Feature & Follow (October 19) – Branching Out

Posted on October 18, 2012 by TheHouseworkCanWait

Welcome to the Feature & Follow Hop, hosted by Parajunkee’s View and Alison Can Read!

If you’re here for the first time, I’d love if you could follow via email, RSS, LinkyFollowers or Networked Blogs. Just let me know your follow method of choice in the comments, and I’ll be happy to return the favor.

And if you’re not new, welcome back! Repeat visitors are better than when the husband does the dishes.

Today’s question is:

When you step out of your usual genre, what do you like to read? Best books in that genre?

Um…I don’t…have…a usual genre? I was pretty eclectic before I started this blog. And nowadays, I lean YA and will always jump at fantasy and sci-fi before anything else, but I’ve still read books spanning all sorts of genres. BUT, if I had to pick a genre I read in MOST, it would be kind of a broad speculative fiction umbrella. Books where things happen that couldn’t (or would be extremely unlikely to) happen in real life. Bonus points for taking place in the future. Extra bonus points for relevant use of fantastic creatures. High five if there’s a dragon. Fist bump for space travel.

But outside of that, books I’ve read and loved include The Book Thief, Outlander, The Help, The Hiding Place, The Fault in Our Stars, Pushing the Limits, The Dark Unwinding, and Anna and the French Kiss. And probably a whole bunch more that I’m forgetting.

Seriously, if it’s good, let me know. I don’t like to be pigeonholed.

Happy weekend! Anyone else’s kids on fall break? Mine are out of school for a WHOLE WEEK. Help.

Throwback Thursday (October 18) – Three Cups of Tea

Posted on October 17, 2012 by TheHouseworkCanWait

Welcome to Throwback Thursday, a weekly meme hosted by The Housework Can Wait and Never Too Fond of Books!

It’s the nature of book blogging to focus mainly on new releases, but there are thousands of great books out there that haven’t seen the “New Releases” shelf in years. We hope to be able to bring attention to some older titles that may not be at the top of the current bestseller list, but still deserve a spot in your To-Be-Read pile.

You don’t have to be a book blogger to participate! You can put up a Throwback Thursday post on your non-bookish blog; or if you don’t have a blog at all, just use the comments to tell us about a book you remember fondly.

Here’s how it works:
1. Pick any book released more than 5 years ago. Adult, YA, Children’s; doesn’t matter. Any great book will do.
2. Write up a short summary of the book (include the title, author, and cover art) and an explanation of why you love it. Make sure to link back to The Housework Can Wait and Never Too Fond of Books in your post.
3. Link up your post at The Housework Can Wait or Never Too Fond of Books.
4. Visit as many blogs as you can, reminisce about books you loved, and discover some “new” books for your TBR list!

Feel free to grab the Throwback Thursday button code from the sidebar to use in your posts.

Thanks for participating, and we look forward to seeing which books you choose to remember!

My Throwback this week is…

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson

I’m going to keep this short and sweet because it’s late and I’m tired. And that, children, is what happens when you procrastinate. Don’t do it. It’s not worth it.

Anyway, I read this book because I was in a random non-fiction phase — I swear, based on my Throwback Thursday posts, you guys probably are under the impression that I read a lot more non-fiction than I actually do — and someone on my Facebook wall told me I should read this one. And this was before the days of book blogging, so I was at liberty to just rush right out and read a random recommendation. Ah, sweet liberty.

Just kidding. I love book blogging, even if I’m so far behind on my review books it’s ridiculous.

Anyway, here’s the Goodreads synopsis because, as I may have mentioned, I’m tired:

Anyone who despairs of the individual’s power to change lives has to read the story of Greg Mortenson, a homeless mountaineer who, following a 1993 climb of Pakistan’s treacherous K2, was inspired by a chance encounter with impoverished mountain villagers and promised to build them a school. Over the next decade he built fifty-five schools—especially for girls—that offer a balanced education in one of the most isolated and dangerous regions on earth. As it chronicles Mortenson’s quest, which has brought him into conflict with both enraged Islamists and uncomprehending Americans, Three Cups of Tea combines adventure with a celebration of the humanitarian spirit.

Now, I am vaguely aware that there is some sort of controversy surrounding the factual accuracy of this book, but honestly, I don’t care. Is anyone going to argue that mountain villages in Pakistan don’t need schools? No. And what this book accomplished, more than anything else, was made me care about the education of kids on the other side of the world, and made me glad that there are people on my side of the world who care enough to do something about it. It was inspiring and touching and even amusing at times. When you’re in a random non-fiction mood, check it out.

On a completely unrelated note, I wrote this blog post while listening to this, and the two halves of my brain are at war with each other right now.

This is a blog hop! Link up your Throwback Thursday post below!

Throwback Thursday (October 11) – The Oath

Posted on October 10, 2012 by TheHouseworkCanWait

Welcome to Throwback Thursday, a weekly meme hosted by The Housework Can Wait and Never Too Fond of Books!

Feel free to grab the Throwback Thursday button code from the sidebar to use in your posts.

Thanks for participating, and we look forward to seeing which books you choose to remember!

My Throwback this week is…

The Oath by Frank Peretti

Oh, Christian fiction, I have a love-hate relationship with you. I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but too often it’s like being punched in the face with a Bible and then slugged in the gut by a preacher. Not that I’ve ever had either of those things happen — most of the preachers I’ve known haven’t exactly been the slug-you-in-the-gut type — but you know what I mean.

However, when it’s done well, I really enjoy it. And by “done well,” I mean that the story is interesting, the characters engaging, and it makes its point through illustration and allegory rather than through blatant and deliberate proselytizing. The Oath, by Frank Peretti (one of the biggest names in Christian fiction), is — in my opinion — an example of it being done well.

The basic premise is a town full of flawed people, where the evil in their lives physically manifests via a viscous black goo literally oozing from their skin. And once they’re sufficiently gooey, they get eaten by a dragon. Yes.

There is tension and suspense, great pacing and some gripping action sequences. Obviously, being Christian fiction, there is an underlying spiritual message and moral to the story. It doesn’t just end at “And then they were all eaten by a dragon.” So if you’d rather it did, you’d probably be better off reading [insert story where they all get eaten by a dragon. I have not yet discovered this book, but if you come across it, would you let me know?]

But if this type of book seems like something you might enjoy — I did mention that the townspeople are being eaten by a dragon, right? — then you may want to check it out.

This is a blog hop! Link up your Throwback Thursday post below!

Top Ten Tuesday (October 9) REWIND: Best Book-to-Film Adaptations

Posted on October 8, 2012 by TheHouseworkCanWait

It’s time for another Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, and this week is a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure where we can pick from any of the past themes.

Anyone remember those? Are they still a thing? I was really bad at them. I always managed to pick the path that got my character killed, even when I was trying to keep him/her alive (because let’s face it, sometimes you just purposely make bad decisions to see how terrible the character’s fate will be…or at least, that’s what I did), thus confirming my hypothesis that I would make a terrible fictional heroine.

Anyway.

I looked over the list of past topics, trying to pick one I was sad to have missed out on the first time around, and settled on this one:

Top Book to Movie Adaptations

Okay, so I feel the need to make a disclaimer here:

The only titles to make this list are those that I have both seen and read. Therefore, some amazing movies that I know were adapted from books (like The Prestige and Fight Club) won’t be on here, because I haven’t read the books — yet. And vice versa.

So when you have the urge to yell, “You forgot ___!”, no I didn’t. I just saw it but didn’t read it, or read it but didn’t see it, or haven’t experienced it at all. But if there’s one I need to see/read, by all means, let me know. Because what I need in life are more books on my TBR list and more movies in my Netflix queue.

HERE WE GO. And in a rare and shocking turn of events, this list will actually be in order.

1. Lord of the Rings

I know there’s a lot of people out there who couldn’t make it through Tolkien’s epic fantasy chronicling Frodo’s adventures as he attempted to destroy the Ring of Power before it could be seized by Lord Sauron, but I actually really enjoyed the book. However, this is the rare instance where my enjoyment of the movie surpassed my love of the book. While no adaptation is 100% loyal to the source material, I thought these films evidenced a profound respect for the stories that inspired them. The settings are beautiful, the effects are flawless, and the acting is amazing. Some of my favorite movies of all time.

2. The Princess Bride

It’s no secret that I adore this book, and while I think the book is better than the movie (marginally), I still think the movie is fabulous. It’s also an amazingly faithful adaptation, taking most of its best quotes and scenes directly from the book. Probably a happy side effect of the book’s author writing the screenplay.

3. Jurassic Park

This is a case of the movie changing the book significantly, but still working. Lots of times when the plot or characters from the book are severely altered, it ruins the story, but in the case of Jurassic Park, most of the more scientific musings on Chaos Theory, along with a lot of the internal psychological tension, would have been lost on the big screen. It was a good call on the part of the film makers to switch the focus to more dino-action.

4. Everything by Jane Austen, except Mansfield Park

Honestly, I have a hard time reading Jane Austen. I know, I know, something’s wrong with me. I adore her stories, but not her prose. However, I love the movie adaptations of her books. Sense and Sensibility is my favorite, with Pride and Prejudice (the Kiera Knightly one, because I have a short attention span) a close second. I even like the modern updated comedy versions of some of them, like Clueless (Emma) and Bridget Jones’ Diary (Pride and Prejudice). The only one I don’t like is Mansfield Park, and that’s probably because I didn’t like the book either.

5. Little Women

I love this book, and I love this movie. I am not normally the biggest Winona Ryder fan, but I thought the casting of the March sisters was spot-on, and of course I thought Christian Bale as Laurie was fabulous (and completely broke my heart in that one scene). Um…yeah, I can’t think of anything more analytical to say about this one. I just love, love, love it.

6. The Notebook and A Walk to Remember

Kind of like with Jane Austen books, I also prefer the movie versions of Nicholas Sparks books. The difference is that these are the only two I like. His other adaptations leave me with a resounding feeling of “meh.” But I will always stop to watch these two, whenever they’re on, and I always — always — cry buckets of tears when I watch them.

7. The Green Mile

I strongly considered The Shawshank Redemption, but decided against it mostly because Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption is a novella, not a full book. However, The Green Mile is a novel that I really enjoyed, and the film adaptation, while brutal, was extremely faithful to the book. It’s a good thing Sam Rockwell was in Galaxy Quest right after this one, or else I would have had a hard time coming to terms with him again.

8. The Harry Potter movies

I’ll be honest, the first four Harry Potter movies left me feeling a bit…underwhelmed in theaters. I was fresh off of re-reading the books (as I did before each film), and I was too stung by all the parts that got condensed and omitted in the transition from page to screen. However, by Order of the Phoenix, I had come to terms with the fact that the movies were not going to be 100% faithful to the books, and I needed to accept them for what they were. And so I was able to enjoy the last four movies much more on the first viewing. Now, after seeing all the movies multiple times and setting my expectations accordingly, I can say that I thoroughly enjoy the entire series.

9. The Hunger Games

I know there’s a ton of opinions floating around on whether or not the film version of The Hunger Games lived up to the book. I’m in the “totally” camp. No, it wasn’t completely faithful, but then again, few movies are. You can see my in-depth analysis here.

10. A Time to Kill

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I used to be a complete Grisham addict, and this is my favorite of his books. I thought the movie was incredibly well done, in spite of the fact that I felt like I needed to shower afterward (partially because of the subject matter, but mostly because all the characters spend the entire movie so sweaty).

P.S. For another Top Ten rewind of sorts, head over to my Six Month Celebration Giveaway, where you can see my top 10 favorite books I’ve read in the lifespan of my blog, and enter to WIN ONE! They’re awesome books, guys. You know you want one of them.

Uncontrollable Blog Tour: Building Community & Giveaway (@srjohannes)

Posted on October 8, 2012 by TheHouseworkCanWait

I am excited today to be participating in the blog tour for Uncontrollable, the second book in the Nature of Grace series by S.R. Johannes. She’s here posting her tips for building community in the book world, and I think she’s got some great advice, whether you’re a writer or a blogger. Then you can check out some information on the book, and even win an e-copy of your very own, courtesy of S.R. Johannes. Thanks for joining me, S.R.!

S.R. Johannes Guest Post – “Building Community”

To me, community is everything in this business. Building a community is my main focus in marketing. Some people see marketing as ads and promoting all the time. I see it as building relationships. I always seek to help others first and I always try and keep a personal connection with those I meet.

Tips to building community:

• Find blogs you like and comment
• Choose your networks wisely
• Spread the word about another’s blog or book
• Don’t talk about yourself all the time
• Be present – Stay out there and visible
• Focus on getting to know your users – not what they can do for you.
• Build a network over time, not overnight
• Be yourself and show your personality
• Respond to tweets, emails, and messages
• Be humble and grateful
• Give credit where credit is due
• Give back
• Don’t do auto-tweets – it doesn’t fool any one
• Be interesting and helpful in posts

I am of the belief it is better to succeed with people than succeed alone. So this is where my belief of community comes in. Building a community that supports is essential to any writer’s career – published or not, traditional or indie.

About “The Nature of Grace”

Uncontrollable is the second book in “The Nature of Grace” series by S.R. Johannes. Untraceable, the first book in the series, has won and been nominated for several awards including Winner of the 2012 IndieReader Discovery Award (YA), 2012 Georgia Author of the Year (YA Nominee), and a finalist in The Kindle Book Review’s “Best Indie Book of 2012 (YA)”.

Kirkus reviewed Untraceable as “A thrilling story is a dramatic entanglement of mystery, deception and teen romance. The action flows like a brisk mountain stream interspersed with rapids, holding suspense to last page.”

If you like a page turner, you will love this series!

To continue on with the blog tour, check out the line up! Where SR talks about anything from marketing to writing to her books to personal interviews and giveaways.

Book Summary

As 16-year-old Grace recovers from tragedy, her science class is chosen by Agent Sweeney at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to help with research on the new “Red Wolf Reintroduction Program”.

While she’s excited about helping with the conservation of the endangered wolves, Grace knows this means being outdoors in the worst winter recorded, in a place she no longer feels comfortable. It also means working closely with Wyn (her ex) and his annoying girlfriend (Skyler), a girl whose idea of getting close to nature is picking silk plants and growing fake plants.

After a couple of wolves show up dead, Grace almost quits. However, when a fellow project team member goes missing, Grace continues the assignment under a renewed suspicion that someone might be sabotaging the conservation program. She quietly begins to hunt for clues.

Little does she know, she is being hunted too.

On Sale Now!

Uncontrollable is on sale in paperback and ebook at all major booksellers including Amazon, iBooks/Apple, Smashwords, and B&N.

If you haven’t read Untraceable, you can get it in paperback and ebook at all major booksellers including Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, and B&N.

Author Bio

S.R. Johannes is the author of award-winning and Amazon bestselling Untraceable (a teen wilderness thriller) and new tween paranormal, On The Bright Side. She has also published short novelettes as well as a teen romance anthology with 16 other authors titled, In His Eyes. Uncontrollable, the sequel to Untraceable, is scheduled for September 2012.

S.R. Johannes is a winner of the 2012 IndieReader Discovery Awards (Young Adult) and was also recently nominated for 2012 Georgia Author of the Year (Young Adult). Untraceable was also recently named a Finalist in The Kindle Book Review’s Indie Book of the Year (YA)

After earning an MBA and working in corporate America, S.R. Johannes traded in her expensive suits, high heels, and corporate lingo for a family, flip-flops, and her love of writing. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her dog, British-accented husband, and the huge imaginations of their little prince and princess, which she hopes- someday- will change the world.