Category: Bookish Question

Which books are you most looking forward to reading in 2020?

Bookish Question #137 | Which books are you most looking forward to reading in 2020?

Tough question! But at least it says “books” not “book”. Book would be impossible.

Here are some of the review copies already on my Kindle:

Other books I’m looking forward to reading:

  • Kara Isaac‘s next book (expected in July 2020).
  • The next book in Christine Dillon‘s Grace series, which should get published in August or September.
  • I’m also hoping Adam Collings will release the third instalment in his space opera series.

(If you want to know more, I suggest you click on the above links and sign up to their newsletters.)

I’ll also be on the lookout for whatever is new from some of my favourite romance and women’s fiction authors, such as Caroline Miller, Courtney Walsh, Elizabeth Musser, and Catherine West.

What about you? Which books are you most looking forward to reading in 2020?

Have you set a reading challenge for 2020?

Bookish Question #136 | Have you set a reading challenge for 2020?

I’ve done the Goodreads challenge every year since 2011, and I’ll be doing it again in 2020. It’s a simple challenge—just how many books you plan to read during the year.

Over the years, my target has ranged from 150 to 200 books, and I’ll be aiming for 150 books again in 2020.

I will supplement that with some personal targets, similar to last year. I want to keep expanding my reading, which means proactively deciding to read debut and new-to-me authors. I set a target of 50 last year, and hit it (just!). Some of those authors I probably won’t read again, but there are many I want to add to my ongoing reading list.

Another 2019 target was to read 50 or more self-published or indie-published books.

There are some great self-published books out there, many from authors who initially published through a big-name publisher but who have now moved to self-publishing. As an added bonus, self-published books are often a fraction of the price of traditionally published books (yet the author earns as much or more per copy). So that’s another great reason to support self-published authors!

My final personal target for 2019 was to read at least one book on writing craft and one book on marketing each month. I didn’t do so well on these challenges, but think they’re important, so will try again in 2020.

So my personal reading challenges for 2020 are:

  • 150+ books read in total (which does include novellas).
  • 30+ books from debut or new-to-me authors.
  • 50+ self-published books.
  • 60+ books off my to-read piles (ebook and paperback).
  • 12+ marketing books.
  • 12+ books on writing craft.

Obviously, some books will count for more than one challenge—a self-published book on writing craft from a new-to-me author will count four times 🙂

What about you? Have you set a reading challenge for 2020? If so, what is it?

What book do you hope to receive for Christmas?

Bookish Question #135 | What book do you hope to receive for Christmas?

This might sound awful, but I actually don’t want to receive any books for Christmas.

Despite reading around 150 books this year and slightly reducing the size of my to-read pile, I already have more than enough books to read for the next year, and probably the next decade.

I also have a slight case of Tsundoku, the affliction of not being able to stop buying books even though logic says I don’t need any more books. But that’s ridiculous. I do need more. I especially need the sequels to books I’ve already read, and the debut novels from authors I follow online, and … the list goes on. And my bank account goes down.

Then there are review copies.

Publishers keep listing books from my favourite authors on NetGalley. It would be rude not to download and review them. Authors email me and ask me to review their books. It would be rude to say no, especially when I really want to read the book. I even got sent a hardcover novel this year, all the way from the USA. There wasn’t an actual review request inside, but it would be rude not to read it …

Also, if I’m honest, I’d rather choose my own books.

When people do buy me books, they’re often the books they want to read, not the books I want to read … so I’d rather they gave me an Amazon voucher.

What about you? What book (or books) do you hope to receive for Christmas?

How many books have you read this year?

Bookish Question #134 | How many books have you read this year?

I set a goal of reading 150 books at the beginning of 2019, and I’m currently on target to meet or exceed that goal. As of the time of writing (early December), I’ve read 141 books which means I’m on target.

Sometime soon Goodreads will send me my year’s statistics, including the shortest and longest books on my list, and the total pages read.

I also wanted to expand my reading this year, by actively choosing to read more debut or new-to-me authors, more indie (self-published) books, more nonfiction (i.e. books on writing, editing, and marketing books), and to read a pile of books from my to-read pile. I have to admit that I’m not doing so well on those lists …

Of the 141 books I’ve read so far this year:

  • 47 have been from debut or new-to-me authors (my target is 50).
  • 49 have been self-published titles (my target is 50).
  • 9 have been writing or marketing books (my target is 24. Oops).

And I’ve taken 49 books off my to-read pile. I didn’t actually read them all—there were a fair few that I started but didn’t finish. But I’ve decided I’m not going to read them (for a variety of reasons, mostly because I either didn’t connect with the characters, or because I thought the writing lacked polish).

So while I’m on target to reach my goal of 150 books read in 2019 , I need to focus more on reading writing or marketing books …

What about you? How many books have you read this year?

Who is your favourite Christian speculative fiction author?

Bookish Question #133 | Who is your favourite Christian speculative fiction author?

And what do you like most about his/her books?

I’m not a big speculative fiction reader, which makes this question both easy and hard to answer. Hard, because I haven’t read a lot of Christian speculative fiction (and some of what I have read I don’t necessarily class as speculative), so I don’t have a lot of authors to choose from. But not having a lot of authors to choose from also makes the decision easy. Well, easier.

First I’m going to discuss an author I haven’t chosen as my favourite speculative fiction author: Adam Collings.

Now, I will admit to some bias here because I’m lucky enough to be Adam’s editor (which means I get to read the books first). Adam writes science fiction, which is technically included in speculative fiction, but which I consider a separate genre.

I read a lot of sci fi as a teenager, and I’m a big fan of TV science fiction, especially Stargate, Star Trek (especially The Next Generation), and Battlestar Galactica (proof that the remake can be better than the original).

Adam’s Jewel of the Star series combines elements of Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica, in that it’s set on a cruise ship (a spaceship cruise ship) that appears to harbour the only survivors of an alien attack on earth. The second episode, A New Reality, has just released, and you can click here to check out Adam’s books on Amazon.

But what about true speculative fiction?

My choice is Nadine Brandes, on the basis of reading Fawkes (a 2019 Carol Award winner), and Romanov. Fawkes is an alternate retelling of the story of Guy Fawkes and his attempt to destroy the English Houses of Parliament in 1605, told from the viewpoint of Thomas Fawkes, Guy’s son. It’s an intriguing reimagination of a well-known story, one we hear every November at Guy Fawkes’s night aka Bonfire Night … or when we Kiwis let off our fireworks each year.

Click here to read my review of Fawkes.

Romanov is a reimagination of an equally intriguing tale: the last days of the Romanovs, the Russian Imperial Family, told from the point of view of Anastasia, the youngest daughter who rumour once said survived the slaughter of her family at the hands of the Bolsheveks.

Click here to read my review of Romanov.

If you’re interested in speculative fiction, then check out Nadine Brandes and her books. And if you’re an author wanting ideas around how to build an author platform, check out Nadine Brandes. She has a brilliant Instagram account, and her newsletter is excellent.

What about you? Who is your favourite Christian speculative fiction author?

Who is your favourite Christian women's fiction author?

Bookish Question #132 | Who is your favourite Christian women’s fiction author?

Who is your favourite Christian women’s fiction author? What do you like most about his/her books?

This is a tough question to answer, as I swing between loving romance and loving women’s fiction the most. I love romance—especially Christian romance—because romance is the literature of hope (so says Damon Suede) and as Christians, our hope is in Jesus.

And whether general market romance readers and writers believe it or not, genuine romance is an allegory of our Christian faith, with us as Jesus’s bride.

But I also love women’s fiction, perhaps because a lot of the romances I read (even those from Christian publishers) have plenty of romance but don’t explicitly mention God … which seems like they’re missing a big chunk of that threefold cord Ecclesiastes speaks of.

While women’s fiction can and often does have romantic elements, the focus is more on the main character’s growth as a person.

That growth is often their spiritual growth, or their observations about the spiritual growth of those around them. As a result, women’s fiction often has more obvious Christian themes, and more direct observations about faith and Christian life.

My favourite Christian women’s fiction author is Elizabeth Musser, author of titles such as The Long Highway Home (click here to read my review) and When I Close My Eyes (which I’ve just finished—my review will post soon).

But she’s only my current favourite.

Last week, my favourite was Catherine West (who is a 2019 Carol Award winner and Christy Award finalist for Where Hope Begins). Last month, my favourite was Christine Dillon, author of the Grace series (and book two in the series, Grace in the Shadows, won the 2019 CALEB Award from Omega Writers).

Why do I like these authors?

I think the main reason is that they are not afraid to shy away from the hard questions in life and faith. When I Close My Eyes by Elizabeth Musser deals with mental illness, and with how far a parent will go to save their child. Where Hope Begins by Catherine West covered marital infidelity and the death of a child. Grace in Strange Disguise by Christine Dillon challenges readers to have full faith and trust in Jesus, not just a Sunday faith.

I enjoy their stories because they are good stories that are well-written and encouraging, but they are also stories which challenge me to think. In a world where so much entertainment is surface-level only, it’s important to think.

What about you? Who is your favourite Christian women’s fiction author?

Who is your favourite Christian romance author?

Bookish Question #131 | Who is your favourite Christian Romance author?

If I thought last week’s question was tough, this is even tougher!

Christian romance is my favourite genre, and I love so many Christian romance authors.

I thought of listing my favourites for about half a second, then realised I could be here all day. Instead, you can download a list of my favourites my signing up for my newsletter (the signup form is in the sidebar). Sign up, and I’ll send you an updated list of my favourites.

If you’re going to twist my arm and make me choose one author, then I’m going to go biased and parochial, and choose Kara Isaac.

Why?

Because her debut, Close to You, was set in New Zealand, and her RITA-winner, Then There Was You, also featured scenes set in Christchurch, New Zealand (check out this Wandering Wednesday post to see more of Christchurch). See, biased and parochial. I warned you.

But there’s more to a Kara Isaac novel than the familiar setting. I love her writing—her plots and characters, and her humour. I also love the way she integrates the Christian elements, subtle as they are sometimes. Basically, I can relate to her characters and their situations.

What about you? Who is your favourite Christian romance author, and why?

Who is your favourite Christian thriller author?

Bookish Question #130 | Who is you favourite Christian thriller author, and why?

Who is your favourite Christian thriller author? What do you like most about his/her books?

Tough question!

I’ve read a lot of Christian thrillers and romantic suspense novels over the years (and part of me prefers romantic suspense, because I like the romance element).

In terms of Christian thrillers I’ve read this year, three names spring to mind: Terri Blackstock, Steven James, and Siri Mitchell.

However, Synapse is the first Steven James novel I’ve read, and one book hardly makes a favourite. I’ve read five or six Siri Mitchell novels, and State of Lies definitely my favourite … but it’s also her first thriller. (She also writes historical fiction as Iris Anthony, and historical and contemporary romance as Siri Mitchell). Again, one book hardly makes a favourite.

So that leaves me with Terri Blackstock. I’ve read several of her series, including the brilliant If I Run series (If I Run, If I Hide, If I Live). As well as being great thrillers, the series is an object lesson in how to write Christian fiction that will appeal to general market readers.

I also loved Blackstock’s Emerald Windows, which was more contemporary romance. I didn’t like her Last Light series. Well, I read the first in the series and couldn’t stand the woman who turned out to be the main character. So I didn’t read the rest of the series.

Her latest is Smoke Screen, is possibly even better than If I Run, and I definitely hope it’s part of a series.

What do I like most about Terri Blackstock’s books?

All the things. The writing is excellent, and her plots and characters are consistently original and full of twists and surprises. I’ve read other suspense or thriller authors and got bored when they start recycling their plots or characters. Yes, there are times when recycling is a bad idea.

She’s also not afraid to go into the deep places in her plots. Smoke Screen centres around a pastor’s daughter who has turned to alcohol since her divorce, and her adulterous husband is now challenging her for custody of their two children. It’s perhaps more subtle suspense than If I Run, but it’s real.

I also love the way Terri Blackstock consistently weaves Christianity into her plots. It’s not the icing on the cake—something that’s added to the top to sweeten the Christian reader. It’s something that’s marbled throughout the story. It’s often subtle at first, then gets more obvious as the story progresses.

So that’s why I love Terri Blackstock’s books. What about you? Who is you favourite Christian thriller author, and why?

What new-to-you authors have you read and loved in the last year?

Bookish Question #129 | What new-to-you authors have you read in the last year?

At the beginning of this year, I decided to track all the books I read by self-published (indie) authors and new-to-me authors on Goodreads.

Assuming I’m tracking properly, I’ve read (or attempted to read) books by 38 new-to-me authors so far this year (out of a target of 50).

Some of these are new because they’re debut authors. Some are new because they’re general market romance authors. Some are Christian fiction authors I’ve recently discovered, or only now gotten around to reading. Some are nonfiction authors, so I’ll ignore them for the purposes of this blog post!

I won’t embarrass anyone with the too-long list of new-to-me authors I’m not interested in reading more from. These include self-published authors with indifferent editing, established authors with meh plots or characters, and general market authors with an interesting hook, but which left me feeling the whole story would have been better if the hero and heroine had gotten themselves to a church and experienced a come-to-Jesus moment.

Here are five novels by new-to-me which impressed me (and links to my reviews, where I’ve reviewed them):

West of Famous by Joni M Fisher
The Hope of Azure Springs by Rachel Fordham
Lead Me Home by Amy K Sorrells
The Baggage Handler by David Rawlings
Love and Other Mistakes by Jessica Kate

What about you? What new-to-you authors have you read and loved in the last year?

What's the strangest destination you've ever travelled to in a book?

Bookish Question #123 | What’s the strangest destination you’ve ever travelled to in a book?

Armchair travel is one of the reasons I love reading.

My husband loves watching travel shows or actually traveling (well, I love actually traveling as well, but that costs a lot more money that armchair travel). In fact, we’re traveling this week, visiting the South Island.

And while I’ve travelled to some unusual and exotic foreign locations in my reading, most of them were just that: Exotic. Foreign. Foreign and exotic is different, but it’s not strange. And many of these foreign and exotic locations are places I’ve either visited (e.g. Israel) or would like to visit (e.g. Iceland).

Calling armchair travelers: What's the strangest destination you've ever travelled to in a book? Is that somewhere you'd like to visit in real life? #BookishQuestion #BookWorm Share on X

Then I remembered Betrayed by Jeanette Windle. Windle is a brilliant writer who loves writing about unusual and exotic settings such as South America or the Middle East. But Betrayed had the strangest setting:

A rubbish dump in Guatemala City.

Here’s the book description:

Fires smolder endlessly below the dangerous surface of Guatemala City’s municipal dump. Deadlier fires seethe beneath the tenuous calm of a nation recovering from brutal civil war. Anthropologist Vicki Andrews is researching Guatemala’s “garbage people” when she stumbles across a human body. Curiosity turns to horror as she uncovers no stranger, but an American environmentalist—Vicki’s only sister, Holly.

With authorities dismissing the death as another street crime, Vicki begins tracing Holly’s last steps, a pilgrimage leading from slum squalor to the breathtaking and endangered cloud forests of the Sierra de las Minas Biosphere. But every unraveled thread raises more questions. What betrayal connects Holly’s murder, the recent massacre of a Mayan village, and the long-ago deaths of Vicki’s own parents?
Nor is Vicki the only one demanding answers. Before her search reaches its startling end, the conflagration has spilled across international borders to threaten an American administration and the current war on terror. With no one turning out to be who they’d seemed, who can Vicki trust and who should she fear?

Yes, that’s definitely the strangest—and most foreign—location I can think of. And one I have no desire to visit in real life. I’ll stick with my armchair travel, thank you.

What about you? What’s the strangest destination you’ve ever travelled to in a book?