Comments on: Big boxes and buzz

By: Yat Yee

Yat Yee — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:21:47 +0000

Incidentally, have you finished The Passage? I finished it last night and wonder what you think of it.

By: NR

NR — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 19:02:16 +0000

Look how many men responded to this post. Tells us a lot about the state of fiction today. Sort of like the Kindle ads or books stores that now resemble magazine racks but with women's books instead of women's magazines. Half the population lives in an alternative media culture and the publishing industry, at least those involved i producing fiction, isn't even aware or cares, I guess. Another pink collar profession has been created.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 22:30:19 +0000

You mention at the end that you started something else. What was it? Another popular book or something work-related? If the latter, anything you can share?

By: Claire Dawn

Claire Dawn — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 13:29:36 +0000

I find I hate Bestsellers as often as I love them. Living in Japan means I don't have access to much else. Like Walmart, English books here have been prescreened.

But when I get the chance, I buy based on back cover copy.

By: Jan Markley

Jan Markley — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 02:13:54 +0000

I was recently at the Strand in NY and I was all 'I want to read a book by someone nobody knows.' and the sales guy was all 'lady, if it's a book and it's published then people know about it.' I always want something out of the ordinary.

By: Yat-Yee

Yat-Yee — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 20:18:15 +0000

I love finding gems, but I have to say it hasn't happened very often at all. I'd browse and read some books that seemed to have such great promise, only to be disappointed. I have slightly better odds with reading books that have been pre-screened: winning prizes and such. I've also been sorely disappointed by books with great buzz, so I don't know if I have found a foolproof way for me to find something I know I'd like.

I got an ARC of The Passage and am enjoying it so far. Dragon Tattoo, on the other hand, I put down after some pages. Now that you say you love it, maybe I'll go further and see if I change my mind.

By: February Grace

February Grace — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:03:51 +0000

I much prefer browsing around to find treasure (and staff recommendations at book stores seem to work well for me many times too) I might just be weird--and there is much evidence to support this--but generally the more popular a book is, the less likely I am to want to read it or enjoy it if I do.

Invariably I'm never really satisfied reading what the pack recommends so buying books at big-boxes doesn't work out well for me unless in the rare case of a non-fiction title that goes big (I think I got The Last Lecture at Target- though I preferred the actual lecture to the book, that's another story) but more often than not I wished I could have the time I spent reading the latest 'it' book back so now whatever the 'rage' is, the less likely I am to pick it up.

I have to echo what J.Andersen and also others have said about YA: please, something that is not supernatural for once? I'd extend that to Women's Fiction too. I like humans. I'd like to read more books about them. Fangs, fur, it's all you see. I'm weary of it, honestly.

Thing is that the same way the big stores limit, say, the flavors of powdered drink mix they'll carry based upon available shelf space they limit what they offer in reading material too. That is troublesome to me. Besides, there are books that some of the larger stores have refused to carry in the past- what if I wanted to read one of those? If I solely relied upon the big boxes for my reading material I'd never know they existed.

Taste truly is subjective. I happen to like grape drink better than orange even though orange seems to be fine with the rest of the world most of the time. So I shop where I can find it.

By: Sangu

Sangu — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 15:53:43 +0000

I think it's a mixture of the two. If I hear great things about a book and the story intrigues me, I'll probably pick it up. But I also browse Amazon and bookstores looking for unexpected books I haven't heard of, but which just sound really good to me.

I agree with you about the 'Walmart' effect, Jim: it's a shame so many books get overlooked because they're not already bestsellers!

By: Mary Witzl

Mary Witzl — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:51:35 +0000

Unexpected gems are more satisfying. If I see Oprah or Richard and Judy have recommended something, I feel like I'm cheating.

By: Saundra Mitchell

Saundra Mitchell — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:47:11 +0000

All I know, Jim, is that it makes me want to cliff myself.

/melodramatic writer is melodramatic