It's Monday; What Are You Reading?

Hello, all! I'm still in the middle of my short reading break and am almost finished rewatching the first season of Alias. But today is Monday and that means that it's time once again for It's Monday! What Are You Reading? hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

Every Monday, Sheila brings together book bloggers from all over the world to share what they read the week before, what they are currently reading, and what they plan to read in the coming week. Many bloggers also choose to share what they've been blogging about the past week or, really, anything they feel like sharing.

Today, I'm sharing a lesson that I learned last week: authors read blogs. To be fair, I knew that this probably happened but to me, especially since I'm still so new at this, that sort of thing happened to other, more established bloggers. Nope. I received a very polite e-mail last week from Jackie Morse Kessler regarding two reviews that I had written about the first two books in her Horsemen of the Apocalypse series. While I wasn't too kind in my review of Hunger, I was much more impressed with Rage. 

Her e-mail was to thank me for my reviews and to explain to me why she didn't use very much physical description, something that I had taken issue with while reading her novels. She was in no way rude or condescending and I stepped away from the encounter not only unscathed, but also with a new understanding. She said that she appreciated my candor (and I have no intention of not being honest in a review) but e-mailing her back and forth gave me an appreciation for what authors have to deal with when they read reviews of their books. She said it herself--you can't please everyone.

I do, however, think that it's important for me as a reviewer to remember that authors do what they do for the enjoyment of it. As a writer, myself, I know that the stories that I put down on paper are, in the end, for me. They're what I enjoy or else I wouldn't have written it down in the first place. While I may not like a book that I read (see my review of The Road for an example of that), I should remember that there are people out there who do, not the least of which is the author. So, no, I won't beat around the bush if I hate a book or, even, if I mildly dislike it. I don't think anyone wants me to be dishonest. I will, however, always be mindful of the fact that somewhere out there is a writer who slaved over that book and who, while wanting criticism, is also looking for encouragement.

Okay, now for the books:

What I Read Last Week: 
-Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman

-Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler

-The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

What I'm Currently Reading: 
-Working for the Devil by Lilith Saintcrow

What I'm Reading This Week: 
-Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

-Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

-Imajica by Clive Barker

-Dead Man Rising by Lilith Saintcrow

-Gabe