What useful information have you learned from the site you are monitoring?
Stop You're Killing Me is a site established by Lucinda Surber and Stan Ulrich and they are book lovers. This is obvious when you peruse the site and see just how much content is available for mystery enthusiasts.
I appreciate the logical layout of the pages and the multitude of hyperlinks within the site. Checking out Next Months Releases I found a book for summer reading, Linda Castillo's Her Last Breath which is due to be released June 18th. The other aspect of the site that is both educational and informative are The Mystery Book Awards. I checked out The Dagger Awards and there is a hyperlink to Crime Writers Association; likewise, The Edgar Awards links to Mystery Writers of America and these are great places to check out the latest news about new authors, titles and the world of publishing.
Looking at Book Reviews, I located 2 more titles of interest: Chris Evans' Safe House and Tessa Harris' The Anatomists Apprentice. The summaries gave me a good idea of the overall plot, characterization and setting.
The Location Index allows the reader to narrow his/her focus when choosing a mystery title. For instance, if you are a mystery reader who is interested predominantly in historyical mysteries, there is a subheading "Historical" where you can search for only those titles.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Week 4: Part II Recommendation to Colleague on Goodreads
I checked out Greg Miller's book choices on Goodreads and recommended 2 books based on those he mentions on his Goodreads page. For an adventurous thrill ride to the top of Everest and back, Touching the Void by Joe Simpson would be a good match to his Into Thin Air. The book is from 1988 but we still own 4 copies of this book. It has withstood the test of time.
For a second pick, I thought he might try Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman since he liked The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Neverwhere is an urban fantasy story that takes place in London's underground where hoardes of homeless meander the sewers along with historical and fantastical creatures. Murder and mayhem keep this plot twisting and turning. There was a BBC presentation of Neverwhere in 1996 where it was aired as six half hour shows.
I checked out Greg Miller's book choices on Goodreads and recommended 2 books based on those he mentions on his Goodreads page. For an adventurous thrill ride to the top of Everest and back, Touching the Void by Joe Simpson would be a good match to his Into Thin Air. The book is from 1988 but we still own 4 copies of this book. It has withstood the test of time.
For a second pick, I thought he might try Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman since he liked The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Neverwhere is an urban fantasy story that takes place in London's underground where hoardes of homeless meander the sewers along with historical and fantastical creatures. Murder and mayhem keep this plot twisting and turning. There was a BBC presentation of Neverwhere in 1996 where it was aired as six half hour shows.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Week 4: Post #1
I started using Goodreads in September of 2012 because it was a requirement for one of my Clarion courses. Since that time, I try to add as many books as possible (that I'm able to recall). I enjoy using Goodreads, not only for logging my favorite picks, but for many of the "extras" that are helpful for any avid reader.
Goodreads seems intuitive. I list and rate books I have read and Goodreads creates a listing of books that match my appeal factors. I have been pleasantly surprised to find recommendations that are very similiar to the books I choose to read. I decided on two summer reads-Defending Jacob by W. Landy and Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes based on recommendations from Goodreads.
Listed in Most Popular this Month (Explore) are Golden Boy, The Perfume Collector and The World's Strongest Librarian. There is a short, well written summation of each novel and I find this helpful when choosing my reads. Top Reviews of the Week are great for anyone interested in learning to write reviews. The active voice, action verbs and quick snapshot of plot are great examples for the budding reviewer.
Several other features I find helpful are the author biographies, award winners by category, quotes and videos specific to each genre.
At times I do find the page layout to be busy as I tend to like pages that have more white space. This would be tough to accomplish on Goodreads as it is designed as a one stop shop for people who love books. If you enjoy an online environment of conversing with others about books you have read and books you wish to read, this is the place for you.
I started using Goodreads in September of 2012 because it was a requirement for one of my Clarion courses. Since that time, I try to add as many books as possible (that I'm able to recall). I enjoy using Goodreads, not only for logging my favorite picks, but for many of the "extras" that are helpful for any avid reader.
Goodreads seems intuitive. I list and rate books I have read and Goodreads creates a listing of books that match my appeal factors. I have been pleasantly surprised to find recommendations that are very similiar to the books I choose to read. I decided on two summer reads-Defending Jacob by W. Landy and Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes based on recommendations from Goodreads.
Listed in Most Popular this Month (Explore) are Golden Boy, The Perfume Collector and The World's Strongest Librarian. There is a short, well written summation of each novel and I find this helpful when choosing my reads. Top Reviews of the Week are great for anyone interested in learning to write reviews. The active voice, action verbs and quick snapshot of plot are great examples for the budding reviewer.
Several other features I find helpful are the author biographies, award winners by category, quotes and videos specific to each genre.
At times I do find the page layout to be busy as I tend to like pages that have more white space. This would be tough to accomplish on Goodreads as it is designed as a one stop shop for people who love books. If you enjoy an online environment of conversing with others about books you have read and books you wish to read, this is the place for you.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Week 3: #3 Conversation #3
That sounds like an extraordinary story about Roosevelt and I would say you like biographical accounts of historical figures and life on the edge kind of stories. David McCullough is always a good pick for biographical novels but if you are looking for the life on the edge stories try Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air which is about the devastation of a Mount Everest climb by Karakauer and his fellow climbers. Try Alfred Lansing's Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage about the 1914 Antarctic Expedition. I think these will offer you a bit of biography and adventure.
Week 3: #3, Conversation #2
ok. So you are looking for a vampire storyline that does not have so much of the love/romance bit, but is fast paced and will keep you yearning for more? Mancusi, author of the Blood Craven series may be a better choice for you. They are fast paced and Mancusi adds a touch of humor throughout her series and this may be refreshingly different. I would also have you try de la Cruz' Blue Bloods series-it is all there fast paced storylines and a fight to the finish between Blue and Silver Bloods.
Week 3: #3 Conversation 1
It sounds like you like stories with a strong female protagonist with an adventurous spirit. A few other stories you may find a good match are Rita Gelman's Tales of a Female Nomad which is another story of a woman seeking happiness and inner peace in her life through travel. Novelist also mentions Maria Finn's Hold me Tight and Tango me Home that may be a good match as well.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Week 2: Assignment 2 (Book #2, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
I enjoy reading about female characters who are strong, smart and sometimes, rough around the edges. Steig Larsson is the bomb in this drama, suspense, mystery and thriller rolled into one. You know with the turn of every page, some mystery will unfold that pieces together a young girl's shortened life. Lisbeth Salander is a renegade, making a name for herself in the world of journalism, and she has quite the reputation. Mikael Blomkvist is also a man of mystery; he is intelligent and a bit edgy himself. As Salander and Blomkvist search for clues that will lay to rest an age old mystery, they find a connection with one another. It is a story that has every element I love-a wonderfully written plot, a rich setting, tough girl, mystery man and a love affair-if you can call it that....
I enjoy reading about female characters who are strong, smart and sometimes, rough around the edges. Steig Larsson is the bomb in this drama, suspense, mystery and thriller rolled into one. You know with the turn of every page, some mystery will unfold that pieces together a young girl's shortened life. Lisbeth Salander is a renegade, making a name for herself in the world of journalism, and she has quite the reputation. Mikael Blomkvist is also a man of mystery; he is intelligent and a bit edgy himself. As Salander and Blomkvist search for clues that will lay to rest an age old mystery, they find a connection with one another. It is a story that has every element I love-a wonderfully written plot, a rich setting, tough girl, mystery man and a love affair-if you can call it that....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)