PubCrawl Podcast: Happy New Year & Catch Up
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/302327571" params="auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true" width="100%" height="450" iframe="true" /] Happy new year! Going a bit off schedule by just playing catch-up from the holidays and looking back on 2016, as well as a look forward into 2017. SPOILER: It was a rough year for us, and we don't think we were the only ones suffering from reading and writing slumps. [box type="info"]Subscribe to us on iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, or use this feed to subscribe through your podcast service of choice! If you like us, please, please, please leave a rating or review, as it helps other listeners find the podcast. We cherish each and every one of you who have taken the time to leave us feedback; you’re the stars in our sky![/box]
Show Notes
Not much to say this week as Kelly and JJ are just jawing away at each other as they typically do. Some commonalities:
2016 was abysmal in terms of reading.
JJ played it very safe and didn't venture beyond her comfort zones or her guaranteed-satisfaction authors.
They both reread a lot of books as well.
Reasons they reread:
Comfort: the book is guaranteed to provide you the emotional journey you are craving
Catching up: if the next book in a series is coming out and you need to refresh your memory
Criticism: when you are revisiting the work to interrogate it for some purpose, either with a fresh point-of-view, or to re-evaluate or reaffirm an initial reading
Craft: rereading to see how an author executed an aspect of writing
There were also a lot of DNFs or Did Not Finishes
If a book just isn't grabbing you or making you interested in picking it back up after you've put it down, don't feel pressured to finish it. Life's too short, as they say.
But at the same time, stretching your reading habits is probably not a bad idea.
Observations about writing trends: we're in a post-trend landscape. JJ doesn't think trends are what sells YA books these days; it's author brands.
Books Discussed/What We're Reading (or Didn't Read)
Caraval by Stephanie Garber*
Iron Gold by Pierce Brown
Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (Seriously, y'all, Angie is GREAT and she's gonna be a superstar)
The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman
A Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by Jack Thorne and John Tiffany
The Secret of a Heart Note by Stacey Lee*
Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken**
American Queen by Sierra Simone
Stories of Your Life by Ted Chiang
Contact by Carl Sagan
What We're Working On
JJ is working on book 2...still... (but she also got her cover flats!)
Kelly is gearing up to work in the new year
Off Menu Recommendations
Travelers
Arrival
Westworld
Rogue One
* PubCrawl contributor ** PubCrawl alumna
That's all for this week! Next week we will be revising our Publishing 101 series with another look at QUERYING AND REPRESENTATION. As always, if you have any questions, please leave them in the comments, or reach out to us on Twitter with the hashtag #askpubcrawl.