Books I am looking forward to!

I feel like one of these posts was needed. I have recently forced myself to read things I want instead of what I have to read for Graduate School. So, here are some books I am looking forward to:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Lost-Prince-Iron-Fey/

dp/0373210574/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351383508

&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Lost+Prince

The Lost Prince is the second series in The Iron Fey Series. It is already out and it is on my kindle, I just haven't finished it yet. I loved the world of the Nevernever, so I am excited to dive into the world again with Megan's brother, Ethan. If you haven't read the Iron Fey Series, you should! They were great books. I really enjoyed them. 

http://www.amazon.com/Opal-Lux-Novel-Jennifer-Armentrout/dp

/1620610094/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351383757

&sr=1-1&keywords=Opal

Opal is the third book in the Lux Series by Jennifer Armentrout. While I have some criticism of this series, I still love the books and I would have already pre-ordered this had it let me! The release date is December 11th. If you like a fun, entertaining read then check out Shadows (prequel), Obsidian, and Onyx. Jennifer plans to have a fourth book out, too. 

http://www.amazon.com/Splintered-G-Howard/dp/1419704281/ref=sr_

1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351383911&sr=1-1&keywords=Splintered

The entire blogsphere knows to be ready for Splintered by A.G. Howard. I preordered this months ago and I CANNOT wait to dive in. Anita is such a talented writer--the words in this book are just as gorgeous as this cover. 

Okay, so the list isn't long--but these are all books I have (or had) to wait for and I was counting down the days! 

What books are you excited for? 

Observations

Hey guys! I have not had a life for a week, and I am about to delve into the next week of having no life. It's the 9 week mark of school and that means mid-terms...well, for me it means a ton of papers and projects due at once! :( So, before all that happens, I want to tell you about an experience I had.

Amazon sends me e-mails recommending books, and while I usually don't pay attention to them, I have been trying to find anything else to do other than my homework, and I decided to check them out. I found a few books to download like this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Obsidian-Lux-Novel-Jennifer-Armentrout/dp/1620610078/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1350262656&sr=8-2&keywords=obsidian

I am a little obsessed right now. haha. I have to get through this trilogy AND focus on my homework. BAD time to begin a novel. ugh. 

Anyways. Since I am a Library Science and Information Studies student, I unconsciously reflected on my search for new books and found some interesting things I thought I'd share with you. You might already do these things, or know they have a purpose, but as a writer and a student, I liked my revelation. 

1. Book covers DO matter. 

We all know the whole "don't judge a book by its cover thing" might be true, but it really isn't practiced. Even as I scanned Amazon's lists of books to read, I ignored ones that didn't have a interesting cover. That isn't to say that they aren't good books...but I just won't read what they're about if I'm not enticed by the cover. I know...I am a bad reader and writer. :( 

2. Titles Matter. 

Yeah...so...titles are important, too. I've noticed that there is this new obsession with one word titles (perhaps I am wrong, and this really isn't happening), but it SEEMS that all titles are now one word. This if fine. If the word strikes me in some way. Also, if the title is too long, I am just going to be frustrated. 

3. That really cool option on Amazon "Click to Look Inside" is important. 

I was deciding between the book above and another and the determining factor? Reading the first few sentences of the chapter. Granted, the description is helpful in a lot of ways, but in the instance of the books I was choosing between: they both had great descriptions, but only one had words that drew me in immediately. 

4. REVIEWS ARE SO IMPORTANT!! 

It SERIOUSLY surprised me how constantly I overlooked books that didn't have reviews. I know this is bad. I mean, I could the book and give it a review....but really, that's not my thing. The books I was drawn too were ones that had reviews. 

So, tell me how you look for books? What is the deciding factor most of the time? 

Thank You!

I wanted to thank everyone for their AWESOME feedback on my query below. I got some great comments and e-mails, all with helpful suggestions, and let me say--I AGREE. I will begin working on my changes this weekened. Like I said, I took a week break from hardcore editing and query writing so I could look at everything with fresh eyes.

Now, for some updates!

I got a MAC!

:D I am so excited! I have had a PC for years now, and I just felt like it was finally time to buy a MAC. I haven't played with it much, and I still need to get all my writing stuff organized on my PC (I am a big fan of not being descriptive with word documents...and I have a TON). It's a little fruerateing at times because it's so new, but I am sure I will love it by the time I learn everything--I already do! The backlight keyboard is a lifesaver!

Next, I am going to LONDON and FRANCE in 2014!!

I am so excited! There is a whole tour planned out that involves seeing Churchills home, and Omaha Beach. We'll spend 8 days oversees and I couldn't be more excited (even if it is two years away). By then I will have graduated from my master's program so I am calling it my graduation gift.

Alright then,

That's all I have so far! I am going to buckle down and get homework out of the way so the weekend is clear for my book and query! As always, I'll keep everyone updated!


Lots of love!
<3

Ashley