Monday, October 1, 2012

What I Am Reading

Happy October!

I attended the Central Ohio Fiction Writers Conference this past weekend and had a wonderful time. I came away inspired and energized! The workshops were great and if I didn't learn anything new (and I did in some of them), I had stuff reinforced – making me feel like maybe I'm not doing it wrong after all.

And, like most writer conferences, I came home with more books (bought three of the seven – trying to support my chapter members). One of them I am currently reading.

Simone Elkeles spoke at the conference. I had recognized her book, "Perfect Chemistry," from her agent's blog, but it was YA, so I didn't give it much thought (most of the YA books I read are recommended to me by my daughter). But we got the book free and I had some time between workshops, so I started to read it.

I. Am. Hooked. I expect to finish reading it today.

What's different about this book is that it's written in first person from both the girl and the guy (each chapter will tell you who's speaking). So, it's first person, but I still get to hear what the guy is thinking (which is my pet peeve when it comes to first person stories).

I hadn't expected to come away from this conference finding another author to follow (I just finished Darynda Jones' third book in her Grim Reaper series and am itching for the fourth one to come out!), but it appears that's exactly what has happened.

Just what my husband wants me to do, find another reason to buy more books!

So, what are you reading right now?
 
 

7 comments:

Anne Gallagher said...

Unfortunately, I'm not reading anything at the moment. I picked up and old contemp romance for the pick-up line at school, but that to me isn't really reading. More like brain candy. I'm hoping to get some real reading done at Thanksgiving break.

Kristi said...

I still haven't read this one, but I've heard such great things about it!

Glad you had a good time at the conference...always good to get out and be around other writerly people! :)

Stacy McKitrick said...

Anne - Nothing wrong with brain candy! But I just couldn't imagine NOT reading. I'd go nuts.

Kristi - As I suspected, I already finished this book. It really is great. I suggest you put it up to read next!

Maria Zannini said...

I'd often wondered why authors don't use first person for both protagonists.

Thank you for finding one that uses it well.

Stacy McKitrick said...

Maria - My daughter says she's seen it in YA a lot. I don't read a lot of YA, so it was new to me! I thought it was done very well in this book, too.

LD Masterson said...

I'm between books right now. Just finished one and still deciding what I want to start next. Glad you had a good time at the conference.

Stacy McKitrick said...

Linda - Sometimes I just have to close my eyes and reach into my pile when it comes to picking the next book to read. I have too many I WANT to read. Makes the choice tough.