Ladies and gents, Fall TV is back, which means you will soon be subjected to Bachelor and ANTM references and generally be made to wonder how it is that I can be a literary agent who loves Ian McEwan and Melville while also being a tad too obsessed I mean fascinated by questionable-at-best reality television. I heart Fall!
But let it not be said that I am reading less because of all the good TV that’s on — I figured the debut of “Gossip Girl” on the CW was excuse enough to read the eponymous YA novel. Have to say — I really enjoyed it. Such attitude! Such dish! Such bad human beings! I loved it.
Meanwhile, back in book land, the little ole publishing industry often gets accused of not doing enough market research on its customers. Some people think we should be more scientific and, you know, figure out what kind of advertising works. Well! Let’s change all that. This is a HIGHLY SCIENTIFIC survey of REAL READERS that will result in some NEBULOUS ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE.
So here’s this week’s You Tell Me: How did you decide to buy the book you’re reading? Friend recommendation? Advertising? Book club? Random impulse buy? Debut CW series produced by Josh Schwartz featuring teenagers behaving very badly? (guilty – although I’ve been meaning to read it for a while. Which I guess is kind of worse.)
Let’s show those “scientists” where they can put their “formulas.” I bet they made all that stuff up anyway. Can’t fool me! Quadratic formula my foot.
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Jack Whyte, SKYSTONE – recommendation in the comments on the Smart Bitches blog (bought the other books in the series as well).
David Blixt, THE MASTER OF VERONA- read an interview with him on the Reading the Past blog.
Rebecca Gablé, DAS SPIEL DER KÖNIGE – book 3 in a series, the author is an autobuy for me. The same goes for Bernard Cornwell’s SWORD SONG.
David Wishart, GERMANICUS – browsed ‘Germanicus’ to see what nonsene the net has about him *grin* and decided the book sounded interesting. It is.
Well, my latest read, Kathleen Givens ‘Rivals for the Crown’ was not recommended to me at all. It was in the suitcases my wife and I brought back from RWA National. That said, if you like historicals with a hearty dose of romance, and a very interesting time period, i.e. I had no clue that the English expulsed the Jews in 1290, then I highly recommend this book. Very enjoyable read.
JDuncan
http://www.jimnduncan.com
I’m reading everything by Jasper Fforde because I stumbled upon one of his books at the front table in Borders, I enjoyed his style, and now I’m collecting all of his. I’m also reading the Fionavar Tapestry series on recommendation from a friend, and LORD OF MISRULE for my bookclub. Most of mine are either on recommendation from friends, from a link on the Border’s emails, or just random finds skimming through covers at the bookstore.
-Christine, Maryland
All I’ve been hearing for the past year is Jack Reacher this and Jack Reacher that, so I’m reading a Lee Child book, PERSUADER. Yup, I’m hooked, dammit.
Heidi, Marina Nemat is scheduled to be at a book signing this weekend in Sharon, Ontario, at a book fair. You might want to visit and have her sign your book.
Random selection from bookstore shelf resulted in Heidi Julavits’ The Effect of Living Backwards. Read first paragraph, decided it was worth $15. I defy your marketing analysis, Publishing Industry!
I am reading Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo.
Why? I have loved hsi work since I read The Rick Pool years ago. I have waited a long time for his next novel after Empire Falls.