Let's Talk About... Choosing Your Next Book

I know, I know, this seems like a weird thing to "discuss", but as I'm sitting here, trying to figure what to post about for Friday (today!), I can't help but let my mind wander to what I'm going to read next. (Hint: I'm writing this Thursday night, so greetings from the past!) I finished The 5th Wave Wednesday night, and it was excellent. But now I still haven't picked my next book to read.

It's not like I don't have two hundred books all of kinds sitting around, waiting to be read. Some of them are review books, some aren't.

Oddly enough, picking my next book is quite a challenge for me. I don't read on a schedule, like a lot of bloggers do. I know that if I force myself to read things--aside from what I have to read for school--I will read so slowly that I'll get desperately behind, or my mood will affect my enjoyment of a book. (This happened with The Iron Prince most recently.) So without a schedule, I pick my next read when it becomes necessary.

The problem is, I don't know what to read! I'm a mood reader (Just like I'm a mood eater, but that's different...) A lot of times I'm in the mood for a specific type of book, and if I don't have any of that kind, I'll go out and find one. But other times I'm not in the mood for anything specific, so nothing jumps out at me as something I must read. Everything sounds okay, but nothing sounds like it's going to knock my socks off.

When I get like this, I pick up between three and six different books (on average), read a page or two, and put them down again. Eventually, something catches my fancy and I go on, but the couple of days that I don't have a book to be immersed in are the worst.

Anyways, this doesn't feel much like a discussion, does it? More like a mope. Oh well! I want to know how you pick your next book! Do you read on a schedule? Or do you just pick up what sounds interesting? Also, is there anything that's mind-blowingly awesome that I should be reading? :)

Life as an Editorial Intern: Week 1

So, you may know that I'm currently interning with a small publishing company outside of New Orleans, called Pelican Publishing Company. I haven't broadcasted it everywhere, but I've made it known. I've been thinking about blogging about my time with Pelican and just today decided to do so--it may be obvious because it's Wednesay and I started last Monday. (Sometimes I'm indecisive. Plus, the head of the promotion department said I could. :) Thanks Antoinette!) Pelican is a medium-sized independent publisher. They publish books of interest to the area--Southern history, lore, food, etc.--general history, and children's

books.

This was the perfect first internship for me! I live just over an hour away from New Orleans and am staying with a family friend during the week, commuting home for the weekends. In an editorial internship, I'm doing exactly what I want to do and enjoying the heck out of it. One of the advantages of working with a smaller company is that I'm given the opportunity to do a lot more than I could with a large company. There are only two editorial interns, and the other girl doesn't start until near the end of June. I get one-on-one time with the editor-in-chief and the other two editors. The first day they let me start proofreading a book going to print in a couple of weeks.

What have I been doing for the past week? I'll tell you! :)

Monday the 13th was my first day. I was nervous and excited, and had no idea what to expect. The other two interns and I had an opportunity to look over Pelican's releases from the past year, then I sat down to return rejected manuscripts. I was a little bit too excited to do this. Maybe I'm cruel? This gave me the opportunity to see just why Pelican turns down the titles, though, and that was valuable information. Why? Because the next thing I did was go through the editor's mail, which is the submissions that come in each day, before she does! That way, I knew what to look for in the manuscripts. So cool.

I spent much of the rest of the week editing the second half of a book. And I mean really editing. I also practice edited a children's book, read the original of a book being reprinted to check for mistakes, and did several manuscript evaluations.

So far I'm having a ball at my internship. Sometimes I get tired of starting at the computer screen or reading the same chapter on squash three times in a row, but I know this is a big step in getting to my ultimate goal. Everyone at Pelican is as nice as they could be and always happy to help.

Teaser Tuesday: The Girl With the Iron Touch {23}

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Title: The Girl With the Iron Touch (Steampunk Chronicles #3) 
Author: Kady Cross
Release date: May 28, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 384

In 1897 London, something not quite human is about to awaken.

When mechanical genius Emily is kidnapped by rogue automatons, Finley Jayne and her fellow misfits fear the worst. What's left of their archenemy, The Machinist, hungers to be resurrected, and Emily must transplant his consciousness into one of his automatons—or forfeit her friends' lives.

With Griffin being mysteriously tormented by the Aether, the young duke's sanity is close to the breaking point. Seeking help, Finley turns to Jack Dandy, but trusting the master criminal is as dangerous as controlling her dark side. When Jack kisses her, Finley must finally confront her true feelings for him...and for Griffin.

Meanwhile, Sam is searching everywhere for Emily, from Whitechapel's desolate alleyways to Mayfair's elegant mansions. He would walk into hell for her, but the choice she must make will test them more than they could imagine.

To save those she cares about, Emily must confront The Machinist's ultimate creation—an automaton more human than machine. And if she's to have any chance at triumphing, she must summon a strength even she doesn't know she has...

My teaser, from 52% in the egalley:

And then tossing frustration and vexation to the wind, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. That was the end of any and all conversation.

I RESISTED LOOKING AT WHO SHE IS KISSING. EEEEEEE. I'm so sad to see the end of this series, since it was one of the first I began as a blogger. It's hard to believe I've been blogging long enough to see entire series through. Whew! If you leave me a link to your post I am definitely going to be visiting back, it just won't be until late in the day today since I'll be at work till 5. Have a lovely Tuesday!

Siege and Storm (The Grisha #2) by Leigh Bardugo

Release date: June 4, 2013
Author info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Pages: 448
Format: Egalley
Source: Publisher provided through Netgalley
Buy the book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository

Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land, all while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. But she can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her–or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

Siege and Storm is one of those books that I don't feel like my words can do justice to. It's one of those books that just entraps you in its pages and spits you out at the end, leaving you a wreck begging for more but also unsure if you could take any more. The people and the world inside feel so real that you can't help but need to hug them and reassure them that everything will somehow turn out okay. But then you remember that they're not real, at least not outside of your head, and you're almost beside yourself with grief. Siege and Storm is a book best rated by emotions, because your rational mind has gone out the window.

There is no strongest aspect of Siege and Storm. The setting, the characters, the plot, and the world-building all work together to create a reading experience. There's no need to pick this book apart; you won't want to.

Even so, Alina's journey is one of the most fascinating I've read. In Shadow and Bone she learned of her physical powers; she honed extraordinary skills and became a Grisha. But in this sequel, Alina is pushed far beyond any bounds she could have imagined. Not only does she have to withstand mental and physical challenges like she's never endured, but she has to take on unprecedented responsibilities--with the lives of many others on her hands. Everything she thought was secure is falling away and she is helpless to stop it--maybe she doesn't want to. There is darkness inside, and she may just have to embrace it to win the war.

Siege and Storm tackles war in such a way that is heartbreaking yet utterly real. It hurts to see people so beat down that they'll believe in anyone who offers a way out. It's difficult to read of men and women who walk to their deaths with their heads held high, all for love of country. War tears countries apart and replaces innocence with hardness.

Siege and Storm is possibly better than Shadow and Bone. Actually, I can almost certainly say it is. Even as Alina has only just found her place, she must fight to preserve that place's dignity--even if it means sacrificing herself in the process. This is a sequel (and a series) you absolutely do not want to miss.

Special note: As I wrote this review, I listened to "Winter Prayer", a song that Leigh wrote, inspired by Shadow and Bone. Find it here.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Stacking the Shelves {16}

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where we get to share the books we've bought, been gifted, or received for review!

How was everybody's week? I had a good one! :)

For review:

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, to be published September 10, 2013 by St. Martin's Griffin (Netgalley)
Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts, to be published September 17, 2013 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (Netgalley)
Dance of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin, to be published June 11, 2013 by Greenwillow (Edelweiss)

Purchased:

The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines

A recap of the week here on Paper Cuts:
Monday - I reviewed Cascade (River of Time #2) by Lisa T. Bergren.
Tuesday - I teased from What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang.
Wednesday - I discussed "girl books" versus "boy books".
Friday - I reviewed What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang.

Books I read this week:
What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

I'm currently reading:
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

So that's been my week! The first week of my internship is done, and I'm really enjoying it so far! They're letting me do a lot of hand-on work, including critiquing manuscripts and actual editing. I like it! :) BUT, I work ALL DAY and have so little time to read or blog, so that's no fun.  I'm managing to get posts up, but I  don't know if I'll always be able to. We'll just see! Anyways, I'd love to see what y'all got, so leave me links! I'll be visiting about in just a little while. :) Have a lovely Sunday and a fabulous week!

What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

Release date: September 18, 2012
Author info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Publisher: Harper
Pages: 343
Format: ARC
Source: ARCycling (from Montana @ The Book Belles!)
Buy the book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository

I should not exist. But I do.

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t . . .

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet . . . for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

What's Left of Me is another one of those books that I, for whatever reason, had decided probably wasn't very good, though I wanted to read it and knew I would eventually. Honestly, I really need to get over myself because I'm always wrong! I loved this book. The concept is such an intriguing one and one that brings up a lot of great questions about what makes us human and valuable (I always enjoy books that make me think a little!) As we follow Addie and Eva, we see how they are two separate and unique entities, just stuck in the same body. We wonder how one soul could possibly be more important than the other and how anyone could wish to destroy a sentient, thoughtful being.

In a kind of alternate future, Addie and Eva are two souls living in the same body. In their world, to be born this way is normal. What's not normal is to not "settle", for one soul to not fade away. For the past three years, Eva has been living silently, watching the world around her and Addie without letting anyone but Addie know she's there. For if they did, she and Addie would be locked away to be "treated" for hybridism, a very dangerous situation. Despite their best efforts, someone finds them out and offers Eva a way to move again, to be in control. It's the biggest risk they could take, but Eva has to live again, or fade away forever.

The back of my ARC sells this as The Golden Compass meets Never Let Me Go, and I wholeheartedly agree with that! (By the way, two of my favorite books of all time. So, yeah, I needed to read this.) Both books are shocking in the best kind of way, drawing you in and making you squirm. What's Left of Me is the exact same way.

I loved loved loved the relationship between Addie and Eva. Theirs is a kind of relationship we as readers have no way of truly identifying with, no background to build on, but Kat Zhang made them and their dynamic so realistic and believable that it just didn't matter. Addie and Eva fought like sisters, in many ways, but they have the distinct disadvantage of being in the same head and the same body, with no way of getting away from one another. They know each other like themselves and their personalities complement one another. I was fascinated to read their arguments and see their dependence on one another.

The only thing I have to complain about in What's Left of Me is the world-building. I did find it, at times, a little bit lacking. I've waxed poetic about how world-building is really not a big concern for me, but, for whatever reason, it was in this book. The explanations of the hybrids just weren't enough. The discussion of the state of the rest of the world just wasn't enough. All in all, I just wasn't give enough information. There weren't holes in the world-building, but I just couldn't get a firm grasp on it.

Even so, What's Left of Me is a fantastic read. Not only is it fascinating and thought-provoking, it is action-packed and a little bit romantic. You'll feel for Addie and Eva and the other hybrids and you'll be dying to know more after it's over. Luckily Once We Were, the second book, is out in September (which isn't the longest time to wait, but it's also not especially short...)

Let's Talk About... Boy Books and Girl Books

There's been a lot of discussion recently about "boy books" and "girl books". Most of us, me included, don't like books being labelled as for boys or for girls. Books are books and shouldn't be relegated to only being enjoyed by one gender.

I know there are boys that like books that may be labeled "girly" and girls that like books that are "boyish". Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I can't enjoy an action story or relate to a male narrator. I think, for whatever reason, boys fear the stigma that comes with being seen as less "manly" and that reading a book that may seem girly makes them look girlish. I think girls have a similar experience, though to a lesser extent. A girl who reads science fiction is generally perceived as either "weird" or a guy's girl. It just depends on who is making the judgement, so she never knows where she stands with people.  But what people think of you for reading a certain book doesn't matter!

Obviously, there are books that boys aren't generally going to like and books that girls aren't generally going to like. Just because it's the norm doesn't mean it's the rule, though. I know I read whatever piques my interest; it doesn't matter what it is or who it may be targeted towards.

I'm really not trying to go into anything deeper other than that we should look at books past their cover value. Read what interests you because it interests you. Don't worry about what other people think of you for reading. Only worry about what you get out of it. Reading is a personal experience and you're responsible for what you put into your mind, so enjoy yourself!

Other posts on this topic:
Maureen Johnson for Huffington Post Books: The Gender Coverup
Renae @ Respiring Thoughts: "Boy Books" and "Girl Books"--What About "Book Books"?
Marie Lu for Huffington Post Books: Writing a Book for Boys