Top Ten Favorite Heroines From Books

Thanks to those over at The Broke and Bookish for hosting! i skipped last week since it was a difficult topic, but this one is so easy, I think I could have easily made it into a Top 20!

1. Celaena Sardothien from Throne of Glass

She can literally kick anyone’s ass, but she still likes to wear pretty dresses. She is smart and well, just absolutely amazing.

2. Scout in To Kill a Mockingbid

Yes, i will be reading more from her this summer and I cannot wait.

3. Hermione Granger from Harry Potter

Will she be on everyone’s list? I would think so.

4. Eo from Red Rising

She is barely in the book, but her impact is felt all the way through. It felt like I knew exactly who she was.

5. Vin from Mistborn

If you’ve read Mistborn, then you know exactly why I picked her. If you haven’t, well you should go read it. She is a great character and the books is fantastic.

6. Juliette from Shatter Me

She isn’t the most likable character all the time, but she is complex and in the end, si one of my absolute favorite for those complexities.

7. Lara Jean from To All the Boys I Loved Before

She stuck with me for so long after I read this book. That voice! This is such a character-driven book 9even though the plot is great too).

8. Emma Sasha Silver from Blind.

This character is so realistic and authentic. I don’t know how an author who hasn’t been there managed to write a blind character so perfectly, but she did.

9. Macallan from Better off Friends

When I read this book, I felt like she was a friend of mine. .

10. Cath from Fangirl

I have said many times that this is one of my favorite books of all time, and so much of that is because of Cath.

LoveAThon High Five!

Hope everyone is having as much fun as I am!

We are encouraged to talk about our current High Five for several categories. What is the high five? Things that are making us happy!

Books

1. Red Rising and Golden Son – read them last month but still can’t get these books and characters out of my head.

2. Ms Marvel Volume 1: No Normal – These comics are amazing. I LOVE it.

3. Throne of Glass series – read books 2 and 3 in one week. Fantastic!

4. Thunder Point series – I am new to romance and this series is a great way to step into it. Please let me know if you have similar recommendations.

5. Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel – this was one of my favorite reads from last year and every time I think of it, I think of that fantastic voice. A must-read!

Genres

1. Women’s/book club fiction – always looking for great new books in this genre

2. Contemporary YA – so many great books in this genre coming out. I can never catch up, but i will enjoy!

3. Romance – I am newer to the genre, but i have fallen instantly. I love the strong heroines.

4. Cozy mystery – I have been in a cozy mood and they always make me happy.

5. Fantasy YA – I thought i was sick of this genre, but I have read some amazing books lately. I am being selective, but the ones I choose to read are great.

I am not picking favorite authors or bloggers – it is too hard to choose and I don’t want anyone to feel left out!

Merch/website

1. Book Riot

2. Huffington Post Books

3. The Toast

4. Femsplain

5. Sporcle (fun quizzes about books and everything else!)

LoveAThon Snapshots: Book Tour

I have never showed you my “shelves” before, so I thought this was a great chance!

The first spot is a drawer under my bed, not a shelf. These books tend to be books my husband finishes (or gives up on) and throws to my bed of the bed. I put them in this drawer and…usually forget about them for a couple months. Baymax and Tigger wanted to say hi too!

Here are  our main bookshelves. They are organized…oddly. One the left, the top, middle, and bottom shelves are mainly books I want to read. The other two are books my husband wants to read. Of corse there is crossover. The shelves on the right are what we both want to read.

And shots of just part of my levels

And our shared shelves.

Did I mention that ALL these shelves are double stacked?

Plus my stack of ARCs I have’t gotten on the shelves yet (and the guitars we need to learn to play).

And the pile of books I have gotten from awesome editors (right) and my library books (left)

And finally, my Nook, with a couple dozen more books (and many many manuscripts!)SO MANY BOOKS. I could not buy a book for the next 5 years and probably be okay. We all know that will never happen though.

I just realized I didn’t even include our favorites shelf with all books we have finished and want to keep forever!

LoveaThon Book Spine Poetry

Hope everyone is having a great Saturday! I have never tried these before, so they are less poems and more just…interesting. Though the last two are pretty dark…oops!

Strippers, showgirls, and sharks, yes please!

Hold still, evil genius, if I ever get out of here, kill me softly.

The twelve redshirts forget me behind the beautiful forevers.

2015 Book Blogger Love-a-Thon Questionnaire

Really looking forward to participating in this!

1. What’s your name?
Caitie Flum

2. Where in the world are you blogging from?
New Jersey/New York (if my lunch break)

3. How did you get into blogging in the first place?
I started after I graduated from college and was looking for a job in publishing. I wanted to still talk to people about books!

4. How did you come up with your blog name?
I was writing about things in publishing and wanted the URL to be my name! I know, not very exciting.

5. What genre do you read and review the most on your blog?
I am pretty eclectic, so you will see a mix of everything.

6. What other types of posts do you do on your blog, apart from reviews?
I just started a new series on agenting, and lists are a lot of fun!

7. Best blogging experience so far?
Meeting other bloggers at events!

8. Favorite thing about the blogging community?
Everyone is so nice and welcoming. It is a great place for anyone who loves books

9. Name the 5 books you’re most excited for this 2015!

This is too hard! Hmm, in no order (and I am sure I forgot many!)
1. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas
2. The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows
3. Winter by Marissa Meyer
4. Deep by Kylie Scott
5. Armada by Ernest Cline

10. What’s an underrated book or series that you think everyone should read?

Ms Marvel

11. Apart from reading, what are your other hobbies or interests?

So many! Playing board games, musical theater, watching TV, cooking, and SO much more.

12. Apart from book shopping, what else do you like shopping for?

Music – I love so many types of music and can spend far too much time listening and deciding what to buy.

13.At a party, the DJ suddenly changes the song – and it’s your song. What song would be playing?

Right now? Brave by Sara Bareillis. I love that song so much. Or something by Taylor Swift

14..Pick out either a book you want turned into a film/TV show, or a film/TV show you want turned into a book.

I would love to see Throne of Glass as a TV series.

Life in Agenting – 2: Querying: Do’s and Don’ts

Everyone always seems to have the most questions about queries: how to write one, what needs to be in it  Instead of just saying this is how you write a query, I want to share some of the do’s and don’ts when querying me.

Some background – I have read and replied to over 600 queries since opening up to them a month ago (EDIT: This was an estimate, I just looked and it was over 1,000). That is a lot of queries and that is all outside of work hours. If you query me, you will most likely get a response late at night or on the weekend. Those queries are what inspired this post.

DO include a great hook
What is your book? What makes it great? Figure it out, write a sentence, and make that the first thing I read. A great hook instantly has me excited and hoping that the rest of the query is amazing. I have requested pages when the hook is amazing and the rest of the query is good.

DO write a clear summary
So often, I read the main part of the query and have no idea what the book is about. I couldn’t tell you who the main character is, what the central plot is, or even sometimes the genre!

DO have someone unfamiliar with your book read your summary
That is how you make sure that it is clear. Find someone you know who doesn’t know your book or a community online that you can get someone to read your query. Have them explain back to you what your book is about. You will be able to tell if it is clear.

DON’T tell me your life story
There are so many queries I get that have more about the writer than the book. If you are writing fiction, just a couple sentences are enough. I tend to skim the long bios and probably miss the information that might matter. There needs to be a bigger bio for nonfiction, but some people list every paper they have ever been on and all their media exposure. I just need the highlights!

DON’T be a jerk
I know, it should be obvious, but I have gotten many queries with racism, sexism, and classism. I have also gotten responses to rejections that call me a bitch or say I am going to hell. The only response you should ever send is “Thank you for your time”. But you don’t have to send that.

DO your research
At least to the point where you know I am the right person to send something to. I still get lots of books I don’t represent and those are the easiest to reject. But I hate that everyone’s time was wasted.

DON’T agonize over that personalized paragraph
If you don’t have a personalized paragraph, it won’t keep me from requesting pages if the query is great. That said, those personalizations sometimes turn a maybe request pages to a yes.Not because the person said they follow me on twitter or read my blog, but because they saw I love x book, TV show, or movie and their book is like that is y way. Or they change their comps (accurately!) to things I love. Don’t say your book is like something just because i love it though – I need to see that while I am reading the query

DO query one project at a time
Only one project per query and only one query at a time. If I get four queries in a row from you, I probably won’t take any of them as seriously. I am probably not the right person for all the books. It is fine to be querying multiple projects at once, just end the one you think is the best fit first, then wait a little until you send the second.

DON’T be scared
I want every query I get to be amazing. I want to fall in love with your pitch. I want to want to see pages. I do this because I love working with authors.

DO keep going if I reject you
I am often not the right person for the project. You want someone who loves what you are doing to represent you. I am one person and there are a lot of agents out there.

Good luck!

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas

Title: Crown of Midnight 
Author: Sarah J Maas
Paperback: 448 pages
Pub Date: Aug 27, 2013
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Rating: +++++

Summary from goodreads:

Celaena Sardothien is the king’s Champion—yet she is far from loyal to the crown, for the man she serves is bent on evil. But working against her master in secret is no easy task. As Celaena tries to untangle the mysteries buried within the glass castle, she can trust no one, not even her supposed allies Crown Prince Dorian, Captain of the Guard Chaol, and foreign princess Nehemia.

Then, an unspeakable tragedy shatters Celaena’s world. She must decide once and for all where her loyalties lie . . . and whom she will fight for.

Review:

This book is even better than the first. Why oh why did it take me so long to read this series? I am reading book 3 next, no waiting! I will forever read everything Sarah J Maas every writer.

Her characters are AMAZING. Celaena is officially my favorite heroine in YA. She is ridiculously smart, she could kill you, she loves fiercely, she will do anything for her dog. She is just the best. And her friends and enemies are just as awesome. There are no flat characters in these books (even a door knocker has a strong personality!).

The plot is SO good. There were so many little things put into the first book that are expanded on in this one and it was done expertly. This book could be master class for how to write the second book in a series. It never felt like filler, it never dragged, and it was perfection. I won’t say more because spoilers, but there is some love and some hate.

Read this series. You won’t regret it. Well, unless you hate having feelings because this book will give you ALL of them.

Mini-Reviews

It is that time again – mini reviews because I have less time!

Title: I Heart NY
Author: Lindsey Kelk
eBook: 322 pages
Pub Date: Sept 2010
Publisher: HarperCollins
Rating: +++

Summary from goodreads:

.When you’re running away from a broken heart, there’s only one place to go…Adjusting tiaras at the foot of the aisle, Angela and her best friend prepare for the wedding of the year. But events don’t go as planned. And when a girl is in possession of a crumpled bridesmaid dress – and can’t go home – New York (for the very first time) seems like an excellent idea.

Angela’s new friend Jenny Lopez gives Angela a whirlwind tour of the city that never sleeps, and a makeover. Who hasn’t dreamed of starting afresh with a sassy New York wardrobe, a new haircut and a trip to the make-up counter? Before she knows it, the new Angela is getting over her broken heart by having dinner with two different boys. And, best of all, she gets to write about it in her fabulous new blog. But it’s one thing telling readers all about your romantic dilemmas. It’s another trying to figure them out for yourself!

Review:

This book was….fine. It is a fun romance, but it didn’t feel like anything that special. It was such a love letter to New York, which was fun, but it wasn’t a unique love letter. The obsession with bags and shoes just irritated me, mostly because I don’t know anyone who is that obsessed with their accessories.

Things came a little to easy to Angela. She arrives makes a new BFF (who happens to have her roommate moving out) instantly, she meets guys right away, and lands a job without much work. The stakes were never that high and the choice felt obvious.

It wasn’t bad – if you are looking for a fun, quick romance you should read it, I just expected more from it.

Title: Redshirts
Author: John Scalzi
Hardcover: 320 pages
Pub Date: June 5, 2012
Publisher: Tor Books
Rating: +++++

Summary from goodreads:

Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It’s a prestige posting, and Andrew is thrilled all the more to be assigned to the ship’s Xenobiology laboratory. Life couldn’t be better…until Andrew begins to pick up on the fact that:
(1) every Away Mission involves some kind of lethal confrontation with alien forces
(2) the ship’s captain, its chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these confrontations
(3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed.

Not surprisingly, a great deal of energy below decks is expended on avoiding, at all costs, being assigned to an Away Mission. Then Andrew stumbles on information that completely transforms his and his colleagues’ understanding of what the starship Intrepid really is…and offers them a crazy, high-risk chance to save their own lives

Review:

This is one of the most fun books i have ever read! if you like science fiction at all, you should read it. If you have ever enjoyed an episode of Star Trek, why haven’t you read it yet? It took me a while and I regret not reading it sooner.

I am not going to spoil anything, but pick this book up. It is so much fun to read. I laughed out loud so many times and the writing is brilliant.

Title: I Am Not a Serial Killer
Author: Dan Wells
Hardcover: 272 pages
Pub Date: March 2010
Publisher: Tor Books
Rating: ++

Summary from goodreads:

John Wayne Cleaver is dangerous, and he knows it. He’s spent his life doing his best not to live up to his potential. He’s obsessed with serial killers, but really doesn’t want to become one. So for his own sake, and the safety of those around him, he lives by rigid rules he’s written for himself, practicing normal life as if it were a private religion that could save him from damnation.

Dead bodies are normal to John. He likes them, actually. They don’t demand or expect the empathy he’s unable to offer. Perhaps that’s what gives him the objectivity to recognize that there’s something different about the body the police have just found behind the Wash-n-Dry Laundromat—and to appreciate what that difference means. Now, for the first time, John has to confront a danger outside himself, a threat he can’t control, a menace to everything and everyone he would love, if only he could.

Review:

So this book was not what I was expecting. It starts off as one thing and then turned into something completely different, which I found disappointing. The second it changed over, i lost almost all interest in the book. The writing is fine, and I found the main character fascinating, but it just wasn’t for me.

Life in Agenting – 1

In addition to my assisting and audio duties, I am now also working to take on my own clients. It is REALLY exciting and I am still pinching myself sometimes! I am also incredibly busy and won’t be posting as much. You may see more lists and mini-reviews.

But I do want to talk about agenting, so I am starting a new series I am calling “Life in Agenting”, where I will talk about being an agent, what an agent does, what I look for specifically and more. I may even get some other awesome people to guest post as well.

The first thing I wanted to do was talk about what I am looking for, in general.

In adult fiction, I am looking for commercial and upmarket fiction with great characters and superb writing. I am especially interested in historical fiction, mysteries/thrillers of all kinds (if I got a cozy series or detective series I would be very happy, drug cartels are not really for me) magical realism, romance, and book club fiction.

In YA and NA, I am looking for romance, historical fiction, mysteries and thrillers, and contemporary books with diverse characters. I love funny/nerdy books.

In nonfiction, I am looking for memoirs that make people look at the world differently, narrative nonfiction that’s impossible to put down, books on pop culture, theater, current events, women’s issues, and humor.

I am NOT looking for middle grade, picture books, science fiction and fantasy at any age, westerns, or military fiction.

This book blog has hundreds of reviews, so you should be able to get an idea of my taste, but again, I am not currently looking to represent science fiction or fantasy. For submission info, head over to Liza Dawson Associates.

Now tell me, what do YOU want to see in the Life in Agenting? What do you want to know more about? Let me know in the comments.

Top 10 Books I Want to Read in the Historical Fiction Genre

Thanks to the lovely readers over at The Broke and the Bookish for hosting!

This week’s theme is Top Ten Books I Can’t Believe I Haven’t/Want To Read From X Genre. I spent a while trying to figure out what genre, since I like almost all of them. I really want to read some historical fiction soon, so I chose that one! It was close – I almost picked memoirs, mysteries or contemporary YA.

These are all books that have been on my TBR list and that look absolutely amazing.

1. Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

2. The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty

3. The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grisson

4. The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

5. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

6. The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

7. The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley

8. Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

9. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

10. The Boleyn King by Laura Andersen