Category: Books and Authors

Choosing your book

On By dreamer2207In Books and Authors2 Comments
Photo by Mikes Photos on Pexels.com

What is it that encourages people to choose the books that they do? I’ve always wondered this. There’s so many genres out there, so many different authors with different writing styles. How do we find the ones that suit as personally as people? Or do we ever find it and just continue to read different things in the hope that we do.

What does everyone out there like to read, also what do you hate to read? I’m very much into the romantic suspense/contemporary romance genre. I love a good romantic tale with a bit of action, a feisty heroine with plenty of sass and a dominating alpha male. I’m not a very patient reader if I’m not enjoying the book. I go between wanting to give the book a chance and carrying on and just giving up and moving on to something else.

I do review every book I read on Amazon and it’s amazing reading all the other reviews, especially when they differ from own (which incidentally I like because I like seeing someone else’s opinion). It’s amazing sometimes how there can be such differing opinions on the same book. Clearly what works for some doesn’t work for others. Which leads onto another interesting question. How do you tell a good storyline from a bad storyline? If everyone is so different, then surely every storyline will work for some but not for others?

Me personally, I think I can be unfair to a lot of books out with the genres that I like because I automatically assume I won’t like it and it’s not for me. If I’m going to spend three hours plus reading a book do I not want to know that I’m going to enjoy it? This is a habit I should really get out of. Maybe it’s because in other genres I’d be worried I wouldn’t keep up with the plot, for example a police thriller, would I be smart enough to put the clues together and figure out who the bad guy is etc. I remember years ago reading the “Da Vinci Code” and it taking me three attempts to start it.

When I was younger it was always Nancy Drew for me. I loved a good mystery. I’d spend hours locked away in my bedroom reading book after book. I ran out of space to keep them all. I used to love rummaging round all the charity shops in town to be able to add to my collection. It’s amazing the amount I found. I don’t know if nowadays Nancy Drew is still even around but was definitely my favourite at the time.


New title from EL James

On By dreamer2207In Books and AuthorsLeave a comment
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Well, the infamous author of the Fifty Shades franchise is releasing a new book come April this year. This I realise brings despair and excitement to a lot of folk, depending on which side of the camp you sat during the debates that came from Fifty Shades.

Myself personally, I’m intrigued to see how she has developed as a writer after the reviews that came from her previous writing style. It has although been noted that she has used one of the names from the Fifty Shades books in her new one for her lead male character “Maxim Trevelyan.” Now those of you Fifty Shades fans out there will know that “Trevelyan” was Christian’s middle name in the series. Does this mean there is going to be some resemblance of the two characters? Or does E.L. James have some attachment to the name? We could debate that one all day unless E.L. James herself gives us an insight.

The description for the new story which is entitled “The Mister” is:

“London, 2019. Life has been easy for Maxim Trevelyan. With his good looks, aristocratic connections, and money, he’s never had to work and he’s rarely slept alone. But all that changes when tragedy strikes and Maxim inherits his family’s noble title, wealth and estates and all the responsibility that entails. It’s a role he’s not prepared for and one that he struggles to face.

But his biggest challenge is fighting his desire for an unexpected, enigmatic young woman who’s recently arrived in England, possessing little more than a dangerous and troublesome past. Reticent, beautiful, and musically gifted, she’s an alluring mystery, and Maxim’s longing for her deepens into a passion that he’s never experienced and dares not to name. Just who is Alessia Demachi? Can Maxim protect her from the malevolence that threatens her? And what will she do when she learns that he’s been hiding secrets of his own?

From the heart of London through wild, rural Cornwall to the bleak, forbidding beauty of the Balkans, The Mister is a rollercoaster ride of danger and desire the leaves the reader breathless till the very last page.”

Now the blurb for the book is something I, personally would be interested in although I have read many, many similar ones that peak my interest. I just wonder now, if E.L. James is now just one of the many authors that are present in the saturated romantic suspense/erotic romance genres. Genres that I actually believe she made more mainstream and acceptable (regardless of the opinions myself or anyone else has on her writing style). Will this new book be as successful as her previous offerings? It will definitely be interesting to find out.

I think one big judgement I have at the moment is that she went to such great effort releasing the Fifty Shades franchise and then also re releasing two of the books from Christian’s point of view (something that I actually think was a great idea, getting into his mind was fascinating but everyone has their own opinion on that one, this is just mine) to only stop before the third. I know there are a lot of fans out there desperate to read the third instalment from Christian’s point of view. Now there was some debate sparked when E.L James has said she was working on new material. A lot of people thought she was actually working on the third book while some had said the opposite. It wasn’t until E.L. James clarified it herself in her newsletter that it was confirmed. Although she did state that she hadn’t forgotten about Christian and Ana, so the third book looks to be still a possibility in the future. I just feel that if you’re going to start something like that then you have to finish it but on the other hand I understand that you want to put your best into it and if you’re not feeling that you can give it you’re all it’s best to take a step away until you can.

Anyway that’s my rambling over for now.