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Let’s start with the big, epic brouhaha of the Allegiant release. I read it – I didn’t love it and it has nothing to do with the thing everyone is so upset about (that I will not spoil here) I just think it wasn’t a great book. If you want to read my review I have it up on Goodreads. It’s spoiler free but I have a warning up anyway because the review does discuss things overall – although not specific events. I also have a little commentary in there concerning how I’m “supposed” to feel about a book and author threats if things don’t go your way as a reader. This book really brought out a lot of emotion (& spoilers) and I wonder if social media is ruining the reading experience for people. Sometimes the whole thing makes me sad and makes me want to retreat away from the blogosphere and negativity.
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I just finished Trust in Me (Wait for You #1.5) by J. Lynn (Jennifer Armentrout). This novella is Wait for You told from Cam’s POV. I’m not usually a fan of the same story told again through another POV but Cam was one of those rare bad boys that was really, really nice so I was interested in reading more about this egg scrambling, cookie baking hottie. It was meh. I still love Cam but I realized that he was pretty much an open book to Avery in Wait for You, so there wasn’t much to learn about him. Still worth reading if you loved the first and Cam though.
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Question. Why do authors use a pen name (like J. Lynn) and then plaster their real name (Jennifer Armentrout) in HUGE letters across the cover anyway? A lot of big authors do this. I understand the different names for different genres to avoid confusion (A YA author now writing erotica for example) but shouldn’t the pen name be bigger? I don’t know…not a big deal in the scheme of things but it annoys me lol
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I caved and bought the epic lizardman love story, The Last Hour of Gann by R. Lee Smith that everyone is raving about on Twitter. It sounds insane but bloggers AND authors I respect loved it. It was Smexy Books review that sold me. Not even sure I’ll ever read it but I’m weak and bought it anyway.
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Speaking of lizard love….The Colbert Report had a hilarious segment about the new Amazon plan to sell fan fiction including dinosaur erotica (start watching around the 4:30 mark)
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My new reading snack food obsession – Snapea Crisps by Harvest Snaps. I love fried food and they taste fried so I guess that’s why I love them because otherwise there isn’t a strong flavor. I guess they’re healthier than the potato chips I’ve been craving so…
What’s going on in your book-ish world this week?
I'm so with you: why even bother having a pen name if you're going to reduce it to a nearly-unreadable font size so your "real" name can be HUGE on your pen-name-written book?!? So annoying. I suppose it's to show that this is a different genre but, really, it's not so different from what she wrote before so drop the J. Lynn and move on. IMO, anyway.
ReplyDeleteI had to avoid social media until I made my way through Allegiant. Spoilers suck.
I get the thought process behind it but not when you have your real name plastered on the book bigger than the pen name. That's more confusing.
DeleteI managed to avoid all spoilers without even trying lol I don't know why people do that to other readers though. Why ruin it for everyone else??
I LOOOOOOVE pea crisps. The ones at Trader Joe's are AMAZING. They have to be healthier right? They're green. ;)
ReplyDeleteI have them every single day lol
DeleteI agree - they are a vegetable!
Have you had the Unexpected Cheddar cheese from Trader Joe's? I LOVE that stuff!
I'm waiting until the hype dies down before I get into Allegiant. I feel like it's all I'm hearing about now. I am excited to find out how it ends, though! And those Snapea Crisps look yummy!!
ReplyDeleteI usually do that too but there were so many spoilers I decided to get it over with.
DeleteThe usage of pet names also annoys me - I wish I'd added it to my list of bookish peeves. It also annoys me when 'someone' lets it 'slip' that such and such an author is in fact better known as ...... Call me cynical but I can't help wonder just who it was that let it slip - the author themselves? Their publicity team? As I said call me cynical.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I guess they want to use different names for different genres but still capitalize on their popularity?? I don't know.
Deleteit just really annoys me when the known name is WAY bigger than the pen name the book is listed under.
First things first: Snappeas are really good! My family thinks I'm crazy, but I love them.
ReplyDeleteI don't really care about Allegiant one way or the other, but authors are entitled to write the books the want, readers are entitled to like them, or not.
I cannot read the lizard book. I have had a phobia of lizard "people" since watching the movie V, when I was a kid. No way.
I don't read alternate pov books either, but really liked Cam, so I will read it. Good to know that I won't be getting anything new.
The pen name thing confuses me too.
I'm not sure I'll ever read the lizardman book either. I just don't know if that will ever feel right lol
DeleteCam is still great in this book - it felt like more of a set up for the next book which looks to be interesting :-)
Glad to hear that it was nice to be in Cam's head
ReplyDeleteHe's so cocky but so sweet. I think it was your review that got me to read the first book.
DeleteI want to and do not want to read Gann
ReplyDeleteYeah - me too. Everyone insists it's great but I dunno lol
DeleteIs the whole Allegiant thing what everyone was complaining about on GoodReads? I didn't see it because I'm behind on that series. I still need to read #2. That... and I tend to ignore gossip. I'm boring like that. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the pen name. I mean why do the pen name at all? LOL
Oh and now you have me curious about Gann. Hm...
Oh and Colbert Report... I saw that one. Too funny. :D
A lot of people are mad about certain things and then authors came out and said we were reading the book wrong. Typical twitter drama llama lol
DeleteI know a few authors had pen names for different genres before becoming popular (JR Ward/Jessica Bird for her HR) but why come right out of the gate using both?? It's so weird lol
Hahahahaha! Omg, you are so right about the pen name, I haven't noticed until now. How different the size of the font is LOLL can't stop laughing because it's so ridiculous. "Make no mistake, I am THIS person, using -this- pen name" Pfft.
ReplyDeleteI know it's I AM JENNIFER ARMENTROUT ...teeny tiny....writing as J. Lynn
DeleteI don't mean to single her out because a lot of authors do it but that was one of the funnier examples.
Yes! It's not just about the "thing". The overall book was boring. The first two books promised so much but really this was just another dystopian with a fairly predictable plot. Boo
ReplyDelete