Sunday, September 14, 2014

The #NYTimes Top 15 (20) #Bestsellers for the week ending Sept 10 PLUS Blog Updates!


Welcome! I hope you all have had another GREAT week of reading! 
This post is up every Sunday by NOON and sometimes earlier! 

PLEASE READ WHAT I HAVE TO SAY AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST. You may be JUST as SHOCKED as I was about this list. We have LOST 20% of this list, which is why this post is LATE! Such a SAD thing to lose.

Okay! How was your week of reading? I hope GREAT! I did not have an enjoyable week of reading this week. I always usually read two books a week almost all the time unless life throws in a curve ball! You all know those types of weeks!, and by Sunday, I am generally ready to start a new one, except not this week. I only read one book this week, and I was having to twist my own arm to read it, to pick it up, to finish it, but it was not enjoyable reading 'for myself' at all. I was forcing myself to get to the end. I did succeed in finishing it. I only continued on to the end because I felt I had to since I got this book from NetGalley, from the publisher. I really try hard to post reviews on the release dates for the books, but it didn't happen this time. 
This was my first Tana French book, and I was really looking forward to reading this book. I had heard she was one of the best mystery writers, but after I stared reading this book, I SOON started to dread reading this book. Something was missing from this book for me, and it's simple, really. She never gave me a character I cared about. If the author could have just taken one little step further for me and added a way I could connect with just ONE of the characters, I really think I could have LOVED this book. However, this author did not bring that most important factor into this book, which in my opinion is the MOST vital for ANY book. The personal touch. A character to care about, a character you can relate to, a character who made you want to pick this book back up and keep reading about them. 
What was the book? "The Secret Place" by Tana French. 
It made #5 on the Bestseller list this week, too! SHOCK! Although, then again, given a her name, alone, it is no surprise to me. 
I read a few reviews on Amazon, and it sounds like either you are going to love this book or not, and if you are new to this author like I was, this is NOT the book to start with, so the Reviewers said. You'll get to read about it my review when I write it.  



I have the review almost completely written, and I'll post it on Monday evening. You'll see why I did not like the book and why it was so hard to read - for myself. I probably should have put it down and just picked up a new book instead of hanging on and trying to finish this one. It's going to be a 50/50 thing with this book. You will love it, or hate it. Wow! The author is long-winded, or so it seemed, but then again who am I to say because "I" am long-winded, too! LOL!!!

Are women the BEST crime writers? Check out this interesting article HERE! 

Now I'm reading "The Art of Arranging Flowers" by Lynne Brenard. LOOK at this cover!! I LOVE it! It matches my blog! Now this one, it's a CHARM! I NEEDED a book like this one! It truly is a simple, beautiful and enjoyable book which I need now after reading a really heavy one!



GIVEAWAYS

*Check out the KINDLE FIRE HDX #GIVEAWAY in the LEFT SIDE COLUMN!

*Next Saturday, September 20th, starts the "Stuck in Books Giveaway Hop!" It runs until the 25th, so it's a short one! Don't miss it!

Now, let's get to the books!

FICTION: COMBINED PRINT AND EBOOK
All books link directly to the book. When you click on the title or the photo of the book, it will take you directly to the book! From there, if you prefer print, you can click on the print version, or whatever version you prefer!

1.  Personal by Lee Child
ebook $10.99
print:  $16.45



2. Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good by Jan Karon
ebook: $11.99
print:   $16.77



3. The Eye of Heaven by Clive Cussler and Russell Brooke
ebook: $11.99
print:   $18.42



4. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
ebook: $7.99
print:   $8.97



5. The Secret Place by Tana French
ebook: $11.99
print:   $16.77



6. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
ebook: $4.99
print:   $7.08



7. Mean Streak by Sandra Brown
ebook: $12.99
print:   $23.40



8. Dark Blood by Christine Freehan
ebook: $10.99
print:   $16.04



9. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
ebook: $10.99
print:   $16.16



10. The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell
ebook: $10.99
print:   $18.00



11. One More Chance by Abbi Glines
ebook: $7.59
print:   $9.49



12. Son of No One by Sherrilyn Kenyon
ebook: $12.99
print:   $ 7.19



13. Countdown by Fern Michaels
ebook: $2.51
No print edition available



14. The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks
ebook: $7.99
print:   $7.20



15. Sycamore Row by John Grisham
ebook: $7.80
print:   $7.23



Wow!! The New York Times has CHANGED the TOP bestseller list now! Now they ONLY show the Top 20 books/authors! No more Top 25! This is a HUGE CHANGE! I feel like I've just been punched in the stomach when I look at this list now. I guess you aren't good enough now unless you are among the top 20 authors??? UGH! I'm EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED at the New York Times' decision to do this. WHY? I feel this is VERY WRONG, and I, as a Reader, want to know WHY???
This list CHANGES EVERYTHING! Are they now telling us an author is ONLY a good author if you are among the Top 20 books now? Looks that way. 
There are SO MANY GREAT BOOKS OUT THERE, but this NEW list is going to CUT THE CHANCES OF THOSE GREAT BOOKS EVER HAVING A CHANCE TO MAKE THIS LIST by a whopping 20%!! This change is dramatic! I am feeling the ONLY thing this list stands for now is SALES and sales ONLY because even if it is only 5 LESS BOOKS, 5 LESS AUTHORS, this list is now only a NUMBERS GAME. Yes, it was before, too, but authors has MORE of a chance of hitting this list than they EVER do now! 
5 less books/authors out of 25 is HUGE! We lost 20% of NEW books/authors! Are authors now less prestigious more than ever now since this list dropped by 20% LAST WEEK and you ONLY hit the top twenty books in sales now? This change is A HUGE DETRIMENT TO AUTHORS! 
IMO, 'This list' used to be "THE LIST AUTHORS STRIVED TO MAKE IT ON"! It was to show the world YOU have done something HUGE! Not anymore! I have just LOST ALL RESPECT FOR THIS LIST. This list means NOTHING to me because the ONLY authors who we are going to see on this list will be the everyday, run of the mill LARGE NAMED AUTHORS who we expect to be on it week after week in the first place.
SUCH A LOSS, SUCH A LOSS.

This list almost makes me want to reconsider writing this Post week after week now, especially since we probably won't see the NEW up and coming authors like we have in the past. 20% is a HUGE number.

A 20% loss is sad!

Well, here are the last 5 books/authors (which used to be 10) for THIS week. You have a GREAT week ahead! Please don't forget to come back by! Wishing you the BEST reading ahead!
Thanks for reading this week!
Laurie


  • MURDER 101, by Faye Kellerman (Morrow)
  • SHIFTING SHADOWS, by Patricia Briggs (Ace)
  • DRAGONFLY IN AMBER, by Diana Gabaldon (Dell)
  • THE GOLDFINCH, by Donna Tartt (Little, Brown)
  • ORPHAN TRAIN, by Christina Baker Kline (Morrow/HarperCollins)
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