What are YOU reading?

When people find out that I’ve written a book, one of the first questions I get is about what I’m reading. So, from time to time I’ll post a list of what I’m reading and what I’ve got in the pile that’s lined up next. Some are new, some old. A lot are YA or MG books. I read what I like, and my tastes vary wildly. I also read multiple books at the same time. :-) People are always lending or giving me books, I pick a lot up in the bargain bins at various bookstores, I buy some that I know I’ll want to keep at full price, and I get the rest from the library. I’ve even got readers on my iPhone and audiobooks, but nothing beats flipping the pages…

Didn’t get to post for November, mainly because I wasn’t reading much. I was working on edits for Book 1 and doing NaNoWriMo also, so November was a “read my own stuff” month! Lol

Here’s what I’m currently reading for December:

1) The Golden Compass(His Dark Materials book 1) by Philip Pullman: I have heard about this book for years but just hadn’t gotten around to it. Enter a $2.99 paperback copy from Borders, and the rest is history. I saw most of the movie but wasn’t in the right frame of mind to watch it so I was pretty confused. I’m thinking the book is a better intro to his world.

2) Paper Towns by John Green: I’m finally reading this after months of having my SAT students tell me I needed to because he had nailed YA language. And he definitely did. The characters sound very much like some of my students…

3) The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor: alternate Alice in Wonderland story? I’m SO there! I rushed to get this as soon as I heard about it.

4) Tempted by P.C. and Kristen Cast: I’ve read the whole House of Night series, so of course this was on the list. Always love vamp books.

5) Go Ask Alice by Anonymous: Reading this as part of my Banned Books Challenge.

Just Finished:

- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins- I have read this several times over the last couple months. It’s just SO good. It’s an amazing example of world-building. The details are fantastic, and her descriptions are vivid. I fell in love with Katniss, Prim, Gale, Peeta, and Rue. I’m holding off on reading Catching Fire (book 2) until I can let my anticipation die down a bit. I don’t want to be disappointed, and I’m so in love with THG that I fear I will be. If you haven’t read it, you must!

Some of the books coming up next:

- The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan: One of the first genres I fell in love with was horror, and I’m finding myself drawn back to it a lot right now as I’m writing a series very grounded in the light that needs to touch on the darkness. Vampire virus run rampant? YES!!

- Angel Time: The Songs of the Seraphim by Anne Rice: I’ve always been a huge Anne Rice fan but haven’t read any of her recent work that’s focused on religious themes. Since I’m writing about angels in a VERY different way, I’m really curious to read her take.

- City of Bones (Mortal Instruments book 1) by Cassandra Clare: I’ve heard great things about this paranormal series and it’s been in the TBR pile for a while now.

So, there you go. I’m never without a book or twenty to read! I’d love to hear what other people are reading or want to read so comment or send me a message.

What are YOU reading?

What is "What are YOU reading?" all about? When people find out that I’ve written a book, one of the first questions I get is about what I’m reading. So, from time to time I’ll post a list of what I’m reading and what I’ve got in the pile that’s lined up next. Some are new, some old. A lot are YA or MG books. I read what I like, and my tastes vary wildly. I also read multiple books at the same time. :-) People are always lending or giving me books, I pick a lot up in the bargain bins at various bookstores, I buy some that I know I’ll want to keep at full price, and I get the rest from the library. I’ve even got readers on my iPhone and audiobooks, but nothing beats flipping the pages…

Here’s what I’m currently reading:

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman: He's one of my fave authors, so of course I'm reading this, just can't believe it took me so long to get to it! :-) It's beautifully written (duh!) and I love the mood the illustrations make.

Never Cry Werewolf by Heather Davis: Won a signed copy on the Bees' Blog http://yawriters.blogspot.com/ and just started it. Why was I so excited to read? 1) Debut book and 2) werewolves. Cool.

Story by Robert McKee: The guru of screenwriting has a lot to say about how to write, and I've been told by everyone who's anyone to read it. It's helping me tremendously so far.

Planet India by Mira Kamdar: (carried over from last month)

The Host by Stephenie Meyer: (carried over from last month and will probably carry over into next year)

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold: (carried over from last month)

Just Finished:

Gone by Michael Grant: I am obsessed with this book. It's like Lord of the Flies meets X-Men as everyone 15 and over disappears and Perdido Beach is cut off from the rest of the world. And then kids start developing powers. It's awesome. Go buy it now. As soon as I can allow myself to buy another book (I'm on a book buying freeze for a bit till the pile gets lower) I'm getting the next in the series, Hunger, and will probably finish it in one sitting. SO GOOD! Are you at the bookstore buying it yet?!

Some of the books coming up next:

My Life in France by Julia Child: Gift from a friend since I'm a definite Francophile and love to cook.

Geektastic- Stories from the Nerd Herd edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci: anthology of short stories about geekiness by a great group of YA authors.

The Shack by William P. Young: It's been in the pile for quite some time because I've been told I will bawl like a baby.

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe: She had me at Salem Witch Trials.

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Not sure how much actual reading I'll get done this month. I'm prepping the WIP so I can send queries to agents later this month, and then it's time to prep for NaNoWriMo. Here's my NaNo page if you're doing it this year- I need some buddies!! http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/433001

And now, off to write...

What are YOU reading?

When people find out that I’ve written a book, one of the first questions I get is about what I’m reading. So, from time to time I’ll post a list of what I’m reading and what I’ve got in the pile that’s lined up next. Some are new, some old. A lot are YA or MG books. I read what I like, and my tastes vary wildly. I also read multiple books at the same time. :-) People are always lending or giving me books, I pick a lot up in the bargain bins at various bookstores, I buy some that I know I’ll want to keep at full price, and I get the rest from the library. I’ve even got readers on my iPhone and audiobooks, but nothing beats flipping the pages…

Here’s what I’m currently reading:

• Planet India by Mira Kamdar: I have a fascination with India and its culture. This is an interesting book about the rise of India as a global power. I just started it, but it’s very good so far.
• Never Give Up by Joyce Meyer: I really enjoy Joyce’s books. They give me the kick in the butt that I need sometimes. This book is all about staying determined to follow your goals and dreams. She intertwines scriptural references and personal stories with profiles of great men and women in history that refused to give up despite overwhelming odds. Very inspiring.
• The Host by Stephenie Meyer: I’m still trying to get through The Host. I’m determined. I keep putting it down so it’s going very slowly. I hear that it gets better towards the middle. One day I’ll get there.
• How I Write by Janet Evanovich: I’m reading this very slowly and soaking in all the great tips. Janet is a writer I admire very much. Her writing is fun and so descriptive. She always conveys a lightness to her world, even in dark scenes. I’m enjoying “picking her brain” in this book.
• The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold: When people hear that my book is told from the POV of a dead girl, they always tell me to read this book. So I finally am.

Just Finished:

• I’d Tell You I Love You But Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter: I learned about this book several months ago on an agent blog. I thought it was a great cover and neat concept. The story is about a school for girls that is actually a school for spies. It’s a fantastic book, and I wish I had written it! I’m going to scoop up the next book in the series as soon as possible.

Some of the books coming up next:

• The Good Guy by Dean Koontz: Love the suspense and mystery in Dean’s books. They’re a fun roller coaster ride. I’ve read most of his work, but this is one book I missed. My mom gave it to me for Christmas so it needs to be read!
• The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton: Really liked the movie with Gillian Anderson so I scooped this up when I saw it in a bargain bin a few months ago.
• Inkheart by Cornelia Funke: The Thief Lord is one of my all-time favorite YA books, so of course I was curious about Inkheart. Just hadn’t gotten around to it yet!
• Oh.My.Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs: Part of a series about a normal girl who travels to an island where the kids are all descendants of Greek gods. Too cool.
• Rampant by Diana Peterfreund: How can you not want to read a story about killer unicorns?!
  
  So, there you go. I’m never without a book or twenty to read ! I’d love to hear what other people are reading or want to read so comment or send me a message.