2018 Reading Challenge

I tried (and failed) at this challenge last year – though I did get to ten of them, so that’s pretty good.

My only rule I am making for myself is that it cannot be a 2018 book. These have to be books that were published in 2017 or earlier.

#2-30 were chosen at random using random.org and my TBR spreadsheet. The rest are books i really want to get to this year!

1. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
2. The Snowball Effect by Holly Nicole Hoxter
3. The Woman in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck
4. Openly Straight by Bill Koningsberg
5. Every Breath by Ellie Marney
6. Wildthorn by Jane Eagland
7. Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
8. Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers
9. Boomerang by Noelle August
10. Every Soul is a Star by Wendy Mass
11. The Countdown Conspiracy by Kate Slivensky
12. Once and For All by Sarah Dessen
13. Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes
14. Land of a Hundred Wonders by Lesley Kagen
15. The Passage by Justin Cronin
16. Beautiful Creatures by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia
17. The Last Best Kiss by Claire LaZebnik
18. The Lying Game by Sara Shepard
19. Pivot Point by Kasie West
20. The Quartet by Joseph J Ellis
21. The Boleyn King by Laura Andersen
22. The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore
23. You Deserve a Drink by Mamrie Hart
24. Dreamfall by Amy Plum
25. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
26. We are Quiet, We are Loud
27. Summer Skin by Kirsty Eagar
28. The One That Got Away by Bethany Chase
29. Wicked Little Wildfire by Lana Popovic
30. Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver
31. Shiny Broken Pieces by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton
32. Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
33. Mr Mercedes by Stephen King
34. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
35. The Map of Time by Felix J Palmas
36. Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor
37. The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
38. Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas
39. Dear Martin by Nic Stone
40. Endsinger by Jay Kristoff
41. Overwhelmed by Brigid Schulte
42. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
43. The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker
44. In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce
45. Willful Machines by Tim Floreene
46. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
47. These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meghan Spooner
48. The Queen of Tearling by Erika Johansen
49. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
50. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

2017 Query Stats

It is that time of year where I get to share my query statistics! If you want to compare, here is the post from last year (Though I track more this year!)

I have answered all my queries through Dec 18th, so I am counting through then.

First, the basics – how many did I get, how ,any did I request, and how many were specifically genres I say I am not looking for, didn’t follow the guidelines, or were already published.

	Queriers	% Total
Total	3855
Didn’t Follow Instructions	461	11.96%
Already Published	28	0.73%
Not My Genre	320	8.30%
Waste of Time	781	20.26%
Rejected	3715	96.37%
Partial	140	3.63%
Fulls	17	0.44%
Offers	6	0.16%

20% is up from last year – then it was 17.5%.

I received 3,855 queries. I only requested partials for 3.63% of them. I am being much pickier than I was in previous years.

I am being even pickier about what I request to a full. It has to REALLY stand out.

I made the one more offer than I made last year.

I also broke things down by genre. Both what I received, and what I requested partials of.

Paritals requested

MG	Contemporary	9
MG	Horror	0
MG	Historical	0
MG	Mystery	1
MG	Fantasy	6
MG	Science Fiction	1
YA	Science Fiction	10
YA	Mystery	1
YA	Fantasy	25
YA	Historical	6
YA	Magical Realism	1
YA	Contemporary	19
YA	Horror	2
Adult	LGBTQ Romance	3
Adult	Women’s Fiction	14
Adult	Historical	7
Adult	Science Fiction	11
Adult	Fantasy	7
Adult	Horror	1
Adult	Romance	3
Adult	Mystery	3
Adult	Thriller	2
Adult	Nonfiction	2

I am not surprised – the genres that I requested the most are also the genres I read the most and tweeted about wanting the most!

And these are the rejected by genre. I included genres i don’t represent like picture books, chapter books, literary fiction, and memoir.

MG	Contemporary	84
MG	Horror	7
MG	Historical	34
MG	Mystery	19
MG	Fantasy	159
MG	Science Fiction	39
YA	Science Fiction	165
YA	Mystery	16
YA	Fantasy	452
YA	Magical Realism	9
YA	Historical	76
YA	Contemporary	255
YA	Graphic Novel	1
YA	Horror	13
Adult	LGBTQ Romance	19
Adult	Women’s Fiction	267
Adult	Historical	351
Adult	Romance	210
Adult	Mystery	186
Adult	Thriller	326
Adult	Nonfiction	131
MG	Chapter Book	22
MG	Picture Book	17
Adult	Literary	289
Adult	Horror	21
Adult	Science Fiction	126
Adult	Fantasy	207
Adult	Memoir	137

 

In the coming weeks, I’ll be looking at these stats and see what kinds of MSWL I would like to add, or if there are any genres I don’t want to look for anymore.

Hope this gives some insight!

2017 Reading Stats

Thanks so much to Jamie at Perpetual Page Turner for doing this again! She’s the best, you should follow her on all social media.

Statistics:

Number Of Books Read: 108

Adult: 24
YA: 72
MG: 5
Graphic novels: 7

Genre Break down:
YA fantasy: 15
YA Science fiction: 10
YA contemporary: 44
YA historical: 2
Middle Grade contemporary: 1
Middle grade fantasy: 4
Adult fantasy: 4
Adult science fiction: 1
Adult contemporary romance: 6
Adult paranormal romance: 3
Adult historical romance: 1
Women’s fiction: 5
Nonfiction: 5
Books with male authors: 17
Books with female authors: 92
Books by marginalized authors: 54

1. Best Book You Read In 2016?

There were a few that stood out above all the rest

Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert
Like Water by Rebecca Podos
Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman
At the Edge of the Universe by Shaun David Hutchinson
Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff
Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

The Empress – I loved the first book in the series, but the second was…not for me

 3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?  

Wintersong by S Jae-Jones – it’s based on my least favorite mythology, but it was fnatastic

 4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

Little & Lion – I told everyone to read it!

 5. Best series you started in 2016? Best Sequel of 2016? Best Series Ender of 2016?

Sequel: Godsgrave
Series Ender; Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

 6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2016?

Brandy Colbert (How did I not read her first book???)

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman

 8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

A Poison Dark and Deadly by Jessica Clueless

 9. Book You Read In 2016 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

None

11. Most memorable character of 2016?

Kiko from Starfish

 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2016?

The Gallery of Unfinished Girls by Lauren Karcz

 14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2016 to finally read? 

Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple

 17. Book That Shocked You The Most

At the Edge of the Universe

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Mia and Mr Kindly (GG) and all the lumberjanes

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2016 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

Jane, Unlimited

21. Best Book You Read In 2016 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

Like Water

23. Best 2016 debut you read?

Starfish

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

The Dark Days Club – I felt like I was there

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

Looking for Group by Rory Harrison

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2016?

Like Water

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

The Gallery of Unfinished Girls

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

Godsgrave – so much soul crushing.

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2017 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2018?

The Hate U Give. I know. I started it a couple days ago!!

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2018 (non-debut)?

The last book in the Nevernight Chronicles

3. 2018 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

Sanctuary by Caryn Lix

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2018?

Obsidio

6. A 2018 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:

SANCTUARY!

Also, As You Wish by Chelsea Sedoti

5K twitter followers giveaways!

I wanted to do a big giveaway for 5K followers. You can win a book, a query critique, or a 10 minute Skype call

Here are the rules:

1. Enter for as many as you want to! One entry per person per giveaway (and yes, I’ll check!
2. All giveaways are worldwide.
3. You must follow on twitter in order to win. I’ll be checking this too.
4. It closes midnight September 1st, EST
5. The number of winners for query critiques and skype calls will depend on the number of entries and the number of twitter followers gained during this time

BOOKS

I’m giving away my two favorite books of the year, plus an ARC of an amazing book that is coming out later this year with each. Contemps: LITTLE & LION by Brandy Colbert and BROODING YA HERO: BECOMING A MAIN CHARACTER (ALMOST) AS AWESOME AS ME) by Carrie DiRisio. Fantasy: GODSGRAVE by Jay Kristoff (the B&N special edition!) and ARC of FOREST OF A THOUSAND LANTERNS by Julie Dao.

  

 

 

   

 

 

 

QUERY CRITIQUE

 

10 MINUTE SKYPE CALL

 

10 queries!

I’m am going to go through the next ten queries and tell you what I did and why! Kinda like the hashtag on twitter, but without the character limit.

Q1 YA contemporary – this had a cool premise that involved mental health and homelessness. But some of the language used was so derogatory that I was super uncomfortable reading it.. It also had really unrealistic comps. One was The Fault in Our Stars. Pass

Q2 YA time travel and retelling – I would love an amazing Time travel book, so I was interested, until I saw that that they were traveling back to a time to get to a retelling. It felt like a strange mix and was a retelling for something I’m not a big fan of, plus the comps were OUTLANDER + what is being retold. Pass

Q3 YA fantasy – this one felt like a very typical fantasy and didn’t show what made it stand out from all of the other fantasy books. There were also a LOT of named characters and kingdoms. It was only three short paragraphs, but I had to keep looking up to figure out who people were and what side they were on. Pass

Q4 literary? Maybe? – this claims that there have been no books about what it was really like to be a teen in the 90s. It sounds soooo stereotypical in characters and writing and situations. I can’t tell you how many queries I see each week that mention Kurt Cobain and how different it is that they are centering something on him. Pass

Q5 Paranormal adult fantasy – so this one hit the jackpot. Not a genre I represent and included pages (didn’t follow guidelines). If you don’t do these things you are so far ahead of so many. Pass

Q6 LGBTQ+ Historical Romance – this sounds like it straddles that line of genre and commercial fiction. The main character is reminiscent of Mr. Darcy,, but is gay and not as much of a jerk. If it feels too much like a romance that doesn’t fit into that commercial fiction side, I’ll pass on the partial, but this was so good that I had to read how they did it. Request

Q7 MG contemporary – this is SO damn charming even in the query. It was filled with middle grade humor, a clever twist, and humor! Here’s hoping the pages match the query! Request

Q8 YA contemporary – this sounded absolutely delightful. High-concept and fun. But it reminded me way too much of a book I just finished. If I had read this query before reading the other book, I probably would have requested it, but in this case, it is a Pass

Q9 women’s fiction – The concept was good, but the voice felt a little off. I also tried to think of a few people i know I would recommend it to and was unable to come up with anything. Pass

Q10 Adult commercial fiction – while well-written, it had a lot of references to the political climate. Everything changes so fast and publishing is so slow that this it doesn’t really work. That big scandal that we are talking about tonight might be reversed or moot by the time I am reading the full. Pass

2016 Reading Statistics

Thanks so much to Jamie at Perpetual Page Turner for doing this again! She’s the best, you should follow her on all social media.

Statistics:

Number Of Books Read: 104

Genre Break down:
YA fantasy: 15
YA Science fiction: 8
YA contemporary: 36
YA historical: 5
Middle Grade: 7
Adult fantasy: 5
Adult science fiction: 2
Graphic novels: 5
Adult romance: 12
Adult mystery: 3
Women’s fiction: 3
Nonfiction: 3
Books with male authors*: 32
Books with female authors*: 78
Diverse books**: 62

*Some books counted twice because coauthors
**This means books written by and/or with a main character who is not white, straight, cis gendered, or abled.

1. Best Book You Read In 2016?

 

I am going to list the best 10.

My Sister Rosa by Justine Larbalestier
Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas
When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds
If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo
Some Kind of Happiness by Claire Legrand
The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley by Shaun David Hutchinson
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

The Great American Whatever – just not for me.

 3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?  

My Sister Rosa – I didn’t think it would be so amazing, but it was phenomenal!

 4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

Nevernight – I hand sold more copies of this book than any other. ❤

 5. Best series you started in 2016? Best Sequel of 2016? Best Series Ender of 2016?

Best series started: The Lotus Wars
Best sequel: A Court of Fist and Fury (book two is way better than book one!)

 6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2016?

Roshani Chokshi

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

 8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

Three Dark Crowns

 9. Book You Read In 2016 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

None

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2016?

Nevernight. I mean, just look at it – that cover is sexy.

11. Most memorable character of 2016?

My instinct is Mia from Nevernight because she is everything. But also Travis from the Serpent King. And Rosa from My Sister Rosa is still in my brain.

 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2016?

I hate to sound like a broken record, especially since we are pals, by Jay Kristoff writes the most beautiful books. So Nevernight, Stormdancer, and Kinslayer are al on that list.

And I Darken gets an honorable mention

 14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2016 to finally read? 

Stormdancer. I was in the acknowledgements but didn’t read it until now. Oooops

 17. Book That Shocked You The Most

We are the Ants – such a great book.

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Mia and Mr Kindly (NN) and Dill, Tavis and Lydia (TSK)

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2016 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

Nevernight, because My Sister Rosa was my first from Justine.

21. Best Book You Read In 2016 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

Him by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2016?

Mia (let’s pretend she’s not a teenager for this one, okay?). Also Cora from Loving you Easy.

23. Best 2016 debut you read?

The Star-Touched Queen

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

Gemina! Such a great setting

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

You Know Me Well by NIna Lacour and David Levithan

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2016?

The Serpent King and Goodbye Days. Jeff Zentner is the worst

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

The Great Shelby Holmes by Elizabeth Eulberg

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

Nevernight because it’s what Jay does best

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2016 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2017?

I have a whole list over at my challenge.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2017 (non-debut)?

The last book in the Illuminae Files series

3. 2017 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

You Don’t Know Me But I Know You by Rebecca Barrow

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2017?

The Ship Beyond Time

6. A 2017 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:

Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner

2017 Reading Challenge

I tried (and failed) at this challenge last year. I wanted to try again to read 48 specific books, and try to balance it to four a month. This is just my own personal challenge.

My only rule I am making for myself is that it cannot be a 2017 book. These have to be books that were published in 2016 or earlier.

Most of these are books I really want to read this year. The bottom 15 were picked at random from my spreadsheet of books I want to read.

1. Endsinger by Jay Kristoff
2.These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meghan Spooner (and the rest of the series)
3. Mr Mercedes by Stephen King
4. Planetfall by Emma Newman
5. Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older
6. The Midnight Star by Marie Lu
7. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
8. Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
9. The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
10. The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
11. Willful Machines by Tim Floreen
12. Night Film by Marisha Pessl
13. The Map of Time by Felix J Palma
14. The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
15. A World Without You by Beth Revis
16. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
17. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
18. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
19. The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley
20. Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton
21. Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor
22. The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
23. Before They are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie
24. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
25. Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas
26. In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce
27. Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers
28. Gathering Darkness by Morgan Rhodes
29. The Magician’s Land by Lev Grossman
30. Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde
31.This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales
32. Adaptation by Malinda Lo
33. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
34.Working in the Shadows: A Year of Doing the Jobs (Most) Americans Won’t Do by Gabriel Thompson
35. Fall for Anything by Courtney Summers
36. The Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani
37. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
38. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
39. Drama High by Michael Sokolove
40. The Rebel Wife by Taylor M Polites
41. Timekeeper by Tara Sim
42. The Diviners by Libba Bray
43. The Liar Society by Lisa Roecker
44. Run by Kody Keplinger
45. Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
46. Hard Choices by Hillary Rodham Clinton
47. Changeling by Philippa Gregory
48. The Secret Wisdom of the Earth by Christopher Scott

R&R vs Offer

Sometimes when I talk to authors, instead of making an offer, I ask for an R&R, or a revise and resubmit. Sometimes I just send them a good amount of feedback and say that if they do revise, I’d love to see it, which is also an R&R.

I know some agents do these a lot, some agents never do them. I do them….very rarely.

So why would i ask for an R&R?

1. If I think the genre should be different. This often happens when the book is presented as YA and women’s fiction or as romantic suspense and I see it more as a thriller. In this case, I want to see how to it done.
2. If the writing is great, but the voice is off.  This can happen when I really, really love something, but the voice is  really uneven, without it being plot-related. In this case, it is going to be an edit that will go through several rounds and be a lot of work, so I want to see how the writer edits and if we would work well together.
3. If I really see the potential of a project Sometimes, a book just isn’t there yet. There is a major plot issue, the writing isn’t strong enough, characters aren’t well-defined enough,etc. But there are times that happens and I can see what I think needs to be done for it to become great. In those cases, I’ll write a long email with suggestions and let them know if they do a major revision, i’d love to take another look.

I don’t do R&Rs that often because they can be frustrating. Agents put in a lot of time talking to the author or writing up editorial notes, then it goes out to a lot of agents and sometimes the agent who did the R&R doesn’t get the book. On the other hand, sometimes the R&R doesn’t work, but as an agent you can feel really bad having to pass on something you asked for.

 

Life in Agenting: What I Might Ask During “The Call”

The call is always exciting! It happens when I love a manuscript and want to talk to the author to find out more about them and what the see for the book. Usually at some point in the call, I make an offer, but a lot of that depends on what happens during the call.

There is a lot about what authors should ask agents during the call, and you should look for those resources, but not as much as what you might get asked. Every agent is different, but here is what I tend to ask.

“What are you working on next?” 

This is always a question I ask! I look to represent a writer, not just one book, so I want to know what’s next!

“What is your preferred way to communicate?”

I am very flexible with this, but it can give me a good idea of how the author and I will get along and gives me a chance to bring up different ways to communicate if they prefer something other than the phone.

“Are you open to working with a sensitivity reader?”

If it is anything that is not #ownvoices, this is now one of my guaranteed questions. Sometimes, even if it is, because I think it is a good idea to have more than one person look at it because we all have different experiences.

“Specific questions about the book*

This can range from characters to plot to edits I see. I can find out more about why they wrote it or show them things that stood out to me, while I get to find out more about the book and who they are as a writer. So just be ready to talk about the book a lot!

“Who are some authors you would compare yourself to?”

This question can show me where they hope their career goes and where they see themselves on a shelf. It can also be a lead in to find out if they want to be a full time writer, or if they are the kind of person who wants that day job too (both are good!)

“What social media do you use and like the most?”

Social media is not  must, a platform is not a must at all, but this is how I can gauge how comfortable someone is with social media. Even more, it shows me what social media they like to use, which is important! If you don’t like it, you won’t use it.

“What questions do you have for me?”

I will always expect you to have questions, and usually a lot of questions. I have had calls last 15 minutes, I have had calls last an hour.

Those are just some questions i might ask!

Books I’ve Loved in 2016

Here are just some of the books I absolutely loved this year so far and a couple swoon-y sentences on each. These are only my 10/10 books, excluding the obvious.

THE FIVE STAGES OF ANDREW BRAWLEY by Shaun David Hutchinson

This book has stuck with me literally all year, it really gives you all the feels and is brilliantly written.

SALT OT THE SEA by Ruta Sepetys

I will read every book she ever writes. Stunning writing, stories that need to be told.

WE ARE THE ANTS by Shaun David Hutchinson

The premise of this book is great, the execution is flawless. Would you hit the button?

US by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy

The best romance I’ve read all year and it’s m/m + hockey.

THE SERPENT KING by Jeffrey Zentner

This book will punch you in the gut and is the most realistic portrayal of a small town in the Midwest that I’ve ever read. You will sob.

WHEN WE COLLIDED by Emery Lord

My favorite love story of the year with incredible representation and an ending that is brilliant.

You Know Me Well by David Levithan and Nina LeCour

This book is happy and fun and wonderful in every single way. so much joy.

IF I WAS YOUR GIRL by Meredith Russo

So beautifully written, so emotional, and SO needed. Read it. Put it in classrooms. Love it.

TUMBLING by Caela Carter

I read this before the Olympics, but if you are missing gymnastics, pick this up. Each voice is so distinct and you will feel for all of them.

ROCKS FALL, EVERYONE DIES by Lindsay Ribar

 Came for the awesome title, premise and fascinating character, stayed for the most brilliant look at toxic masculinity.