Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Two Cents and Winner

Why make you wait...

The Winner of Princess for Hire is...

Hannah C. Howard

I'll be emailing you shortly for your address.

Today's blog post: Interested in your Two Cents

We've officially reached fall, the trees are changing colors, the weather is cooling off (for some of us, cool weather in houston means 90 rather than 100).

When the weather changes do your book choices change?

In SUMMER do you choose the light fun reads?

In SPRING do you search for new beginnings? While the weather heats up are you looking for a new you, a new book to inspire?

In FALL do you look for the cool down novel, a little suspense, maybe some horror?

In WINTER do you choose those icy thrillers?

I know we have a ton that we are waiting for, longing for, those books we die for the minute they hit the shelves, but after that how do you choose?

50 comments:

Diana Mieczan said...

Ohh That is so true...and I never thought about it...but you are so right...My mood totally changes with seasons...I love reading emotional...full of suspense novels during autumn:)
Congrats to the lovely winner:)

Hugs,sweetie

Ps: I will be hosting a lovely GIVEAWAY in a little bit… so please join in !!!!

Karen Baldwin said...

Hmm? Now you're making me think. mh, no, not about reading, but ones I've read. My pile is high with wanna-reads, so I usually just take the next one in line.

Christine Fonseca said...

Um...no. I Love deep emo stories...aways!

Stina said...

The question is, does the publishing industry release books according to your seasonal themes? I know the light reads for summer is true.

I read whatever I'm in the mood for, and that I can never predict. These's been times I've said, "I'm going to read xx once I'm finished ready yy," but end up reading zz instead.

Bish Denham said...

Nope can't say I've ever been a seasonal reader. I read whatever comes to hand first. It may be because of growing up in the tropics where seasonal changes are not so obvious.

Joanna St. James said...

see I just do the opposite i go for fun light reads in winter cos by then u are so cold u need a pick me up wherever u can get it.

Renae said...

It just depends on my mood. And of course whatever book is being released that I'm dying to read!

Misha Gerrick said...

You know? I can't explain how I pick books.

The desire to read a specific something hits me and I look for the book filling that need until I find it...

Weird, but true.

:-)

S.A. Larsenッ said...

Yeah, the weather does move me. Hmm...I guess I tend to lend more serious plot lines my ear during the cooler seasons.

Hanna C. Howard said...

Oh, how exciting! Thanks, Jen! My email address is hanna.c.howard(at)gmail.com. Oooh, I can't wait to read it.

What an intriguing concept. I've definitely experienced the way some books can make you cold and some hot, depending on how well the author portrays the setting. (I once read Alison Croggon's THE RIDDLE--which is a frigid book--during winter, and wound up with incurable shivers for a week.)

But, for me, there isn't often a lot of choosing to be done. I always have a huge stack of To-Reads (which is perpetually growing) and I simply decide which of them I am feeling most in the mood for at the time.

Great post! And thanks again!

Laura Pauling said...

I don't think the season affects what I"m reading. A lot of times I'll read books for fun and to study the writing. They seem to go hand in hand. Or a genre I might want to try writing.

Lindsay said...

Congrats Hannah.

As for choosing books, I don't reallt have seasons for them. I think I'm more of a 'read what strikes me' kind of a gal. lol.

Jaydee Morgan said...

I'm always so excited when I get some writing time that I tend to read what's next on my shelf..so the seasons don't really play into my reading habits.

Beth Fred said...

Nope, I love paranormal romance all year round. But right now I'm reading contemp cuz I'm writing contemp and it just helps.

Anne Gallagher said...

I don't think the weather affects my reading choices but I do know that affects my writing. I can't write in the heat, I can't write in the cold. I've got to finish my book because it's set in the summer time and now that it's fall, I'm having a hard time thinking about 85 degrees all the time.

Serena said...

I am afraid to admit that i tend not to follow trends etc etc i simply float through the book shop or libray and i do judge books by the cover, the tittle will grab my attention then the cover then ill read the back cover and make a choice read or put back? i get alot of my books from customers who hand them in to me so i often find myself reading books that one's heard of before.
I dont know if my book choices change with the season, maybe a little bit in winter i do tend to read more and its usually horror or crime. Love a particia cornwell book!

Jillian said...

Wow jen now that you mention it I do match my reading material to the season .... in fact in the Fall I juts adore curling up in my reading chair with apple cider and reading a classic!!!!

Congrats to the winner.... lucky you!!

Samantha Vérant said...

Nah, I just read when I find the time. This summer I read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Catching Fire, and Almost French. None of these books have anything in common --except that they are books. LOL

And Boo! I didn't win.

vic caswell said...

no, my attention span isn't seasonal... it's much shorter! i move what i feel like reading to the top of my tbr pile as soon as i finish (or near the end) of the previous book! :)

Meredith said...

Once winter gets too cold, I start looking for beach reads. I love the books set in ocean towns or on islands--they warm you right up!

Christine Danek said...

OMG --so true. I have 30 books sitting on my shelves waiting. It's sad really. I have a book buying addiction because they are all so pretty. Is there anyway to not sleep? I think I know that answer. :)

Rose Cooper said...

I guess I never really thought of it, but you're right. My moods and taste for books do change with the seasons. Hmmm, strange that I didn't notice before. Summer is definitely chick books, fun and humor reads mostly. During the cold months I like dark drama. Although right now, it's still triple digits here AND i'm dying to read Mockingjay still. I know, I need to buy it, but low on funds :(

You always give our brains a good workout, Jen!! Hugs!

Golden Eagle said...

My mood changes with the summer, but not my book choices. I usually read the same things in the winter that I do when it's hot. :)

Laura S. said...

Congrats to Hannah!

I read everything at any time of the year, but I usually get in the mood to re-read my favorite books in late spring and early summer. The end of summer and fall puts me in the mood for fantasy. And I always re-read the Harry Potter series around Christmas!

Amy Saia said...

I think I do switch my reading habits when a season changes. I definitely go for more historical/serious books in the wintertime, and funny/romantic/thriller when it's summer. Glad I'm not the only fickle person around!

Sharon K. Mayhew said...

I don't think I switch up my reading habits based on seasons. I choose books based on....drum roll...covers, titles, summaries and recommendations of people I know (and blogknow).

mshatch said...

nope, my reading tastes remain the same, running tha gamut from paranormal, fantasy, scifi, historical romance, straight history, classic, literary, YA (any kind) and even an occasional mystery. I'm currently reading Never Let Me Go and I just finished Struts and Frets. However, I will admit that I have put aside slower moving literary books in favor of something like, say, Shiver or The Dome.

Creepy Query Girl said...

Great concept! I prefer romance in the winter (for those long cold lonely nights) YA in the spring and chicklit in the summer.

Tamika: said...

I definitely read more in the winter. The cozy feeling over mound sof blankets and a good book is too tempting to pass up. In the summer my kids wrangle me out doors so much I hardly have time:)

Colene Murphy said...

I like creepier books as we near Halloween but that is the only change I have I think. I just love getting the willies around that one magically spooky day, and what better way than reading a good chilling novel?

Shannon O'Donnell said...

My book choices are pretty consistent. I love what I love all year long - but then I have a pretty wide range of tastes. :-)

Diane J. said...

Congrats Hannah!

As for reading, I stick to the same stuff and rotate to how I feel the day I'm picking my next read. I like suspense, mystery, comedy, and true crime (but I can only read a true crime novel every couple of years because they freak me out...Ann Rule really gets the shivers going).

Although, I do find that I tend to pick up more magazines in the spring and summer. Go figure.

Robert Guthrie said...

I read what speaks to me from the shelf.

Terry Stonecrop said...

Our weather in Florida is a lot like yours. Today it's dropped all the way down to 77F. But that's because of Tropical Storm Nicole.

Hmm. I'll have to read something about a dark and stormy night:)

When I lived in New England I was more apt to let the weather affect my reading. Summer beach reads and all of that. Not so much in FL.

Lenny Lee said...

hi miss jen! for me i dont read a book cause of matching a season. i just read what i want to read next. these blogs got me knowing about lots of books for my age and i got one im reading now called grey griffins and i got one on my birthday list called nightshade city that miss hilary wagner wrote. its about rats! hooray for rats! ha ha
...hugs from lenny

Jai Joshi said...

It's an interesting thought, Jen, about whether the weather influences our reading or writing.

I think I do read more during the winter, because it's nice to be all warm and cozy with a book. But actually I don't think my tastes in reading change through the seasons. My writing doesn't change either. It's all about my attitude and whether I'm motivated or not, which can be changed whatever the weather.

Jai

Jennifer Shirk said...

Gee, I never thought about it. It does seem like I read in genre spurts though. LOL
Right now, I'm on a YA kick. But all summer is was category romances all the way. I can't explain it.

Kelsey (Dominique) Ridge said...

I read whatever strikes my fancy, and I've yet to find a correlation with the weather or season, except that in summer I have more downtime to read what I want instead of what I have to read. That's always nice.

Leigh Hutchens Burch said...

I'm back (again.) How've you been?!I've missed you! I posted for the first time in the better part of a MONTH today, so I'm heading to some of my fave blogs to try to win back readers...

The bloggy Oct. event sounds like JUST what I need... NaBloWriMo or whatev... ;)

And, to answer your question: I DO look for lighter reads in the summer, but that's really the only seasonal-reading I seek out.

Kimberly Franklin said...

Right now I'm looking for something to read that puts me in the Halloween mood. I love October. And I love reading and watching shows that give me a feel for the season.

Sandy said...

Winter does definitely put me in the mood for Christmas books/movies, but the other seasons, not so much.

Nicole Zoltack said...

Winter makes me want to read about Christmas, but I agree with Sandy, the other season doesn't affect my reading habits. My mood does more than anything.

Kittie Howard said...

I just read what comes along.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I've never thought the weather changed what I read. It certainly changes what I write though.

If anything I'd read the opposite season eg in winter I'd like to read stories set in warm climates and vice versa.

Jemi Fraser said...

The school year is busy for me - I tend to read YA, MG a lot. The adult books I read tend to be lighter or from a series I love.

Krispy said...

Never thought about reading choice by season. I sort of pick whatever catches my interest or I'll choose something in a different genre if I'm feeling a little tired of the one I've been reading.

I hear you on the heat. We're having a weird heatwave this week in LA. It was 114F on Monday! Hot enough to go swimming in the evening!

Donea Lee said...

My book choices are completely random - although mostly YA right now. In that respect, I'm like sheep in my choosing...I follow the "In" thing of the moment. Perhaps a little season inspired choice could mix it up! :)

Amy Holder said...

Interesting questions! I never really thought about this before... but I don't think my book choices really change much; I'm usually pretty random with what I read. I do like reading something spooky in October though...

Thanks for the awesome pics, btw! :)

Anonymous said...

I'm not really a seasonal reader, but do kind of enjoy the idea. However, most of my book choices are either made on a whim, or by publishers who can't imagine how agonizing it is waiting for a sequel to a book I love.

Janet Johnson said...

Congrats Hannah! It's a fun read, you'll love it. :)