10 Things I Love About Paper Books

E-books are all very well (I love my kindle), but for those who think they are the SAME as paper books, here are 10 things, paper books give me, which e-books don't. 

1. I love to see the creases and crinkles that a book gets when it's been everywhere with me for days, and sometimes weeks.
2. I love to look at beautiful cover arts, feel its "skin", enjoy the artistry of it. 
3. I love it that I can find my most favourites books, just by the feel of them without having to look, because I know so well how they feel in my hands, and how their covers feel.
4. I love seeing piles and piles of books in my house. There are plenty of things that can be thrown out or shoved into boxes. Books deserve to be seen. Looking at my collection is like looking at art-work meant personally for me. 
5. I love it that my books grow old with me. Their pages yellow, sometimes dust gathers, they have their smell. Just like people.
6. I love it that they are all different - sizes, shapes, fonts, formats, colours. They are as varied as characters in them. Again, just like people.
7. I love it that all the hard work gone into writing, publishing, marketing these books results in a tangible product that I can hold in my hands.
8. I love it that books - like people - make a first impression. And I don't mind it when they prove me wrong for judging them by their cover. 
9. I love to see a nice, tidy pile of books in a series that look almost same, but slightly different. Just like the characters and stories who change, without losing their essence.
10. I love it that when I look at these piles and piles of books, instead of useless junk in my house, I feel good about what I've spent my money on, and the cosiness and comfortable feeling it brings to my home.

Books Read in June

June's been crazy in terms of reading where I have been reading A LOT of different books, hence finished less. I have been all over the place, between Kindle and Paperbooks, but enojying it. 

1. Tigana - Guy Gavriel Kay - 04/06/11
2. Notes on Writing Weird Fiction - H. P. Lovecraft - 08/06/11
3. The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss - 17/06/11
4. Next Logical Step - Ben Bova - 22/06/11
5. Zen in the Art of Writing - Ray Bradbury - 26/06/11
6. How to Write a Great Query Letter - Noah Lukeman - 30/06/11

New Series - WR Recommends

Hi Folks, 

You know I love doing series on this blog. This one is different - there will be no guest posts in this series - at least not in this original version. I might modify and invite people bit later on. 

Summer's here, and while many of us read pretty much the same all year around, a lot of people have more reading time in the summer, so it's a perfect time to do this. In this series, I will recommend up to 10 books in various genres. These are in my opinion "MUST READ" in these genres. 

These lists will be based on simple rules:

1. I have personally read these books
2. I put these books in "totally amazing" category. I had to narrow it down, because otherwise my recommendations would be endless. 

Disclaimer: I'm sure there will be books I will miss out (pretty hard to remember them all), but that happens. 

I would of course love it if you guys join in, in the comments, with the books you recommend, and if you have read any on my lists, and what do you think of them! 

Fantasy Reading Challenge

There are so many books I want to read that even a lifetime doesn't seem enough, so instead of following generic lists, for my favourite genre, I'm starting a challenge to read 103 fantasy books that I haven't read yet. There is no deadline for this, so if you like reading Fantasy, I invite you to join in. Read as many as you can - or even just a handful that appeal to you.

If you've read some of these, or are joining in the challenge, leave comments as you progress, and we can exchange thoughts. If you think others might enjoy this, please blog/twitter/facebook about it with the link. The more the merrier!! 


P.S. - I've included following books in the challenge simply because I already have these books. There are many more I want to read, but figured, let's focus on what I've already bought. 

103 FANTASY BOOKS TO READ 

1. Tigana - Guy Gavriel Kay
2. The Darkest Road - Guy Gavriel Kay
3. The Summer Tree - Guy Gavriel Kay
4. The Wandering Fire - Guy Gavriel Kay
5. Under Heaven - Guy Gavriel Kay
6. The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss
7. The Wise Man's Fear - Patrick Rothfuss
8. Dragonfilght - Anne McCaffrey
9. Dragonquest - Anne McCaffrey
10. The White Dragon - Anne McCaffrey
11. Mistborn: The Final Empire - Brandon Sanderson
12. Mistborn: The Well of Ascension - Brandon Sanderson
13. Mistborn: The Hero of Ages - Brandon Sanderson
14. Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians - Brandon Sanderson
15. The Way of Kings - Brandon Sanderson
16. Beyond the Shadows - Brent Weeks
17. Shadow's Edge - Brent Weeks
18. The Way of Shadows - Brent Weeks
19. The Black Prism - Brent Weeks
20. A Game of Thrones - George R. R. Martin
21. A Clash of Kings - George R. R. Martin
22. A Storm of Swords - George R. R. Martin
23. A Feast for Crows - George R. R. Martin
24. The Anubis Gates - Tim Powers
25. Gardens of the Moon - Steven Erikson
26. Deadhouse Gates - Steven Erikson
27. Memories of Ice - Steven Erikson
28. House of Chains - Steven Erikson
29. Midnight Tides - Steven Erikson
30. The Bonehunters - Steven Erikson
31. Reaper's Gale - Steven Erikson
32. Toll the Hounds - Steven Erikson
33. Dust of Dreams - Steven Erikson
34. The Crippled God - Steven Erikson
35. Ship of Magic - Robin Hobb
36. Mad Ship - Robin Hobb
37. Ship of Destiny - Robin Hobb
38. Fool's Errand - Robin Hobb
39. Golden Fool - Robin Hobb
40. Fool's Fate - Robin Hobb
41. The Warded Man - Peter V. Brett
42. The Desert Spear - Peter V. Brett
43. The First Betrayal - Patricia Bray
44. The Sea Change - Patricia Bray
45. The Final Sacrifice - Patricia Bray
46. Cygnet - Patricia A. McKillip
47. The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
48. American Gods - Neil Gaiman
49. Stardust - Neil Gaiman
50. Replay - Ken Grimwood
51. Blade of Fortriu - Juliet Marillier
52. The Dark Mirror - Juliet Marillier
53. The Well of Shades - Juliet Marillier
54. Best Served Cold - Joe Abercrombie
55. The Heroes - Joe Abercrombie
56. The Sentinel Mage - Emily Gee
57. The Jewel in the Skull - Michael Moorcock
58. The Mad God's Amuel - Michael Moorcock
59. The Sword of the Dawn - Michael Moorcock
60. The Runestaff - Michael Moorcock
61. Lover Eternal - J R Ward
62. Lover Awakened - J R Ward
63. Lover Revealed - J R Ward
64. Lover Unbound - J R Ward
65. Lover Enshrined - J R Ward
66. Lover Avenged - J R Ward
67. Lover Mine - J R Ward
68. Lover Unleashed - J R Ward
69. Moon Called - Patricia Briggs
70. Blood Bound - Patricia Briggs
71. Iron Kissed - Patricia Briggs
72. Bone Crossed - Patricia Briggs
73. Silver Borne - Patricia Briggs
74. River Marked - Patricia Briggs
75. White Night - Jim Butcher
76. Summer Knight - Jim Butcher
77. Side Jobs - Jim Butcher
78. Small Favor - Jim Butcher
79. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher
80. Grave Peril - Jim Butcher
81. Death Masks - Jim Butcher
82. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher
83. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher
84. Changes - Jim Butcher
85. Furies of Calderon - Jim Butcher
86. Academ's Fury - Jim Butcher
87. Cursor's Fury - Jim Butcher
88. Captain's Fury - Jim Butcher
89. Princep's Fury - Jim Butcher
90. First Lord's Fury - Jim Butcher
91. The Eye of the World - Robert Jordan
92. The Great Hunt - Robert Jordan
93. The Dragon Reborn - Robert Jordan
94. The Shadow Rising - Robert Jordan
95. The Fires of Heaven - Robert Jordan
96. Lord of Chaos - Robert Jordan
97. A Crown of Swords - Robert Jordan
98. The Path of Daggers - Robert Jordan
99. Winter's Heart - Robert Jordan
100. Crossroads of Twilight - Robert Jordan
101. Knife of Dreams - Robert Jordan
102. The Gathering Storm - Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson
103. Towers of Midnight - Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson

Books Read in May

This year is going pretty well in terms of reading. I've no doubt that I'm going to kick-ass of my 80 books target, since I've finished 49 books by end of May. But it's been fun, and since my reading list is endless....I still feel that I am not fast enough. But practice makes perfect :-)) 

1. Sixty-One Nails - Mike Shevdon - 01/05
   First book in the Courts of the Feyre series. I really enjoyed it. C. E. Murphy blurbed it as a Neverwhere for grown-ups, and I agree. It's different from a lot of my usual fantasy because the hero is a middle-aged, divorced, single parent - hence, your everyday man - who rises to his newly discovered Feyre heritage.
   
2. Artemis Fowl and the Atlantis Complex - Eoin Colfer - 07/05
   The latest in Artemis Fowl series - and again, loved it. Artemis Fowl is my favourite young hero (yes, even more than Harry Potter - because while I love Harry Potter series more, I would much rather prefer Artemis' company than Harry's).
   
3. Dead in the Family - Charlaine Harris - 08/05
   The latest in Sookie Stackhouse. Another series I enjoy. But "Dead to the World" still remains my favourite book in the series so far.
   
4. Wicked Appetite - Janet Evanovich - 10/05
   I have enjoyed Stephanie Plum series by Evanovich, so I thought I would try something else by her. This is slightly fantasyish - in that it has magic, but not too much. I liked reading it, but didn't find it as laugh-out-loud funny as Stephanie Plum. So in terms of review, I would read more in this series, but not necessarily run out to buy when it comes out.
   
5. Matilda - Roald Dahl - 12/05
   I admit to a great shame here - until now I've never read any Roald Dahl. But then blame that to my foreign upbringing. There weren't Roald Dahl books around where I was growing up. So Matilda has been on my reading list, ever since I saw the movie Matilda (which I love). And I really enjoyed this book. Dahl's writing is FANTASTIC. I loved it so much, I had to read another book by him.
   
6. The Twits - Roald Dahl - 15/05
   Love the insults in this book. Hilarious. Though didn't like the story so much - certainly not as much as Matilda.
   
7. Dark Lover - J. R. Ward - 20/05
   Since a lot of people rave about Black Dagger Brotherhood books, I thought I would give this a go. So a mixed review about this - I liked the story, and I liked the characters - but not the writing. Especially not the dialogue. It was just too...well...wrong. Every guy speaks the same - and it doesn't match their history. But characters are compelling enough that I will read more books in this series, and hope that it improves over time, as it happens a lot since all new authors have stuff to learn after their first book.
   
8. First Five Pages - Noah Lukeman - 21/05
   Interesting book about first five pages, and the kind of things that might make an agent or an editor stop reading your book.
   
9. The Road to Bedlam - Mike Shevdon - 28/05
   May for me, began and ended with Mike Shevdon. This is the second book in Courts of the Feyre series, and again very good. Especially last third of this book was very good, in terms of plotting and pacing, and I kept turning the pages to find out what would happen next. 

Books Read in April

April's been a good month for reading. This small holiday thrown in has certainly helped.


1. Turn Coat - Jim Butcher - 01/04

Another episode in Harry Dresden's life. I enjoyed this much more than earlier novels.

2. Globejotting: How to Write Extraordinary Travel Journals - Dave Fox - 05/04

I discovered this book from one of the comments left on my journaling blog. While I didn't learn anything I wasn't already doing, it is still handy to have a list of ideas and techniques in a handy book format. So certainly enjoyed this book, and would use it as a reference.

3. The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde - 08/04

This was one of those classics I had always meant to read. I am so glad I finally got to it. I now understand why Oscar Wilde's quotes are always so popular. This bloke knew how to write sarcasm, while portraying reality of a whole spectrum of human behaviour. This is now one of my favourite classic.

4. Live and Let Die - Ian Fleming - 16/04Really liked this one. I read first James Bond book a while ago, and didn't enjoy it very much. This was real fun.

5. The Forgotten Beasts of Eld - Patricia A. McKillip - 19/04

I really admire it when writers manage to pull of a fantasy story that is rich in detail, a complete story, and full of characters one cares about in a single book. For a book that is not even 500 pages long, this is an accomplishment indeed. But then McKillip is not any writer. She is a master, and it shows in every word. Because there is nothing wasted in this book.

6. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley - 24/04

Another book I had always meant to read. What finally pushed me was reading Isherwood Diaries, where Chris Isherwood mentions that Aldous Huxley was writing a new book he was calling Brave New World. It's an interesting book. One of those that you could spend ages thinking about. Implications of what the world and the humanity could be like. As a story alone, it is also enjoyable. I will admit, after I read it, I haven't had much time to reflect on it. But this would be something to re-read.

7. 84 Charing Cross Road - Helene Hanff - 24/04

Friendship that started and was sustained because of books. Friendship between people from two countries before the Internet. People who never met. It's a touching, fantastic book.

8. The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street - Helene Hanff - 26/04

This is a follow up to 84 Charing Corss Road, when Helene Hanff finally gets to visit England. A country she has always dreamt of visiting.

9. Twilight's Dawn - Anne Bishop - 29/04

Anne Bishop's Black Jewels Trilogy is one of my favourite stories of all time. There have been several books after that, and each time I have enjoyed discovering something more about characters I love. In this book, it's 4 short stories which essentially conclude the series. As always, wonderful, emotional, heart-warming. The kind of stories that after I read them, I need a little time to recover before going to read something else. 

Books Read in March

This month I am reading about 6 books at the same time, including one which is over 1000 pages long, so that explains why I haven't finished any more books since the 21st. Just a quick list this time. Too tired to go into detail about the books. But they were all fabulous, and I enjoyed them all.

1. Lark Rise - Flora Thompson - 01/03
2. Over to Candleford - Flora Thompson - 04/03
3. Candleford Green - Flora Thompson - 09/03
4. Strengths Finder 2.0 - Tom Rath - 12/03
5. Discovering Your Personality Type - Don Ruso&Russ Hudson - 17/03
6. Promises in Death - J. D. Robb - 19/03
7. Prince of Chaos - Roger Zelazny - 21/03

Book Meme

I got this meme from Nofretiri, and since it's all about books, I simply could not resist. Feel free to take it for your all blog. 

1. Hardback, trade paperback or mass market paperback?

I have no problems with any of the format, but overall, I think trade paperback. It has the quality of a hard-back, but is still lighter and easier to handle. Mind you, I think nothing of carrying around a 1000 page book with me on daily commute, so I am really not fussed much even if it is hardback. Like them all. 

2. Barnes & Noble or Borders?

Overall - definitely Barns and Noble. But in UK, there is no Barns and Noble, so between UK shops of Waterstones and W.H. Smith against Borders - Borders was definitely better (I am also biased because Borders has Starbucks, whereas Waterstones and W.H. Smith have Costa Coffee). But now Borders have closed / are closing, so left with Waterstones. 

3. Bookmarks or dog-ear?

Dog-ears? You should be punished for crime against books. Besides, what am I going to do with my huge collection of bookmarks if I dog-ear my books?

4. Amazon or brick-and-mortar?

Both. And Book Depository which I now use more than Amazon

5. Alphabetize by author, by title or randomize?

If/When I have the library room I dream of, with floor to ceiling shelves, it will be perfectly organised, by genre, and within each genre, alphabetized by author, and within each author in the order of the series where applicable, or if not series, then alphabetized by their book titles or chronological by published date. (but I haven't really thought about this much yet).

In current situation, I have a system...but only I understand it, so can't possibly explain it. 

6. Keep, throw away or sell?

Keep. Keep. Keep. 

7. Keep dust jacket or remove it?

If the book came with it, keep it. 

8. Short story or novel?

Novel

9. Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?

I have no idea what Lemony Snicket is, so Harry Potter

10. Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?

Stop reading when I absolutely have to walk inside the day-job, or when I absolutely have to stop due to reasons like must go to bed (which actually happens long after I should already have been in bed)

11. "It was a dark and stormy night" or "Once upon a time"?

Both

12. Buy or borrow?

Buy. I do not lend, and therefore I do not borrow. Except from Library, because I have to do my bit to support the libraries. 

13. Buying choice: book reviews, recommendations or browse?

Browsing comes on top. Book reviews and recommendations - I would consider them, but final decision is based on my opinion / feeling alone. 

14. Tidy ending or cliffhanger?

Tidy endings. Even if it's a series, there is no excuse not to have at least reasonably tidy ending for that particular book. When I read a book, I want to feel by the end that I have made a journey. I do not want to feel that the damn bus broke down and I am in the middle of nowhere. 

15. Morning, afternoon or nighttime reading?

All time reading

16. Stand alone or series?

Both. It's the stories that matter. 

17. Favorite series?

Blood Jewels Trilogy - Anne Bishop

Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling

In Death - J. D. Robb

His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman

Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer 

Kushiel's Trilogy - Jacqueline Carey

I am sure there are plenty of others that I cannot remember at the moment. 

18. Favorite children’s book?

Harry Potter series

19. Favorite YA book?

Artemis Fowl

20. Favorite book of which no one else has heard of?

Proust was a Neuroscientist - Jonah Lehrer (non-fiction)

21. Favorite books read last year?

See Writer Revealed Book Awards 2010

22. Favorite books of all time?

Too many to count.

23. What are you reading right now?

Christopher Isherwood Diaries Volume 1

24. What are you reading next?

Not sure. Too many options at the moment. 

25. Favorite book to recommend to an 11-year-old?

Harry Potter series. Artemis Fowl series. 

26. Favorite book to re-read?

Jane Austen books, particular Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice. Harry Potter series. Blood Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop. Virginia Woolf's writer's diary. Anne Frank's diary. The Book Thief. In Death series by J. D. Robb.... I could go on and on and on

27. Do you ever smell books?

Absolutely!! Especially if a huge box of books arrives. 

28. Do you ever read primary source documents, like letters or diaries?

Yes. I love them, especially diaries. Currently reading Christopher Isherwood Diaries Volume 1. It's over 1000 pages long, and I am so fascinated. Another book I have got going on the side is 800 years of Women's Letters - collection of letters from women throughout time from all different backgrounds on different topics. Anne Frank's diary is a must of course.