Category: Bookish Question

Which book would you like to see made into a movie?

Bookish Question #167 | Which book would you like to see made into a movie?

Umm … none?

I am of the opinion (shared by most booklovers) that the book is always better than the movie. As such, why would I ever doom any book to becoming a movie?

The reason books are better is that movies (and TV shows) have to focus on the visible–the dialogue and action. Books have the visible action, but can also have the character’s thoughts.  That adds a depth to the book that the movie can’t always replicate.

As such, I’m always dubious of any book review that says something like “this book would make a great movie!”. That’s basically saying the book is shallow, with little or no character development but plenty of visual action (Exhibit A: that Dan Brown novel).

Note: there are some movies I’ve enjoyed that have been based on books, but I can’t comment because I haven’t read the book. The best example I can think of is Forrest Gump, but I’m sure there are others.

The books which make good movies are those books with compelling and fast-paced plots, but which lack character development (Exhibit B: any James Bond movie. Half a dozen actors, but the man’s character has barely changed in fifty years).

Saying a book would make a good movie is the equivalent of giving it a three-star review.

So I guess the book I’d like to see made into a movie is a book I haven’t read and perhaps don’t have any interest in reading but would still like to know what happens (but without reading the Cliff Notes version).

Let me think …

Thinking …

Still thinking …

What about you? What book would you like to see made into a movie? Have you read the book?

Can you recommend a book that helps younger people deal with difficult issues?

Bookish Question #166 | Can you recommend a book that helps young people deal with difficult issues?

I don’t read a lot of children’s books (well, my youngest has finished high school), so I’m definitely going to focus my answer on Young Adult titles. However, I do have one picture book to recommend:

Marty’s Nut-free Party and Emily Eases her Wheezes by Katrina Roe: picture books which explain allergies and asthma in an age-appropriate  and fun way.

Young Adult

Invisible, Invincible, and Being Jazmine by Cecily Paterson: a compelling trilogy about a deaf teenager that addresses both the difficulties of living as a hearing-impaired person in a hearing world, but also at the challenge all teenagers have with fitting in with their peers and finding their place.

 

This Quiet Sky by Joanne Bischof: a Christian historical novel about a teenage boy suffering from a fatal illness.

Perfect Mercy, Amazing Grace, Love, Mercy (the Beautiful Lives series) by Elaine Fraser: a series set in an Australian high school, with each book dealing with a different issue high schoolers face—peer pressure, body image, social justice, and sexual orientation.

The Boy in the Hoodie by Catriona McKeown: a term’s worth of detentions, an unlikely friendship, and some lessons about life.

That’s my list. Can you recommend a book for children or young adults that helps younger people deal with difficult issues?

Do you have a book buying budget?

Bookish Question #165 | Do you have a book buying budget?

Books. As readers, we can never have too many books. Library books, books we’ve borrowed, books we’ve bought. Which leads to an obvious question:

Do you have a book buying budget? More importantly, if yes, do you stick to it?

I don’t have a specific book buying budget. Being a book blogger helps keep my book buying down, as I get free ebook versions of the books I request for review. When I do buy books, I tend to buy Kindle versions, which are cheaper. I also try and keep my purchases to within my current gift card balance (as I’m a member of Amazon’s affiliate scheme, which pays in Amazon gift vouchers). 

I’m also actively trying (trying!) not to buy books, especially paper books, because I’m actively trying to reduce my to-read pile. (If you read my 2021 Reading Challenge post, you’ll see how successful that is).

There are four main reasons I prefer Kindle books:

  • They’re cheaper
  • They’re lighter to carry
  • They don’t take up space on the bookshelf 
  • I can make the font size bigger if I forgot my glasses (it happens)

What about you? Do you have a book buying budget? If so, do you stick to it?

Are you interested in reading books that mention Covid or lockdown?

Bookish Question #164 | Are you interested in reading books that mention Covid or lockdown?

We’ve recently said goodbye to the longest year ever, and vaccines are rolling out (well, we’re still waiting in New Zealand). Covid-19 is part of our modern world, whether we like or not (not).

But does that mean we want Covid-19 in our fiction?

I recently elected not to read and review a dual timeline title set in 1820 and 2020. The story was obviously written and accepted for publication before Covid-19 had been discovered, and well before we all lived through the longest year in creation, 2020. the story centred on a teenage girl in England who had some unspecified bad thing happen that meant she didn’t get into university. Apparently, that was supposed to make readers sympathise with her.

Well, that plot didn’t fly with me.

The UK news in mid-2020 was full of stories of British teens who hadn’t been accepted into their university course of choice because end-of-year exams were cancelled and the grades they’d been assigned by the government algorithm weren’t good enough. As such, one fictional person not getting into university for an unknown mysterious reason didn’t ring true for me.

(The story has now been revised, given a new book description, and is now set in 1821 and 2021. I’m not sure that’s going to work any better … )

So are you interested in reading books that mention Covid and/or lockdown? 

I’m in two minds on the question. On one hand, I’m not interested in reading books that directly mention Covid-19. On the other hand, I’m also not interested in reading books set in 2020 or 2021 that don’t mention Covid-19. I suspect contemporary fiction writers will be better placed to write a novel that is either set before 2020, or not set in a specific year.

I saw this question asked in a Facebook group recently. One author said she’d surveyed her Facebook group and newsletter list and had over 3,500 responses. the vast majority wanted to avoid any mention of Covid-19. Other authors agreed.

They said they read to escape.

Reading about an unpleasant current reality is not escape. Several commented that they’ve stopped watching TV shows that have woven Covid-19 into their ongoing storylines.

The other argument I’ve seen against mentioning Covid-19 or lockdowns is that we’re (unfortunately) still in the middle of the pandemic. We don’t know when or how it’s going to end. The rollout of the vaccines gives us hope life will return to something approaching normal sooner rather than later, but we don’t know how effective the vaccine will be, how long it lasts … We won’t know how this ends until it ends. 

As such, my view is that authors would be wise to avoid books that can be specifically dated to this current period in history.

What about you?

Are you interested in reading books that mention Covid-19 and/or lockdown

Why or why not?

What books have you read that are set in New Zealand?

Bookish Question #163 | What books have you read that are set in New Zealand?

We have just celebrated Waitangi Day, New Zealand’s national day, on 6 February. What books have you read that are set in New Zealand?

I can only think of a handful of Christian novels:

Close to You by Kara Isaac

A disgraced scholar running from her past and an entrepreneur chasing his future find themselves thrown together—and fall in love—on a Tolkien tour of New Zealand.

Allison Shire (yes, like where the Hobbits live) is a disgraced academic who is done with love. Her belief in “happily ever after” ended the day she discovered her husband was still married to a wife she knew nothing about. She finally finds a use for her English degree by guiding tours through the famous sites featured in the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies. By living life on the road and traveling New Zealand as a luxury tour guide, Allison manages to outrun the pain of her past she can’t face.

Jackson Gregory was on the cusp of making it big. Then suddenly his girlfriend left him—for his biggest business competitor—and took his most guarded commercial secrets with her. To make matters worse, the Iowa farm that has been in his family for generations is facing foreclosure. Determined to save his parents from financial ruin, he’ll do whatever it takes to convince his wealthy great-uncle to invest in his next scheme, which means accompanying him to the bottom of the world to spend three weeks pretending to be a die-hard Lord of the Rings fan, even though he knows nothing about the stories. The one thing that stands between him and his goal is a know-it-all tour guide who can’t stand him and pegged him as a fake the moment he walked off the plane.

When Allison leads the group through the famous sites of the Tolkien movies, she and Jackson start to see each other differently, and as they keep getting thrown together on the tour, they find themselves drawn to each other. Neither expected to fall in love again, but can they find a way beyond their regrets to take a chance on the one thing they’re not looking for?

Then There Was You by Kara Isaac

RITA Award 2018 Winner – Romance with Religious or Spiritual Elements

Paige McAllister needs to do something drastic. Her boyfriend can’t even commit to living in the same country, her promised promotion is dead on arrival and the simultaneous loss of her brother and her dream of being a concert violinist has kept her playing life safe and predictable for six years. Things need to change.

A moment of temporary insanity finds her leaving her life in Chicago to move to Sydney, Australia. There she finds herself, against many of her convictions, as a logistics planner for one of Australia’s biggest churches, and on a collision course with her boss’s son.

Josh Tyler fronts a top-selling worship band and is in demand all over the world. But, in the past, his failed romantic relationships almost destroyed both his reputation and his family. He’s determined to never risk it happening again. The last thing he needs is some American girl tipping his ordered life upside down. Especially one who despises everything he’s ever worked for and manages to push every button he has.

When Josh and Paige are thrown together to organize his band’s next tour, the sparks fly. But can they find a way to bridge the differences that pull them apart? Or will they choose the safety and security of what they know over taking a chance on something that will require them to risk everything?

The Joy of Falling by Lindsay Harrel

Eva and Angela must learn to live again. One step at a time.

It has been fifteen months since Eva and Angela lost their thrill-seeking husbands in a scuba diving accident. Both women are trying to navigate their way through the grief, but neither one is making much progress. Angela is barely making ends meet, angry at her husband for leaving her to raise three children on her own. Meanwhile, Eva is stuck, unable to move forward after losing the love of her life and her source of inspiration.

But then Eva gets a life-changing phone call. Before Brent and Wes died, they had signed up for a race of a lifetime—an ultra-marathon in beautiful New Zealand. Eva begs Angela to run the race with her in their husbands’ place, and Angela finally agrees, hoping to finally understand her husband’s choices.

Training is exhausting, and the race is even more demanding. Their journey grows more complicated by the presence of two men—Marc is Brent’s best friend who is running the race with Eva and Angela, and Simon King is a writer who is covering their inspiring story. With every step, Eva and Angela must ask themselves questions that they haven’t had the courage to ask before. As the women literally put one foot in front of the other, they wonder: Is it possible to find their way forward in hope?

I’d love to add more to my list. Can you help?

Have you read any books featuring teachers or educational locations?

Bookish Question #162 | Have you read any books featuring teachers or educational locations?

It’s back to school this week for students in New Zealand and Australia, and it’s the first year since 2004 that I don’t have the back-to-school rush of buying stationery and checking the school uniforms still fit. Yes, my children are now out of full-time education!

But I can still remember school and learning through the books I read.

Have you read any books featuring teachers or educational locations?

I loved boarding school stories as a child and teen, and read as many as I could: The Naughtiest Girl and Mallory Towers books by Enid Blyton, and the Trebizon series by Anne Digby. As an adult, I read the Harry Potter series, which is set in a slightly different educational institution.

Reading these stories left me wanting to go to boarding school and experience these adventures for myself. In hindsight, I wonder if these novels were a subliminal trick to get children and teens to want to go to school, and to socialise them to the idea of boarding school and leaving home. (As an aside, I did spend one year at boarding school, and it was a great experience).

As an adult …

I’ve read Elaine Fraser’s series of Young Adult books, set in Australia. They are modern stories dealing with many of the problems facing teens today and presented from an understated christian world view.

I’ve also read a lot of books which feature teachers as main characters. However, the school of the job of teacher tends to be more background than main plot. For example, Molly by Sarah Monzon features a teacher who is fired right at the beginning of the novel, and immediately hired as a nanny by a desperate single father.

I’ve also read a few historical novels where the main character is a governess – one of the few respectable occupations for unmarried ladies. The Governess of Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky is a favourite.

What about you? What books have you read featuring teachers or educational institutions?

Who are your favourite Australian authors?

Bookish Question #161 | Who are your favourite Australian authors?

Monday 25 January is/was Australia Day, so who are your favourite Australian authors?

I have a lot of favourite Christian authors who happen to be Australian. Here are a few:

(In case you’re wondering, I have restricted my recommendations to books published in the last couple of years. If I didn’t restrict myself, I’d be here all day!)

Who are your favourite Australian authors?

Which books or authors are you most looking forward to reading in 2021?

Bookish Question #160 | Which books or authors are you most looking forward to reading in 2021?

All the books 🙂

Unfortunately, time doesn’t allow me to read all the books. Oh, to have Hermione Grainger’s time turner!

Instead, I’ll have to content myself with the novels I know about … which isn’t many. I do know some of my favourite authors have books releasing in 2021, such as:

Prince of Spites by Roseanna M White (releases 16 February)

Is it Any Wonder by Courtney Walsh (releases 6 April)

Dusk’s Darkest Shores by Carolyn Miller (releases 20 April)

Hidden in her Heart by Milla Holt (releases 29 March)

Let it Be Me by Becky Wade (releases 4 May)

There are also a few authors that I’m sure (or I sincerely hope) will be releasing books in 2021, including:

Book #5 in the Grace series by Christine Dillon

Book #2 in the Luella Linley series by Meredith Resce

Book #2 in the Collective Underground series by Kristen Young

There are also some books from debut or new-to-me authors I’m looking forward to reading:

When Stars Rain Down by Angela Jackson-Brown

Summer’s Out at Hope Hall by Pam Rhodes

What about you?

What books are you looking forward to reading in 2021?

Do you read more books during summer or winter?

Bookish Question #159 | Do you read more books during summer or winter?

Good question! I don’t keep a track of my reading by month, so I don’t actually know whether I read more books in summer or in winter.

I know I read a lot of books during the summer,

I love spending a warm summer day at the beach, reaching on my Kindle between dips in the ocean.

I also know I read a lot of books during the winter months.

In winger, you can usually find me curled up by the fire with the cat in my lap while my husband watches TV. Reading is my preferred form of personal entertainment. I do watch a handful of  TV series, but I’d usually rather read a book (or, in the case of TV or movie versions, I’ve usually read the book already).

And I read a lot in spring and autumn.

We have a spa pool (aka hot tub), and I do read in the pool in spring and autumn, but only paperback books (I don’t want to risk dropping my Kindle in the water, or having the steam cook the device). My pool reading therefore tends to be books on the to-read pile, as my recent purchases ten to be the Kindle version.

So do I read more in summer or winter? I suspect I read fairly evenly through the year, as work and weather permit.

What about you? Do you read more in summer or in winter?

Have you Set a Reading Challenge for 2021?

Bookish Question #158 | Have you Set a 2021 Reading Challenge?

Yes!

I’ve signed up to read 150 books this year through the Goodreads Reading Challenge.

I don’t see at as much as a challenge as a way of keeping track of what I’ve read (helped by the fact that most new books I read are on Kindle, which automatically marks a book as Read at Goodreads).

I’ve also signed up to the Mt. TBR Challenge again, in the never-ending attempt to reduce the number of unread books I own. I’ve done this challenge for the last four or five years, usually aiming for 48 books per year. I actually aimed for 60 last year, but only got 48 so that’s the level I’ve chosen this year. Now to read books I own and not buy new ones!

I set myself the challenge of reading 30 books by new-to-me authors in 2020, and I achieved 47!

My rationale for this challenge was that I want to be able to support debut authors. The problem is that if I focus too much on debut authors, I don’t have time to read new books from favourite authors. So while I will still record how many new-to-me authors I read this year, I won’t be aiming for a specific number.

Another personal challenge was to read 50 independently published books last year. I managed 45. This is another figure I’ll continue to track, but won’t set a specific goal. I want to focus on content, not how the book was published. The reality is that the books I buy tend to be independently published, because they’re cheaper (yet the author receives a similar royalty per copy sold).

I also aimed to read 12 writing books and 12 marketing books last year.

I actually read 12 writing books (win) but only 4 marketing books. My focus this year is going to be on writing, so I’m going to ignore all the unread marketing books and focus on the writing books (and the writing).

So my Reading Challenge targets for 2021 are:

  • 150 books
  • 48 books off my to-read pile
  • 12 writing books

What about you? Have you set a 2021 reading challenge? If so, what is it?