Monday, September 9, 2013

Gotta Keep On Movin'

So, the move is off.

My husband changed his mind. Did a complete °180. I’m officially past the point of wanting to strangle him in his sleep, but it’s been a rough couple of weeks, to say the least. Isn’t marriage fun?:)

Anyway, on the bright side (as small and sliver-like as it feels right now)- Now that I don’t have a major move to focus on, and the girls are all back in school I’ve finally got this rare and priceless little thing we call downtime.

Now, if I were a liar, I’d say I can’t wait to get writing.

But the truth is, just the thought of writing and querying again reminds me of what a big fat failure I’ve been up until now.

No. In order to coax my muse out of her cave of misery and get out of my own sad-sack skin for a while, I think the smartest thing to do right now would be to read.

The problem is, being connected to the writing and publishing community can sometimes have its drawbacks.  Like, at the moment, I feel completely inundated when it comes to choosing which books to buy and read. There are just TOO MANY out there. Everywhere I look. Facebook newsfeed, flashing in my sidebars, all over the twitter feed, and don’t even get me started on trying to research books on Amazon or Goodreads. - It’s like those five-minute commercial breaks on t.v. where all they show is food from different restaurants. Sometimes, everything looks good. And other times nothing does. Getting hit with the perfect image at the perfect time and actually going to that restaurant for a fried bean burrito only happens occasionally.

Buying a book is kind of like ordering out at a restaurant for me. Except worse. Because I can’t just go to Amazon and say ‘I’d like something fantastic, addictive and uplifting. You know, the book equivalent of popcorn-covered chocolate cream puffs. Hit me.’

*sigh*


How do you guys go about choosing which books to read? And any recommendations for me? This girl needs an escape big time.

26 comments:

Louise said...

Oh man, sorry to hear about all the frustrations! But hey, at least you don't have to pack up your entire house, right?

The library is my best bet for finding new books. Either talking to librarians, or just browsing the shelves. That way I get to dip into books I might not otherwise try, without spending money on them.

Also, personal recommendations from friends who know me well. Those hardly ever fail!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Glad you don't have to deal with a move. (And I'm sure your husband is happy you didn't strangle him.)
I post about several books in every post, so feel free to browse. Not sure how I pick what to read next. I just thumb through the hundreds on my iPad and pick one.

Meredith said...

Yay for looking on the bright side and not trying to do a major move! And I agree about there being so many amazing books and recommendations out there. To add to all the chaos, one that I read and loved recently was Zoe Letting Go by Nora Price, though it's not the happiest of books. Happy reading!

Libby said...

I love the name of your blog. :) And yes, there are way too many books to choose from. I am overwhelmed and my bookshelves are groaning from the weight of unread books. Also, the big fat failure feeling is definitely a well known one.

Old Kitty said...

Awww read a lovely uplifting story involving animals! :-) Or just look through pics of gorgeous cookery books!! Or just go through magazines! Works for me all the time! I like the idea from Louise of browsing in a library too!

Sorry about your moving adventures but at least now you know what's happening with all that!

Take care
x

Neurotic Workaholic said...

Well, when I go to a restaurant, I usually pick my favorite ones; then I always end up ordering the same foods. As far as books go, it is tough to decide. One thing that helps me when I'm browsing on Amazon is to read the reviews; the consumers are typically very candid. If they're all saying similar things about a book, then that definitely helps me make my decision.
And you're not a failure at all! The fact that you've kept writing and querying shows that you've already accomplished a lot more than people who give up before they even finish one manuscript.

A Literary Anthology said...

For me... I usually pick books related to one or more projects I have underway, or planned for the future - sort of keeps my multi-level motivation going.
To relax (ha, ha) I watch multiple episodes of my favorite crime dramas, but that is still to keep my motivation up.
To really relax, humorous books, movies, TV shows and be nice for a change as well as YouTube music videos.
At least you don't have all of that packing for a move to do!

Patti said...

I do find picking a book lately is becoming hard. I do look at reviews and then pick the one that interests me.

Matthew MacNish said...

I find that knowing a lot of writers and publishing people has made my book selections even better. Here are some I've enjoyed lately:

- Under the Empyrean Sky
- Scowler
- Reality Boy
- Winger
- Where Things Come Back
- fml
- This is Not a Test
- Guy Langman: Crime Scene Procrastinator

D.G. Hudson said...

Depends on what you like to read, but I'd suggest: 'Tender is the Night' or 'The Last Tycoon' (I reviewed three of Fitzgerald's books) at my blog. (2013 Book Reviews)

Newer stuff: Roland Yoeman's stories will definitely take you away and they include romances of the undead. Or read The Book by Jessica Bell if you haven't already, about a child's view of a journal.

Anyway - you'll get lots of ideas. Reading is how I got back into writing. Nice to see you here!

Melody said...

Ugh, nothing like changed plans/expectations! :/ But escaping into a book is a great answer. I'm a library addict myself, just walk through and touch all the spines and dabble in the early pages. Or maybe go to amazon kindle free and download a bunch and find a gem. I'm trying to think of a book I've read recently that was particularly escapist; probably the Ranger's Apprentice series. It's younger YA, but the books are great reads--it's fantasy that doesn't take itself too

Melody said...

...too seriously. It has some laugh out loud moments too, as the characters gain chemistry. Worth picking up if you like MG/YA. :)

D.G. Hudson said...

Correction of name: Roland Yeomans. Sheesh. Must have been going with the phonetic.

prerna pickett said...

marriage is full of those "fun" moments. glad you have one less thing to stress about. And reading is an excellent way to get out of that funk. Hope inspiration finds you soon.

Hart Johnson said...

Yay for not moving though, right? And you are NOT a loser for not selling yet--you've had some close ones and you'll get there! Maybe postpone the querying but do some writing... (and read my latest book *ducks*)

Tony Van Helsing said...

I'm with Louise and go to the library.

Natalie Aguirre said...

Glad you're not moving and have some downtime. My reading is driven by my blog and I really enjoy all the books I read. I love the YA books by Leigh Bardugo, Sarah Maas, Veronica Rossi, Scorched by Mari Mancusi, etc. I think the library suggestion is a good one if you can find good books in English (unless you can read them in French). If you tell us your reading tastes, we might be able to suggest more books.

Jay Noel said...

Maybe it's for the best that the big move isn't going to happen. I've moved three times in the last three years, so I feel your pain.

I got overwhelmed with all the books out there too, so I just ignored it all and went to a bookstore and found a couple books that I thought I'd like.

The old fashioned way, they call it.

Roland D. Yeomans said...

I hate moving. I moved to a new apartment last year, and I still have a spare room filled with boxes!

See if any of your favorite writers have a new book out that you don't know about. Perhaps go back to an old favorite. How about an audiobook? Listen to an audiobook of a book you loved reading. Listening to an old friend can bring it to life in a new way for you.

Killing the hubby is frowned upon by most civilized lands (usually governed by men -- go figure!)

Connie Keller said...

I'm glad you don't have to do any packing, but I hope things settle back into normal soon.

As for me, when I feel overwhelmed by the huge amount of book choices and don't know what I want, I usually choose a classic by an author I like. For some reason, the classics really soothe my writer's soul.

Dianne K. Salerni said...

Oh, RATS about the move. I know you said (when we chatted in Paris!!!) that he was having second thoughts. Perhaps something else will come up that makes both of you comfortable.

As for book choices, I download a lot free samples on my Kindle and order the ones I want to keep reading. Some end up disappointing (The Silent Wife ... sorry I spent the money). Others are awesome.

I've read quite a variety this summer: alien invasion, zombie invasion, Norman invasion ... wait! There's a theme developing! Also contemporary mystery, MG fantasy, devastatingly sad YA historical/paranormal, and right now I'm reading a contemporary MG that has me tearing up every other chapter. I am SO reading this to my class this year, even if I cry in front of them. WONDER by RJ Palacio.

Nicole Zoltack said...

Moving is never easy! And sometimes our men do everything but ask for us to strangle them.

You could always read a story by little ole me. ;)

Unknown said...

Surely not moving is a good thing. Moving sucks big time. If you're a failure, you're in a REALLY BIG club. Honestly, the people who make it aren't better than you, just luckier. (And as an agented and contracted writer, I should know.) Do whatever it takes you to feel inspired. I won't recommend anything since I only read horror. Good luck! :-)

Misha Gerrick said...

You might not believe me, but I go about it as follows.

I maintain my TBR list on Goodreads so it counts how many books I still want to read.

When I don't know what I feel like, I go t random.org and buy the number on my list that corresponds to the result.

Weird, but it's often the only thing I need to do to get out of a reading funk.

As for being a failure, you're not for as long as you don't give up. You'll only need to find someone who understands your vision. :-)

Sage Ravenwood said...

I usually pick between genre and mood. As for choices, I made it easy on myself. If a book looked interesting but I was already deep into a few, I put it on my wishlist. I use B&N, but I do believe Amazon offers the same option if you have an account. Helps in times like this. I don't have to search far for something.

Sorry about the move. Perhaps it was for the best, the world rights itself when it needs to. (Hugs)Indigo

S.A. Larsenッ said...

Okay, so you're not moving again now? (Hands you the rope to strangle husband.)

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