Reading

I'm a crazy reader. I go through five or six books a week and I reread a lot of stuff. That being said, it's hard to find really good reads! 

In the past few weeks I've been reading a lot of YA trying to figure out what has made the YA genre grow so much in the past few years. I really think it's cause it's really not YA anymore. There is more sex and violence in most of these teen books than there was in the adult stuff I was reading.

So anyway I read this big who-ha (is that word dating me?) about this big named author who has been ousted by her publishing company and now has ghost writers writing her series. Everyone is like "be true to the series" when the original author freely admits she signed a contract that said "work for hire" which means you own nothing.

Work for hire in the writers world really means you get paid once for something you write, but they can use it over and over again and do whatever they want with it. It was actually one of the first bits of advice I ever got from another author. Unless you're a technical writer you should never write "work for hire." 

Now keep in mind this is still really popular. When people write for anthologies, that is essentially what they are doing. The publisher pays for the piece once, but can reuse it, and any element of it whenever and wherever they want. So have caution.

In the meantime, I'm enjoying the stuff the ghost writer has written for this author (not even ghost writer cause the real writer's name is on the book too), and thinking, so you were kind of not smart enough to look into your options 20 years ago and are begging for the Stephanie Meyer fame you could have had if only you'd been more informed. No sympathy. But I've never really been all that nice when it comes to people who feel they were cheated cause they didn't "know" any better.

So reading! Xmas is coming, and we all know how I feel about the holidays, but there is a positive side! Books, books, and more books!

No, no one buys me books anymore, not if they want to remain my friends anyway, but I do get gift cards and when the light is low, and there's snow outside, there is no better time to read. Snuggled up under a blanket, or with a cat on your lap (or both), and a good book, (or reader) in your hand.

I stopped into a BN this past weekend and they have those giant hardbound "classics" in for Xmas. I was eyeing the Alice in Wonderland one. But $20? I'm sure I can get that for my reader for cheaper, but I'm still tempted by the physical book. It's different to hold it in your hand, and yes I have a lot of real books.

If I could give anything to everyone for the holidays it would be books. It makes my heart hurt to find out that so many young kids can barely read. And I was there! I hated reading, it was so hard, until I was in the fifth grade and someone at the library pointed out this book about Annie Oakley. And after I'd struggled through rereading that one three times cause I liked the gun-toting chick, they gave me Bunnicula, which is where all my para love came from.

So what will I be getting my nieces for the holidays? (nevermind the giant Barbie playhouse on layaway) Oh yeah, the Bunnicula pack. And I always donate that set, as well as the Little Prince to some local reader programs.

Haven't read them yet? Why the heck not? LOL. Anyway, no matter what you do as the holidays coming at us like a million ton freight train, get reading!

You'll be surprised the places it can take you. :)