Generally I don't mention my religious or political views on this blog. I'm going to make a tiny exception today by talking about some thoughts on reader expectations that I had at church this morning...but I'm not going to preach at you, and if anyone uses the comments for preaching, they will be deleted.
All that being said, I recently started attending an Episcopalian church in my neighborhood, and I was happy to see that today's service was going to be Lessons and Carols. The year I lived in England, I went to two such services and loved them because they were a dream come true for someone like me who loves to sing and can never get enough of the traditional Christmas carols. Basically, someone would read a passage from the Christmas story, we'd sing two or three carols related to it, lather, rinse, repeat until we'd made it from the Annunciation to the Magi and sung at least a dozen carols.
So when I sat down with today's order of service, I was disappointed. There was maybe half as much congregational singing as in those English services, and none of it was Christmas classics like "Joy to the World," "Angels We Have Heard on High," or "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." It was, you see, an Advent service, with Advent music. (For those of you not versed in the liturgical-church calendar, Advent is the four weeks before Christmas, and Advent music is more about anticipating Jesus than celebrating the Nativity story. Probably the best-known Advent hymn is "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.") Now, I like Advent music fine, but I grew up in a non-liturgical church (translation: Baptist) that sang Christmas carols all December, and because of family travel I'm never at my church during Christmastide when they break out the shepherds abiding in the fields and the multitudes of the heavenly host. So there's this whole tradition of songs I grew up loving that I never get to sing anymore, and singing along with the radio or singing in the shower just aren't the same. (I know, I should probably find some carolers or something to join...but where would one find such a thing? I'm picturing the Craiglist ad: "Experienced alto seeking like-minded musicians for casual yet sophisticated and tuneful musical encounters...")
I think I spent the first third of the service feeling sad that, in fact, those Lessons and Carols services I attended back in 1997 weren't representative of the Anglican Communion as a whole--that just because two Church of England congregations in Bristol sang Christmas songs for one service in Advent did not make it required or even likely that an Episcopal one would do the same thing in Seattle in 2011. But then we sang a song that was both completely new to me and incredibly fun to sing, and the man sitting next to me, a fine baritone, started to harmonize, so I did the same. (To me, harmony is more interesting to sing and uses the richer, fuller part of my alto range--I can go as high as an E atop the treble clef, but I start sounding reedy and thin around B-natural. Still, I hesitate to harmonize when everyone else is singing melody, since it can feel conspicuous in the wrong way.) From then on, I appreciated the service for what it was instead of what I'd hoped it would be, and I'm glad I was there.
What does any of this have to do with reading? Well, it occurred to me that I was acting like someone who'd read one or two historical romances--say, a book or two by Jo Beverley--and then picked up a book by Courtney Milan or Loretta Chase and couldn't deal with the fact the voice and tone were different because all my expectations of historical romance were built on that initial sample.
I don't think I've ever been quite that picky a reader, but I've definitely had experiences where someone pushed a book on me, saying, "I know you love Author X, so I'm SURE you'll love Y, too." Once I try the book, I think the book pusher must be crazy, because X and Y are nothing alike, since Y's voice isn't as smooth or her characters aren't as vivid. Or I'll read bad reviews of books I love, and clearly the reviewer is disappointed not because the book is poorly written or offensive, but because it didn't match the expectations they had when they sat down to read.
I don't think it's possible to prevent expectations dissonance. But thinking about it makes me see the value of a well-chosen cover and title or a thoughtful review--really, anything that makes an accurate promise to the reader about what they'll find once they open my book.
Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Why I'd make a lousy book reviewer
...aside from the whole Being An Author Myself thing, of course, which adds a certain awkwardness all its own. Give a poor ranking to someone who outsells you and it looks like sour grapes. Do the same once you're an established big name and if you're not careful you could come across as an arrogant jerk. Some authors are reviewers and manage the two hats well, of course, but I don't see myself becoming one.
You see, my internal grading system is something like A-B-Did Not Finish. But with nuance:
A+
I love this book/series so much I immediately buy the author's entire backlist, no matter the cost, no matter the effort in tracking it down. I haunt the web for details about the author's next release. I babble about the author and book(s) incessantly to anyone who'll listen. F'rex, I haven't actually accosted strangers on the street to ask them if they've made Miles Vorkosigan their personal Vor-lord and savior, but the temptation is there.
A
I fell in love with this book, but in a less intense way than with an A+. I'll seek out the author's backlist, but at a leisurely pace, maybe a book every month or two, and I'll preorder his/her future work.
A-
I like this book a lot, but it doesn't quite have that certain something that's going to make me remember it forever and go to it when I need a comfort book to re-read. I plan to read the author's backlist/future releases, but there's not the same sense of urgency for more as with an A+ or A book--I'll just remember the author as someone who gave me a good experience once and can probably be counted on to do so again.
B+
This book charmed me but didn't wow me, and I noticed a few flaws--little plot holes, occasional awkward word choices, etc. I'll probably give the author another chance. Or maybe it's an author who's delivered higher-grade books for me before, but this entry feels just a little off her game somehow.
B
I enjoyed this book while I was reading it, but a month from now I'll have nearly forgotten it.
B-
This book had noticeable flaws, but I cared enough about the characters to keep going till the end. But I probably won't read anything else by the author unless a future book gets rave reviews from a friend or reviewer I trust.
So. Those are the books I finish. Here's how I rank the ones I don't.
C (AKA Bored Now)
This book isn't terrible, and it's probably capably written and edited. But for whatever reason, a chapter or two in I don't care enough to keep reading. Maybe I've seen the plot trope driving the story a kajillion times, and nothing in the writing or characters gives it spark enough to make an old story seem new. Maybe the voice just doesn't work for me. So I set it aside because life is too short to read books I'm not excited about.
D (AKA Annoyed Now)
The writing is not just flat, but nails-on-a-chalkboard grating. Or the historical details are off enough to throw a history geek like me out of the story. (Or the sports details are off in a baseball or football story, or whatever. Basically, "I care enough about this topic to have made myself something of an expert on it. Why would I read a book about it by someone who evidently cares less than I do?") Or the characters feel like stereotypes.
F (AKA Offended Now)
Any or all of the following: Writer commits multiple and glaring grammatical errors. Historical details so off that anyone awake during high school history class would be thrown out of the story. Abusive "heroes" in romance. Characters aren't just stereotypes; they're racist, sexist, or otherwise bigoted stereotypes. (I'll make occasional allowances in older works, but that's too complicated a topic for this post.) Author clearly has political, cultural, or religious views in direct opposition to my own, and they're here to preach!
Obviously my grading scale wouldn't work if I were on the review team at, say, Dear Author or All About Romance. And now that I have books out there getting reviewed, I've had to learn that not everyone (really, not even most people) uses grades/stars like I do. Four stars can be keepers for some readers. Three stars don't necessarily mean I bored that reader, nor one that I offended her.
Incidentally, I'm probably going to keep blogging what I read each week--which is not quite the same as a review. Any book that makes my blog is a book I finished--which means I'd give it an A or a B. :-)
You see, my internal grading system is something like A-B-Did Not Finish. But with nuance:
A+
I love this book/series so much I immediately buy the author's entire backlist, no matter the cost, no matter the effort in tracking it down. I haunt the web for details about the author's next release. I babble about the author and book(s) incessantly to anyone who'll listen. F'rex, I haven't actually accosted strangers on the street to ask them if they've made Miles Vorkosigan their personal Vor-lord and savior, but the temptation is there.
A
I fell in love with this book, but in a less intense way than with an A+. I'll seek out the author's backlist, but at a leisurely pace, maybe a book every month or two, and I'll preorder his/her future work.
A-
I like this book a lot, but it doesn't quite have that certain something that's going to make me remember it forever and go to it when I need a comfort book to re-read. I plan to read the author's backlist/future releases, but there's not the same sense of urgency for more as with an A+ or A book--I'll just remember the author as someone who gave me a good experience once and can probably be counted on to do so again.
B+
This book charmed me but didn't wow me, and I noticed a few flaws--little plot holes, occasional awkward word choices, etc. I'll probably give the author another chance. Or maybe it's an author who's delivered higher-grade books for me before, but this entry feels just a little off her game somehow.
B
I enjoyed this book while I was reading it, but a month from now I'll have nearly forgotten it.
B-
This book had noticeable flaws, but I cared enough about the characters to keep going till the end. But I probably won't read anything else by the author unless a future book gets rave reviews from a friend or reviewer I trust.
So. Those are the books I finish. Here's how I rank the ones I don't.
C (AKA Bored Now)
This book isn't terrible, and it's probably capably written and edited. But for whatever reason, a chapter or two in I don't care enough to keep reading. Maybe I've seen the plot trope driving the story a kajillion times, and nothing in the writing or characters gives it spark enough to make an old story seem new. Maybe the voice just doesn't work for me. So I set it aside because life is too short to read books I'm not excited about.
D (AKA Annoyed Now)
The writing is not just flat, but nails-on-a-chalkboard grating. Or the historical details are off enough to throw a history geek like me out of the story. (Or the sports details are off in a baseball or football story, or whatever. Basically, "I care enough about this topic to have made myself something of an expert on it. Why would I read a book about it by someone who evidently cares less than I do?") Or the characters feel like stereotypes.
F (AKA Offended Now)
Any or all of the following: Writer commits multiple and glaring grammatical errors. Historical details so off that anyone awake during high school history class would be thrown out of the story. Abusive "heroes" in romance. Characters aren't just stereotypes; they're racist, sexist, or otherwise bigoted stereotypes. (I'll make occasional allowances in older works, but that's too complicated a topic for this post.) Author clearly has political, cultural, or religious views in direct opposition to my own, and they're here to preach!
Obviously my grading scale wouldn't work if I were on the review team at, say, Dear Author or All About Romance. And now that I have books out there getting reviewed, I've had to learn that not everyone (really, not even most people) uses grades/stars like I do. Four stars can be keepers for some readers. Three stars don't necessarily mean I bored that reader, nor one that I offended her.
Incidentally, I'm probably going to keep blogging what I read each week--which is not quite the same as a review. Any book that makes my blog is a book I finished--which means I'd give it an A or a B. :-)
Monday, April 11, 2011
Release Day!
Today is release day for my SECOND novel (which I think means I get to call myself multi-published now, woohoo!), A Marriage of Inconvenience.
I got a lovely review at Heroes and Heartbreakers. Also, Carina Press is offering my first book, The Sergeant's Lady at half price through April 29.
I got a lovely review at Heroes and Heartbreakers. Also, Carina Press is offering my first book, The Sergeant's Lady at half price through April 29.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Guest blog, flattery, and a congratulations
I've been a bit quiet on the internets the past few days after pushing my carpal tunnel syndrome and tendinitis-afflicted hand a bit too hard removing wallpaper over the weekend. My hand IS getting better, and I've learned to rest it right away when these little relapses occur. It's just frustrating that the improvement is so GRADUAL. I'm used to things like the sinus infection I'm also recovering from--I go to the doctor, she says, "Yep, I think that's bacterial instead of viral. No penicillin allergy? Good. Have some amoxycillin," and within two days my symptoms are gone. But the hand doctor says I'm doing well, just use common sense and come in if I have severe pain or diminished sensation or range of motion, so I'll take her word for it.
Anyway, today I'm guest blogging over at fellow Carina author Katie Reus's place. I'm talking about secrets in fiction and giving away copies of both The Sergeant's Lady and A Marriage of Inconvenience (though you won't get the latter until April), so do stop by and comment for a chance to win.
I've been going to writing conferences and hanging around with writers on the internet for so long that I'm mostly blase about interacting with authors. But there are a few out there who can still reduce me to babbling, incoherent fangirl squee. Lois McMaster Bujold, whose books I'm currently wallowing in to the point that if you asked me to promise you something, I might just give my word as Vorfraser. (And if that makes sense to you, please say hello--I need someone to babble fangirlishly with about the dinner party in A Civil Campaign.) Jacqueline Carey. Diana Gabaldon and Bernard Cornwell, both of whom I've actually attempted to converse with at conferences--I think I managed to come across kinda sane. And Julia Spencer-Fleming, whose glorious Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne mysteries hooked me completely despite being set in the present (with no fantastical, time traveling, or alternative history alterations thereto) and coming this this close to an adulterous hero and heroine, which is usually Not My Thing. (Except insofar as it's now showing up in my historical fantasy WIP, in yet another instance of my muse taking "I'll NEVER write X" as a dare.)
Anyway...Julia Spencer-Fleming liked my book! And she blogged about it! In public and everything! SQUEEEEE!!!!
OK. In other flattering-to-me news, All About Romance named The Sergeant's Lady as both a 2010 Buried Treasure and a reviewer favorite. In all seriousness, I treasure the time I spent writing that book and those characters, and it's an honor every time readers tell me they connected with them too.
Last but not least, I want to congratulate my critique partner and dear friend Rose Lerner for being voted the best debut author of 2010 in All About Romance's annual reader poll. If you haven't read her In For a Penny yet, you should really go buy it right away. She's a wonderful stylist, her characters come alive, and if you're reading MY blog you probably enjoy off-the-beaten-path Regencies, which hers decidedly are. They take a different route off the beaten path than mine, but still.
Anyway, today I'm guest blogging over at fellow Carina author Katie Reus's place. I'm talking about secrets in fiction and giving away copies of both The Sergeant's Lady and A Marriage of Inconvenience (though you won't get the latter until April), so do stop by and comment for a chance to win.
I've been going to writing conferences and hanging around with writers on the internet for so long that I'm mostly blase about interacting with authors. But there are a few out there who can still reduce me to babbling, incoherent fangirl squee. Lois McMaster Bujold, whose books I'm currently wallowing in to the point that if you asked me to promise you something, I might just give my word as Vorfraser. (And if that makes sense to you, please say hello--I need someone to babble fangirlishly with about the dinner party in A Civil Campaign.) Jacqueline Carey. Diana Gabaldon and Bernard Cornwell, both of whom I've actually attempted to converse with at conferences--I think I managed to come across kinda sane. And Julia Spencer-Fleming, whose glorious Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne mysteries hooked me completely despite being set in the present (with no fantastical, time traveling, or alternative history alterations thereto) and coming this this close to an adulterous hero and heroine, which is usually Not My Thing. (Except insofar as it's now showing up in my historical fantasy WIP, in yet another instance of my muse taking "I'll NEVER write X" as a dare.)
Anyway...Julia Spencer-Fleming liked my book! And she blogged about it! In public and everything! SQUEEEEE!!!!
OK. In other flattering-to-me news, All About Romance named The Sergeant's Lady as both a 2010 Buried Treasure and a reviewer favorite. In all seriousness, I treasure the time I spent writing that book and those characters, and it's an honor every time readers tell me they connected with them too.
Last but not least, I want to congratulate my critique partner and dear friend Rose Lerner for being voted the best debut author of 2010 in All About Romance's annual reader poll. If you haven't read her In For a Penny yet, you should really go buy it right away. She's a wonderful stylist, her characters come alive, and if you're reading MY blog you probably enjoy off-the-beaten-path Regencies, which hers decidedly are. They take a different route off the beaten path than mine, but still.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Trying to catch my breath
It's been a crazy week, but more because of the day job than anything to do with my book, to tell the truth. Next week should be more settled, thankfully. I have a job that's fairly peaceful about 75% of the time but goes chaotic at often unpredictable intervals, and this happened to be one of the out-of-control weeks.
Anyway, on the book front, yesterday I posted at Rose Lerner's place about historical crushes. I've already given away the free book for that stop, but you're still welcome to stop by and comment, of course!
Today I have excerpts up at two sites: The Season and Unusual Historicals. Two different excerpts, and both different from the one I posted at the Carina blog on Tuesday, so if you're exploring my work to decide whether or not to buy, you might want to visit both. :-)
Tomorrow I'm at Once Written, Twice Shy, talking about the challenges facing introverts when they have to come out of their writing cave and work with their publishing team, and Sunday I'll be back at Unusual Historicals and also at Risky Regencies, with giveaways at all three sites.
On the reviews front, well, they continue to trickle in. I'm particularly happy with the B I got at Dear Author and my 9-star Top Pick from The Season.
At some point I need to write about my website and how it came to be, but that's just not going to happen for another few days. On top of the work madness, we have out of town company and a party planned, so it's all I can do to breathe, work on my CURRENT manuscript, and keep up with my blogging obligations.
Anyway, on the book front, yesterday I posted at Rose Lerner's place about historical crushes. I've already given away the free book for that stop, but you're still welcome to stop by and comment, of course!
Today I have excerpts up at two sites: The Season and Unusual Historicals. Two different excerpts, and both different from the one I posted at the Carina blog on Tuesday, so if you're exploring my work to decide whether or not to buy, you might want to visit both. :-)
Tomorrow I'm at Once Written, Twice Shy, talking about the challenges facing introverts when they have to come out of their writing cave and work with their publishing team, and Sunday I'll be back at Unusual Historicals and also at Risky Regencies, with giveaways at all three sites.
On the reviews front, well, they continue to trickle in. I'm particularly happy with the B I got at Dear Author and my 9-star Top Pick from The Season.
At some point I need to write about my website and how it came to be, but that's just not going to happen for another few days. On top of the work madness, we have out of town company and a party planned, so it's all I can do to breathe, work on my CURRENT manuscript, and keep up with my blogging obligations.
Monday, August 16, 2010
One week to release date, and my first few reviews
Just one week till release date now, and I'm starting to get reviews. So far, they've all been good, and I've got my fingers crossed the pattern will hold.
Night Owl Reviews made it a Top Pick.
The Bookkeeper enjoyed it even though it's not one of her usual genres.
The Reading Reviewer thought it was delicious!
And I'm delighted to announce my book is finally up for pre-order at Barnes & Noble. Given that I've had several readers specifically ask about reading it on their Nooks, I was starting to bite my nails. Now I'll just have to find something else to bite my nails over--which just before release week isn't hard at all!
Night Owl Reviews made it a Top Pick.
The Bookkeeper enjoyed it even though it's not one of her usual genres.
The Reading Reviewer thought it was delicious!
And I'm delighted to announce my book is finally up for pre-order at Barnes & Noble. Given that I've had several readers specifically ask about reading it on their Nooks, I was starting to bite my nails. Now I'll just have to find something else to bite my nails over--which just before release week isn't hard at all!
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