Thank you Linda for inviting me over today!
It's been a year since my novella Cat and The Dreamer was published! There have been lots of changes in my own life in that time, and I started to wonder what else had changed...
Today's topic: Books!
When I think about books from 2012, only one stands out, one trilogy that is... and I didn't even read it. Can you guess? Yep, Fifty Shades of Grey.
I have nothing against erotica, or even badly written books (although a little more so against badly written books - but as I haven't read them I can't judge them). I got a bit miffed when I realised how many people were buying the books, some of them self-confessed non-readers; how many people were buying the trilogy without knowing what it was about; how many seemed to be reading the books because the stylish black cover made them feel like they were reading high literature...
But - but! - what I really couldn't understand was:
- Fifty Shades of Grey: The Classical Album
- Fifty Shades of Grey Party Game
- and the fact that suddenly women wanted to wear lingerie. Didn't they before??
Although, without the books, we'd never have had the parodies:
And then, or at least now, it's barely mentioned, apart from EL James popping up in interviews trying to tell us she's a real writer now!
What books did you love or hate in 2012?
As a teenager, Julia survived a suicide pact, while her best friend Rachel died. Julia’s only escape from her guilt, and her mother’s over-protection, is her imagination. When Adam arrives in the office, Julia’s world takes a startling turn as she realises reality can be much more fun than fantasy. Finally she has someone who can help her make the most of her life. But can she allow herself to be truly happy?
Cat and The Dreamer is available on Kindle UK, Kindle US, Kobo, Nook, iTunes/iBooks, and via Vagabondage Press.
Annalisa Crawford lives and writes in Cornwall with a good supply of beaches and moorland to keep her inspired. She finds endless possibilities in the relationships between people. Several new projects are on the cards for 2013.
Find her on her blog, Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads.
16 comments:
Tee hee! I haven't read 50 Shades either, nor bought any of the off-shoots. I just think there is a world full of good books out there that I need to read first...
My favourite book of this year was probably, Defending Jacob by William Landay, it's a drama cum thriller about when the unthinkable happens to a family and how it copes with it. And there's just the BEST twist at the end.
I can't think of any books I haven't liked but then that's because I only give them 50-100 pages before I give up and forget all about them...
Annalisa, Good luck with the book release and Blog Tour!
I started reading a couple stinkers and deleted them from my Kindle Fire. They were self pubbed freebies that were in serious need of editing.
Linda - thanks so much for hosting the first day of my tour!
Jaxbee - I've read reviews of Defending Jacob, I definitely want to read it at some point.
Stephen - my book is actually a year old, but I'm touring for its birthday! I am currently proofreading something else, I'd hate someone to find even one small error... it makes me shudder to think of it!
Deciding I should judge for myself I read the opening of 50 shades via the Amazon 'look inside feature'. A couple of paragraphs was more than enough for me to decide I could cope with being one of the few who haven't read it.
I really don't get why it was so popular. I know sex sells, but I'm pretty sure there were already plenty of books with sex scenes in them. Mind you I didn't understand the appeal of the Rubik's cubes either. Maybe there's no accounting for such crazes.
I've yet to read Fifty Shades - I have the ebook trilogy which a friend who loved them gifted them to me. But the very thought of reading a book like that sends shivers up my spine. It's like they're too weird for me or something. I have read erotica and books with hot scenes - some erotica may be quite clever in a way, but give me a good old fashioned romance novel any time. Maybe I'm the one who's weird, I don't know!
Patsy - I used the 'look inside' feature too. If I'd had to read the entire book I would have thrown it across the room!
Maria - what I'm opposed to is that people think this bizarre relationship between the two characters is something to aspire to.
If Fifty Shades hadn't been on my Kindle it would have gone flying! Like you, Patsy, I read the first part on Amazon and decided it was a bit unbearable. However, a teacher friend was raving about it so much I thought maybe I was being closed-minded, so I downloaded it, but my initial opinion wasn't altered, unfortunately! Maria, I'm sure you're not weird! We all have our likes and dislikes and they're all valid! Thanks so much for visiting, everyone! :-)
One of the shops where I live was selling Mr. Grey merchandise at Christmas - bleurgh!
Fifty Sheds of Grey, however, is hilarious!
I started to read fifty shades too (my mom lent it to me). Somewhere I'd heard that it was Twilight fanfic. Well, when I got to the reveal, I was sorely disappointed that the book was about a masochist and not a vampire.
I've also heard of a Fifty Shades of Grey musical....
Linda - I've been very surprised at the people who love this book!
Kyra - Christian Grey tree decorations... ? (I might have gone a step too far there!)
Rena - yes, vampires seem much more attractive to me now.
Amy - a musical, really? I'm still struggling to work out how they'll do the film, let alone sing about it!
yes, from smut we find humor...
congrats on your book anniversary!
I managed to get the first one of this trilogy as my secret santa for Christmas at work. I'm not sure what I did to deserve that!
EL tapped into something. I've never read the books either, but I know people who have and they were almost all enchanted.
For me, one of the best books of 2012 was Cat...I have a thing for smart literature. :)
Tara - I'm amazed at how quickly the parodies appeared.
Rebecca - You must have been very good last year :-)
Elizabeth - Thanks for your unwavering support :-)
Ha yes caught a glimpse of The Fifty Sheds the other day!
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