creepy, inhuman, and disturbing, but they still also seem like people.

Unbound
Rachel Vincent

I particularly like the Unbound series because it's different from most. A few Skilled people have very specific abilities, and they congregate in criminal syndicates that conspire to keep their abilities from public recognition. This makes for a pretty dark series, but one that's absolutely enthralling. Rachel Vincent comes up with some fascinating Skills to fit the world; they're based on a number of what you might think of as "traditional" magical talents, but reinterpreted in unusual ways.


Somehow the stories that have really interesting and well thought-out worlds seem to be the best ones, by what is I'm sure no coincidence. They have histories, legends of their own, and new ideas for old stories. They incorporate well-known myths in modern and innovative ways. And they do it all while fitting their stories into the real world, or at least something that looks almost like it. Now that's impressive.

What are some of your favorite urban fantasy worlds? What do you think makes a world believable? Join the discussion in the comments!

5 Bookish Chicks That Make Me Want to Wear Leather

My daughter is six and really into princesses. You know the type - damsel in distress just standing around waiting for her man to show up, beat the bad guy and save the day. Pretty dresses. Animal sidekick.

No offense to Cinderella, but that just ain't my style.

Personally, I prefer a girl with a set of brass balls. One who isn't afraid to stand up for what she believes in and doesn't just wait around for her knight in shining armor. She goes out and gets him. Fights a bunch of bad guys along the way, usually with some cool weapons. She usually has a pretty big chip on her shoulder, and it's usually well deserved. Add in a serious aversion to authority figures and an amazing group of friends, and you have my ideal bookish chick.

Here are a few kick ass examples:

5. Yelena, Study series by Maria V. Snyder

Yelena knows how to make lemonade from a pile of lemons. That have been poisoned. Initially asked to be the Commander's food taster, she finds a way to tap into her magic to defeat the bad guys and win the heart of her jailer, Valek. Before too long, she's charging into battle without asking for permission and taking on armies all by herself.

4. Mercy Thompson, Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs

Mercy is a unique woman in a world full of unique creatures. She's one of the last of her kind - a skinwalker who can become a coyote. Although she's inherently a gentle person, when danger comes knocking, she never turns and runs. Especially if an innocent person, or especially, someone she loves is the one in trouble.

3. Merit, Chicagoland Vampires series by Chloe Neill

Although Merit became a vampire under questionable circumstances, she only allowed herself to wallow for a half a second before she charged right up to the hot dude who made her that way and challenged him to a fight. After that, she busted out her leather pants and her wicked katana and set to work becoming the best Sentinel her house had ever seen. And, along the way, she ended up saving said hot dude's life more than once. And, earned his respect and love too.

2. Alex Andros, Covenant series by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Alex was trained from birth to be a total badass. Even went to school for it. Training to be a sentinel is serious business, especially when you have the blood of the Gods in your veins. Despite her loyal friends, Alex has a lot of hurt in her life. Her mom is killed and she falls in love with the one boy she can't have. Yet, despite one bad thing after another happening to her, Alex stays strong and hopeful and never gives up on what she wants.

1. Rose Hathaway, Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead

My favorite bookish chick of all time. Rose is half vampire training to be a bodyguard for the full-blooded ones. Despite being a sort of second class citizen, she attacks her job with passion and life. And, not just because she likes pounding things and handling shiny weapons. Rose truly loves helping people. And, I think that's one of the reasons why her teacher, Dimitri, falls in love with her. A lot of stuff goes down over the course of the books, and Rose stays strong. And kills a lot of bad guys. She ROCKS.

So, tap into your girl power. Put on a pair of leather pants and a bustier if it helps. Channel your inner Rose. And go out there and kick some butt.

What goes into writing a book - My story

Five years ago, I was sitting on my kitchen floor reading the Twilight series and I thought to myself, I can do this. Write that is, not fall in love with a sparkly vampire.  I have always written, since I was little. Whether it was adaptations of fairy tales or in a notebook that I passed between friends in high school, I was always writing.

So I sat down to write this amazing novel I had come up with, in my head it was the greatest thing since diet coke was invented.  I wrote like it was going out of style, chapters and chapters each day.  What did I come up with? Well, I will admit, it had a lot of Twilight in it, even if it had nothing to do with vampires or werewolves. 

  

I scratched it, and rewrote and reworked and slaved over it.  It took me five months to write the first draft, two years to edit it down to anything I would show anyone, and another year before I was serious about it.

By this time, I had this great book that I wanted the world to see. It was going to be the next amazing book, it was going to take off and every publisher was going to fall in love with it and want to represent it.  Boy was I wrong. I started researching how to get my book from my computer to the bookshelves of all the great bookstores.  I was very naïve, thinking it was easy, you just write a publisher and they take it and make it great, because afterall, this was a great work of writing, not a flop, they had to love it, right?

Wrong, very, very wrong.

There were literary agents, small publishers, large publishers, self publishing…. There was so much I had no clue what it even all meant. So I started with a simple query letter and my first ten pages and submitted to a bunch of literary agencies, thinking it was going to be a piece of cake, they surely had to pick me up.

Then my first rejection letter came, and a second, by the twentieth, I was pretty down and out.

So I started over. Going back through my manuscript and editing, tweaking, making it better.

Then I resubmitted to a bunch of literary agents again. This had to be my time.

Again, the parade of rejections came flooding in, but with them, one partial request.  Someone wanted to read more, and that was what I needed to light the spark in me.  Shortly after, another partial.  I was on  cloud nine! Something had to come from these! If they liked it enough for a partial, they were going to love the whole thing, right?  Wrong.

Both turned into rejections, but one of them, came from a woman I had become friends with, and that hurt the most. But she sent me a lovely little email, one that when I get down I go back and read. She told me not to give up, that I would make something of this hodge podge of a manuscript, it just needed another revamp.

So I did, I took a long time and went through it, revamping where she said to, and fixing, deleting, reworking the whole thing.

Then I sent it to an editor, who chopped it down again, another woman who became a friend. Both women amazing authors who helped guide me to where I am now.

So, now  I had this beautiful work, all glittery and cleaned up.  And I was sick of rejections, so I looked into self publishing, and by my 30th birthday, my goal was to have it out in ebook print.

I did it.

But I also kept looking for a publisher that would take me on, that would love my series as much as I did.  I kept my hope alive.

I am still looking for one. And I won’t give up, not yet.

My dream publisher opened its doors for submissions on Saturday, I had submitted to them while they were closed for submissions and was turned away, but I am persistent, and I love this company to death. It would be the biggest honor to be published under them, so I am trying again.

Keep your fingers crossed and send good vibes, pray, whatever it is you do! 

If you are a writer, don’t give up, but know the hard work you are going to have to put in once you have your manuscript written. Never take a rejection to heart; there are a lot of people out there that love to write just as much as you do.  Just revamp and rework and get back on the metaphorical horse.

If you are a reader, help out all authors, self published or company published.  Don’t pirate books.  All authors put in a lot of time into their work, would you do your job for free?

Now I must return to the chaos that is my house. Until next time…

-M-