Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Susan's Book Talk: How Many Makes a Trend?
Maybe it's a byproduct of that Thursday Thirteen I did about the Fake Bands site (which, according to its owner, won't be updated anytime soon). Maybe it's because I took the advice of many of you groupies and am working on my own listing of books about rock and roll. Maybe it's just because something's in the air.
BUT.
All of a sudden, I'm hearing about all these books that are coming out/have been released relatively recently that focus on ... what else? Rock and roll in some form.
First is Sheila Copeland's Diamond Revelation. This came out last November; I only found it because I'm that far behind in my print copies of Publishers Weekly.
Then came my dear resource Winter (which is better than a friend), telling me about Kathy Love's Vampire Band. I'm waiting for these books to show up in my PO Box so I can check them out.
More lately is Jeri Smith-Ready and her latest release, Wicked Game.
And last, Stephanie Kuehnert's I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone.
Yep, they're all on this Rock and Roll Fiction page I'm working on for the website. Don't worry if you don't click through and buy them now. You'll be able to once I finish with the new webpage.
Seems like a trend, huh? We've got vamp bands, young adult books about how girls relate to music, "an insider's view of the music industry, replete with money, materialism, jealousy, deception, sex, and cold hearted ambition" (says Publisher's Weekly).
So where's the book about the bass player who finds his life turned upside down the day after his best friend and partner-in-crime goes out and lands a date with a girl all by his lonesome?
Sometimes, when you step back and ponder if your view of things is correct, patience is a virtue that sucks big toes. Ya know? Even when you know the circumstances behind the delays, even when you agree that yes, there should be delays in this case...
I've never been patient. Ever. I keep telling myself that this is what I'm supposed to be learning right now: patience. It'll happen when the time is right, and I probably won't know when the time is right, no matter how much I want it to be right spanking now.
But, on a happy side, there's four or five books for all of us to read while we wait. One thing I hear over and over again is that books about rock stars don't sell.
There's four (or five, depending on how many of the Kathy Love books you pick up) chances to prove that credo wrong.
Let's go for it.
BUT.
All of a sudden, I'm hearing about all these books that are coming out/have been released relatively recently that focus on ... what else? Rock and roll in some form.
First is Sheila Copeland's Diamond Revelation. This came out last November; I only found it because I'm that far behind in my print copies of Publishers Weekly.
Then came my dear resource Winter (which is better than a friend), telling me about Kathy Love's Vampire Band. I'm waiting for these books to show up in my PO Box so I can check them out.
More lately is Jeri Smith-Ready and her latest release, Wicked Game.
And last, Stephanie Kuehnert's I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone.
Yep, they're all on this Rock and Roll Fiction page I'm working on for the website. Don't worry if you don't click through and buy them now. You'll be able to once I finish with the new webpage.
Seems like a trend, huh? We've got vamp bands, young adult books about how girls relate to music, "an insider's view of the music industry, replete with money, materialism, jealousy, deception, sex, and cold hearted ambition" (says Publisher's Weekly).
So where's the book about the bass player who finds his life turned upside down the day after his best friend and partner-in-crime goes out and lands a date with a girl all by his lonesome?
Sometimes, when you step back and ponder if your view of things is correct, patience is a virtue that sucks big toes. Ya know? Even when you know the circumstances behind the delays, even when you agree that yes, there should be delays in this case...
I've never been patient. Ever. I keep telling myself that this is what I'm supposed to be learning right now: patience. It'll happen when the time is right, and I probably won't know when the time is right, no matter how much I want it to be right spanking now.
But, on a happy side, there's four or five books for all of us to read while we wait. One thing I hear over and over again is that books about rock stars don't sell.
There's four (or five, depending on how many of the Kathy Love books you pick up) chances to prove that credo wrong.
Let's go for it.
Labels: Susan's Book Talk
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Maybe the suits and the sales-types in the publishing industry will realize that yes, books about rock stars DO sell if they're good stories about interesting characters, a description which fits to a T a certain outstanding, character-driven novel about a toasted marshmallow bass-player! :)
Hang in there, my friend! The way is being paved for Trevor to strut down the red carpet.
Hang in there, my friend! The way is being paved for Trevor to strut down the red carpet.
I guess the takeaway here is that although publishers try to know the market, the market is ultimately unknowable until after the fact.
I do hope you find yourself on the crest of a new wave! Aren't readers tired of vampires and shoe-obsessed Bridget Jones wannabes yet? It's time for something different!
I do hope you find yourself on the crest of a new wave! Aren't readers tired of vampires and shoe-obsessed Bridget Jones wannabes yet? It's time for something different!
I've always wondered about the No Rock Star rule. I love reading about Rock stars. Bring it on, I say. :)
Well, I for one want to read about rock n roll! And I'm willing to put my money where my mouth is. I love reading the Bios of rock stars for a start and I will check out these fiction based books. Now I'm just waiting for Trevor's Song....
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