The Tried, the True -- And the New

I once posted a blog about branching out and trying new authors. Well, they may not be new, except to you. Someone asked how to do this? How do you find new authors whose work you might enjoy?

I can only give you my opinion. In most cases I haven’t grabbed a book off the shelf and tried it. So how do I find new authors?

Word-of-mouth, in my opinion, is the best promotion out there. I’d never heard of Janet Evanovich until several years ago someone told me they thought she was funny, and I’m always looking for humor. She had about half a dozen books out at the time and once I tried the first Stephanie Plumb book I quickly moved on to the second in the series. And the third, and…

Your local bookstore should be able to help you find the type of book you’re looking for if you ask. The people at your local library will do the same. Join a group like Goodreads. There are “clubs” of people who enjoy the type of story you do, and reading their comments will give you some ideas. I understand that ebooks are all the rage now. (That sounded old-fashioned.)  Even so, I still love paper books, although I have a huge To Be Read list on my KIndle.

Anyway, I still enjoy browsing through the bookstore and library. I’m more inclined to read titles than look at book covers. Too many times the cover has absolutely nothing to do with the story. If the title intrigues me, I’ll pick up the book and read the back cover.

Honestly? Titles and blogs have led me to read new (to me) authors. I’m prone to jump to conclusions, but I’ve always felt a person’s blog is a showcase for their writing style. If I like their post, chances are I may try one of their books.

Don’t forget book reviews. I’ve heard several people say they never read a book review because they figure it was written by a friend or relative. That’s not always the case. You can tell a lot by a review.

Example: Marley & Me by John Grogan is one of my favorite books. I found it by reading a review before it became a bestseller. The book made me laugh, and it made me cry. Grogan had no idea what he was about to face when he brought Marley home, a Labrador retriever. And it means even more to me now that we have two Yellow Labs, Sugar and Murphy. They’re an interesting breed, and our dogs have some traits reminiscent of Marley.

So if you’ve read a good book, don’t be afraid to recommend it to someone either through word-of-mouth or a review. After reading the book they’re either going to say, “What were you thinking?” or ”Hey, thanks for the suggestion. Good book.” Either way, they’ve tried something new and so have you.

I just finished Murder on a Stick (police procedural) by S.L. Smith and No Substitute for Maturity (humorous mystery) by Carolyn J. Rose. My reading time has been very limited lately or I’d mention a few other books. Guess I’d better get busy and write a couple of reviews, and hope someone reads them.

And I’d better start reading another book. I love being entertained.

Do you ever recommend books to your friends? I hope so.

Until next time, enjoy a good recommended book. So many books, so little time. Sigh

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website

CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com

COMING SOON (like in the next couple of days): A Well-Kept Family Secret – A Sandi Webster Mystery will be available in AUDIO format. It’s currently available on Audible.com and will soon be available on Amazon.com and iTunes.