Armchair BEA Day 2: Blogger Developments & Genre Fiction

Welcome back to Armchair BEA! If you're not sure what it's all about be sure to visit the Armchair BEA headquarters.

Today we're focusing on how we develop ourselves as bloggers. Having blogged since July of 2009, I'd like to say I've seen a lot of things change over the years. I got into blogging right before it became the new way to advertise. I honestly have to say that my style & personality haven't changed much since I started.

This isn't a way for me to make additional income (at the moment) and it's not the most stress-reducing thing I do to relax. My blog is my outlet for my bookish thoughts. While I've tried participating in readalongs & reading challenges, for some reason my brain just felt like it was back in school being forced to read something; it took the joy out of the activity. So over the last four years I have come to figure out that I should read what's calling me at the moment & just express myself as openly as possible.

Once I was fairly well established, I started requesting ARCs and really trying to stay ahead of the game on what were the newest & greatest books. That started to feel like too much work and effort for so little return. I'm not saying I'm not grateful for those wonderful publishers who did send me books and for the struggling new authors who have sought me out as a venue. Words do not describe how incredibly humbled I have been to have people seek me out and choose me as a reader and reviewer. But at the same time there are so many larger bloggers and media outlets to choose from that I didn't feel like I could compete because, to be quite honest, I didn't really want to compete. Now I simply let the public library, Goodreads, & Twitter keep me up to date on what's coming up and currently available.

Another thing that hasn't changed is my stance on e-books & e-readers. I know that a lot of people nowadays work at a computer all day. I am one of those folks. As a cataloger I look from print to screen all day to do my job. At the end of the day my eyes are so tired from looking at a screen that I just want to focus on paper right in front of me. I have a NetGalley account & am participating in the NetGalley Wellness Challenge, aimed at helping some of us struggling users to optimize our accounts, but it still will be a very select few books that I choose to request electronically. One day in the nearish future I'll make the switch, but for right now, I am hooked on what I still call "real" books. ;)

Today's bookish focus is on genre fiction. As you can tell, this is a primarily Young Adult book review site, but that doesn't mean I don't read outside my preferred venue. As I continue to grow as a reader, I am finding myself pulled in multiple directions. Occasionally I will post "What Else Have I Been Reading" posts featuring the outside-my-reading-comfort-zone books that I've read (or at least attempted to read). For the most part though I stick to urban fantasy, paranormal romance, contemporary fiction, & issues books. My preference for realistic, believable characters is my driving force. If I can't get in with the characters or feel anything for them, it doesn't matter what genre they're in. I do love good recommendations both within & outside of the Young Adult parameters, so be sure to sound off in the comments with your recommendations.

What else have I been reading?

If the blog has seemed a little emptier than usual, I apologize. A lag in my ability to obtain YA books from my library has led me to read in other sections of the library & wade my way through the books I picked up when Borders was going out of business. GASP! While I may have enjoyed some of the titles I dabbled in, these are some of the lesser successes. Not many of them were complete failures mind you, but none of them really hit the mark with me.

First Kill by Heather Brewer
I resisted trying the Vlad Tod series because I just couldn't stand another vampire book. I go through spells where they're all I'm into, but this just never satisfied my need. When First Kill appeared as a book from the slayer's point of view I thought that it might bring me around. Alas it just didn't suit me. I found myself unable to really connect with the characters. Maybe I should have read the Vlad Tod series first... Who knows.




Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
I've heard a lot of people say that this book was amazing. It looked a little iffy to me since it's about a horribly blessed woman going through a rough patch in her life and how she decides to travel the world in search of something to believe in. While I loved Frances Mayes's Under the Tuscan Sun, Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love felt trite in comparison. I know it's her "memoir" so it should be self-centered, but I just couldn't stomach her belly-aching. After a while I just wanted to scream at her. While the settings were incredible and the people were fascinating, I just couldn't deal with this woman.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Having worked in a public library when this book came out and was ridiculously popular, most people are surprised I haven't read it. I'm that way about most popular books; either I read them before they are popular (like The Help) or I shy away until the hype dies down. Many people warned me that this book took a while to get into, but I just never did. I read the whole thing to the end just to see if there would be something to catch me & it just never happened. Maybe it's because I'm not much of a mystery (in the traditional sense of the genre) reader or maybe it was the utter confusion I felt about some of the more graphic/violent scenes. Either way, I can at least say that this was not my cup of tea.

Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs
I know that viewers often have issues adjusting their perception from film/tv to book format of something they love, but I was hoping that wouldn't be the case for me. I really admire Kathy Reichs for her work (since the books are based on her own experiences as a forensic anthropologist) and love the tv shows Bones, but I just couldn't get into this book. I only read about 1/3 of the book, so I may give it another shot at a later date, but it's painfully obvious that this is a new writer still working out her rhythm. I was even more surprised at how different the characters were. I was expecting replicas, but it's now obvious just how many liberties have been taken in the creation of the show.




Have you ever experienced this? What are some books you just couldn't get into? Sound off in the comments!

What else have I been reading?

If the blog has seemed a little emptier than usual, I apologize. A lag in my ability to obtain YA books from my library has led me to read in other sections of the library. GASP! While my target audience is teenagers & young adults, I think these books will be of particular interest to the young adults. I know some of the titles will be boring, but I've learned a lot recently about varying subjects and would encourage you to occasionally read outside of your comfort zone. You never know what you might discover you like or even love! These are the books that I enjoyed. Look forward to the post about the ones that didn't hit the mark.

Millionaire Teacher: The Nine Rules of Wealth You Should Have Learned in School by Andrew Hallam 

This book gives your financial life a wake-up call. The author really is a teacher who has a portfolio valued at over a million dollars. There's nothing fancy about what he has to say, but he gets you on board at the ground level. Andrew lays it all out on the board: debt, savings, investments, sage advice. You name it, this book has it. The plain language he uses to cover all these seemingly head-spinning topics allowed me a clearer understanding of just where I want to be in my future & what I need to do to get there.



The Acid Reflux Solution: A Cookbook and Lifestyle Guide for Healing Heartburn Naturally
by Jorge E. Rodriguez, Susan Wyler, Susan Wyler, MPH, RD

Acid reflux is on the rise. Millions of Americans suffer with this painful ailment needlessly. I was recently diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) & eosinophilic esophagitis. GERD is a fancy way of saying persistent and frequent heartburn & the esophagitis is a slightly more severe symptom where my esophagus is having a sort of allergic reaction. Immediately after my diagnosis I went in search of things to help soothe my stomach and throat. This wonderful book was such an eye-opener. There are so many possible causes & triggers that I found myself overwhelmed, but this book helped me pin-point some of my harder to name triggers. It also contains many recipes that (with some personal tweaking) were great to add to my GERD & low-fat friendly recipe repertoire. If you or anyone you care about are suffering from frequent heartburn, be sure to see a doctor.

Living The Savvy Life: The Savvy Woman's Guide to Smart Spending and Rich Living by Melissa Tosetti, Kevin Gibbons

This is another plain-speaking money book, but it's about more than just money. This book is also about living your life to the fullest. There are ideas about vacations, lifestyle changes, & planning for the future that I wouldn't have come with on my own. This book teaches you not to be a tight-wad, but how to cut your spending in unnecessary places so that you can spend it how you'd like in other necessary places. You choose your priorities without judgment in this book and learn how to live with satisfaction. It's got a very European feel to it.

The Doula Book: How a Trained Labor Companion Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier, and Healthier Birth by Marshall H. Klaus, John H. Kennell, Phyllis H. Klaus

I'm at that point in my life and marriage where many of my friends are starting to have babies. While we don't feel we're up to the challenge yet, it has gotten me thinking about what I believe. There are so many choices in life that it makes sense that you should have options when it comes to birthing and raising children. This is one of the required reading books for doulas to become certified, so I think it gives the clearest picture of what to expect from a doula. A truly moving book, it really helped to put into perspective everything that a pregnancy involves & just how special and magical a time it can be for not only the mother, but the newly-emerging family.


Survival Mom: How to Prepare Your Family for Everyday Disasters and Worst-Case Scenarios by Lisa Bedford

I've been following The Survival Mom for quite a while. She was featured on Doomsday Preppers a while back and seemed to be one of the most level-headed folks I'd heard of talking about prepping. I enjoyed her book for the lessons I learned. She strongly recommends making 3 lists: to do, to buy, & to learn. I wholeheartedly agree with these lists. Since I live in the Midwest I figured it might be a good idea to be prepared for several difference emergencies and her book laid out what I needed to think about and how to get myself together.

So there you have some of the better, non-YA books I've been reading. Any recommendations? Anything is welcome as I'm learning to embrace the unknown in the publishing world.