Today’s Book Blogger Hop question is: What authors have you met in-person?

Very few, I’m afraid!  In college Tomie de Paola was doing a presentation and signing, and I got his signature on a copy of The Art Lesson, my favorite of his books.  A few years ago Gretchen Rubin came to town on tour for her book Better Than Before.  I went with my mom and we both got signatures in our books, and a photo with her.  I told her I frequently quote her to myself. J

I also have many author friends, happily: A. G. Stewart, K.D. Blakely, R.A. Gates, and Kelly Haworth, among others.  And that’s even better, because you can discuss stories and swap advice!

I’ve written before about the authors I’d love to meet—though some, alas, would require a TARDIS!

Today’s Book Blogger Hop question is: Do you prefer to blog about (a) specific book genre(s), or do you have an eclectic blog?

 

The funny thing is, I began this blog, seven (!) years ago with some intention of being genre-focused.  My genre was young adult fantasy, although I never intended to be solely that.  I was also writing young adult fantasy at the time, with my Beyond the Tales series.

Well, life, reading and writing have all evolved.  I still read a fair amount of young adult, or fantasy, or both–but I’ve shifted to read more in other genres, and I seem to do more reviewing lately of nonfiction or Newbery Medal winners (kids lit, by definition).  I’m also writing historical fiction now, working on revisions of my Phantom of the Opera reimagining.

At this point, I don’t think the blog is focused on any particular genre, and really my reading isn’t either.  Fortunately, readers seem to have stayed through the evolution, and I appreciate that!

Bloggers, do you have a genre-focus for your blog?  And readers, do you typically prefer blogs that focus on a specific genre?

Today’s Book Blogger Hop question is: Do you ever go back to older posts and change things?

Basically, no.  I only rarely look back at older posts, and when I do it’s to read, not revise.  If I notice a clear typo, I might correct that (if it’s a moment when I have time and easy means to do so!) but that’s really just changing it to what my original intent was.  I don’t change actual content.

I sometimes read a post and think I’d write it differently now…but while this is a chronicle of reading, within that category it is a bit journal-like, and I’m nearly compulsive about not changing journals at a later time (because then it’s not an accurate record of its original time!)

Once in a while I’ll do a Classic Post, putting an old review up again, but I don’t generally change things even then.  I think I’ve occasionally taken something out, if  a paragraph was really only relevant at the time (maybe it was more about blog business than the actual book, for example).  I add things, but only as an introduction before the post proper.  So what I have written, I have written!

Do you make revisions on old posts?  Or are they a kind of historical record that you leave intact?

Today’s Book Blogger Hop question is: When reading a mass paperback book, many people fold the cover back, as if they were reading a magazine. Doing this will eventually create creases in the spine. How do you feel about this common bookish habit?

I may have actually shuddered when I read this.  I just…the poor cover!!  I’m trying not to judge anyone who does this, truly…but I’m not sure I’ve ever done this.  I’m not actually worried about creases in the spine.  I’d be more worried about bending the book out of shape and damaging the cover–either by bending it so it won’t lie flat, or actually ripping the cover off because of the wear.

Although.  The emphasis on “mass market paperback” seems to suggest these are very cheap books, and perhaps the people reading them in this way view them as a disposable, one-use-only commodity.  There we differ, because I don’t really view any book that way.  Most books I read are from the library, so they’re not even mine and, by definition, are expected to hold up for many reads.  And I only buy my books if I plan to keep them for rereading.

Some of my books have cracked spines (notably, Maskerade by Terry Pratchett, which I swear cracked on my favorite page, one of OG’s maniacal notes) and I love them anyway and so far they’ve all held up reasonably well.  But I try to treat my books with care.

Should I even ask if anyone out there folds their covers back…? 😉

Today’s Book Blogger Hop question is: What upcoming titles are looking forward to reading in 2018?

Well, I wrote about this in my end of the year review, and I’m excited about a lot of books coming out from my writer friends.  And just the other day, I heard about another very exciting book coming out…Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce, the long (looooong) awaited first book of the Numair Chronicles, which has been delayed so many times I gave up hoping about it!

Seriously, this has been pushed back year by year since 2013.  But Goodreads has a very near date, and I hear substantiated rumors that review copies are being sent out.  We finally, finally, finally get another Tortall story!  Super exciting book to look forward to–and I am #6 in line on the library’s hold list. 😀