Please join me in welcoming Carolyn Crane to ATUF today. Carolyn is the author of of the new urban fantasy MIND GAMES (which I loved. Check out my review HERE). We’re not doing your typical guest blog today (which is fitting since MIND GAMES isn’t your typical urban fantasy). Instead, Carolyn and I are going to tackle our very dissimilar TBR piles (her’s makes me want to cry a little) and with help from their creators, dig up some paranormal characters who read.
Carolyn Crane & Me on TBR Piles and Urban Fantasy Characters Who Read
1. State of TBR pile: okay, fess up. What does your TBR pile look like?
CAROLYN: Okay, I have this sort of pathetic small pine table from Ikea by the bed where I put books. It has a cubby for books waiting, and then a few are put on top of it, and those are “on deck.” And then, sometimes the waiting ones spill under the bed. It’s really terrible, because if I forget about them, they collect dust. It’s terrible to open a dusty book!
(Carolyn’s TBR Pile)
ABIGAIL: I'm the complete opposite: total neat freak. I get itchy just thinking about books stacked haphazardly. I used to have this very sturdy yard sale find that held my books, but wasn't much to look at even after I sanded and painted it. But eventually, I ran out of room. Fortunately for me, I have a wonderful carpenter friend who worked with me on building some custom bookcases. They are stunning sold cherry beauties that I just love. I have my books organized by genre on each shelf. Although I'm getting itchy at the moment because I have several stacked sideways on top. I guess its time to build a new bookcase :)
(My camera hates me at the moment. I’ll post my TBR pic soon)
CAROLYN: Oh, funny! I dream of someday being like that. Do you use an eReader at all? Do you ever miss not being able to see the books that you have on eReader? I love reading on my reader, but sometimes it’s weird not having all my books together.
ABIGAIL: No, I’m a luddite in that area. I like the sensory experience of holding a physical book too much. Plus I’m seriously cheap. $250 for an eReader is more than I can justify right now. I’m starting come around to the idea of eReaders though as my bookcases fill up and I start getting itchy :) I might have to ask for one for Christmas.
2. Stash sources: where do you get books?
ABIGAIL: Everywhere! Of course I buy way too many. But I also use lots of swap sites. Paperbackswap.com is my favorite, but SwapTree.com is great for getting newer titles. And books are what all my friends and family know are always on the top of my gift wish lists. Plus now that my blog has taken off I do receive some books for review which is fantastic.
CAROLYN: Ditto on the too many books. LOL. I visit area bookstores, independents, chains, and used, depending on what I’m searching for. Minneapolis has two fabulous sci fi/fantasy/pnr independents, so we’re spoiled. And this one has a mammoth selection of new and used, so it’s downright dangerous. I’ll also buy ebooks. If I have started a series on ebooks, I like to keep reading it on ebook.
ABIGAIL: Oh, I’m jealous about the sci fi/fantasy/pnr independents, but I have to be careful about going into bookstores. Like ‘here hold my wallet and don’t give it back to me no matter what I say’ careful. Amazon is much safer for me, though not by much.
3. Characters in MIND GAMES & their books
CAROLYN: When I was dating, it was always important to me to get a look at a guy’s book shelf and his music collection (that was before ipods, so you could see what a person had). I think a lot of people do that; it feels like a window into a person. That’s important to me with characters in books, too. I guess I don’t do too much with music in Mind Games, but everyone reads.
- Justine: Mysteries, sexy mysteries. I see her as liking Deanna Raybourne, Janet Evanovich, Dorothy Sayers. She also likes romantic suspense.
- Packard: He reads lots of travel and adventure magazines, because he’s trapped in that restaurant, so it’s literally escapist for him.
- Shelby: Shelby’s taste mirror’s Justine’s, and that’s something they bond over as friends.
- Police Chief Sanchez: He goes for classic detective novels, like Dashiell Hammett, even Sherlock Holmes books, as well as Western adventure stories.
4. UF characters and books: Have we seen UF characters reading? Can we recall off the top of our heads characters who read, and what they read?
ABIGAIL: I remember Bella from Twilight reading Jane Austen and Betsy Taylor from the Undead series with her love of Gone With the Wind.
CAROLYN: I remember Anita Blake reading a book by Sharon Shinn on a plane. It actually made me pick up a Sharon Shinn book.
5. Twitter findings:
So, when fellow twitterers were asked about characters in books who read, we got all kinds of stuff: Here is the twitter research! it is in little bits, of course. Thanks to everyone who answered the query about characters and their books! And leave us comments if you think of more paranormal characters who read.
@GirrlitsBooks: I am sure I remember one or two spell books in Dresden files..
@heatherdearly: I remember the MC in SK's Bag of Bones commenting on books on the woman's shelves. I read one of them after because of it.
@jennablack: Sherrilyn Kenyon's heroines have been known to read Kinley MacGregor books. (I don't think she usually mentions the title.)
@RRRJes: Not sure if it counts but Sookie often says everything she learned is from genre fiction, expecially rom novels
@KINDLEVIXEN: for some reason i keep thinking the heroine in Broken by @shilohwalker was reading something but its hazy so i may be confused
@NicolePeeler: My Jane reads loads... And all genres. Katie McAllister's heroine's friend in her first vamp book reads PR......as does Wanda in @dakotacassidy's Accidental series.
Follow up to Dakota:
@dakotacassidy: Oh, yes! She devours romance novels. I forgot. LMAO. OMG--what does that say about me?????
@MarkHenry: I had Amanda reading Jen Lancaster's Bitter is the New Black in Happy Hour.
@LisaHendrix: A character in one of my books was reading one of my earlier books (which went unnamed, but fans could recognize) Hero found the book & read a hot scene aloud in an effort to embarrass her. Had slightly diff effect on both of them <g>
when asked what book:
It was in Runaway Bay, and they were reading the van scene from To Marry an Irish Rogue (tho' like I said, it went unnamed)
@LesliesPsyche: In Ilona Andrews' Magic Burns Kate finds Curran reading her fav pb The Princess Bride.
@Tamara_Allen: The character Niko in Rob Thurman's Nightlife series is an intellectual character/tough-as-nails fighter--reads all the time.
when asked what Niko reads:
@Rob_Thurman: stereotypical THE ART OF WAR by Sun Tzu, THE PRINCE by Machiavelli, various medical books, Basho for a good haiku
and any book available on mythology except the Necromicon which is oddly always checked out of the library
Goodfellow of course co wrote the kama sutra with Mallanaga Vatsyayana
and Cal reads. Sometimes. if Niko has canceled the porn channel. Don't underestimate the man.
Thanks Carolyn for stopping by. Come back anytime.
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