Ok, so here we go with another thing I’m terrified of (I seriously have issues — first this, then this and now we have to have this discussion). I have a lot of bookish fears that I’ve been realizing lately.
This one crept up on me because…gulp…a ton of my favorite authors have new books that have either come out recently (Gayle Forman, Ruta Sepetys) or that are due out this year (Jessi Kirby, Stephanie Perkins, Sarah Dessen, Sara Zarr, David Levithan).
It goes something like this:
Breaking News: My favorite author has a new book out!
I wait, and wait and wait for what seems like forever.
As the release date draws nearer….reality sneaks up like the bitch she is and says,” HEY, there’s a chance you could REALLY REALLY hate your fave new author’s book. What nowwww?”
And that thought gives me the case of the major sads, dear friends. I mean, there’s always that potential of not enjoying a book when we pick it up….but the bar is set so HIGH with a favorite author. They have already moved you, enraptured you in their story or beautiful prose or gave you characters to love. Your heart is already theirs. It’s just a different sort of feeling. Who wants to hate their favorite authors newest book? (I have this similar problem with my favorite bands when they put out new albums).
A lot of the times I end up loving the new books. Maybe not as much or maybe in a different way but I think there is something there initially, at least in my own experiences, that had me declaring “favorite author status” (which I’ve totally done after one book because I feel so strongly) in the first place — something that in some way makes its way into other books. Sometimes there is a dud unfortunately. And that is an awful feeling. The one that had me terrified the most recently? Just One Day by Gayle Forman. I LOVE Gayle Forman. Her books just do things to my heart that make me remember why I love reading so much and she creates the most memorable characters. Luckily I LOVED Just One Day SO MUCH but I was seriously afraid of that feeling of “Uh oh…I’m not digging this so much” because I wanted to love it so much. (PS. I’m always super aware if I’m just being blinded by “favorite author status” when I’m reading. I take a bit to digest and think through it before I review just based on OMG THIS IS MY FAVE AUTHOR).
So I want to know…do you ever feel this way when it comes to your favorite author’s newest book coming out? Or am I the only neurotic weirdo that things of these things? Do you find that you end up loving it because, as I mentioned, there’s just something THERE that made them your fave in the first place? Have you ever unfortunately NOT LOVED a book put out by your favorite author? What are some books coming out soon by your favorite authors that you are looking forward to? Have you ever felt blinded because it was a favorite author to sit back later and think, “hmm that wasn’t that great.” Is it easy for you to get back into their works after a dud?
Sarah O says
SO MUCH TRUTH. I’ve been through that before. It happened with Sarah Dessen and Lock and Key, Jennifer Echols with Love Story… I never hated either of those, but they never gave me that feeling I was waiting for. Basically, I have high expectations and then I worry that I won’t like it because my expectations are SO high so then I’m reading the book and every 5 seconds I’m thinking OMG DO I LOVE THIS? I CAN’T TELL HOW I FEEL. I DON’T THINK I LOVE IT. Yeah in kinda neurotic. I just want so badly to love things and get that warm fuzzy feeling from them. I can’t even tell you how much I’m almost dreading Isla because even though Stephanie Perkins is brilliant, things still happen and I just want to love it! Basically what I’m saying is you are not alone. I also have a touch of the crazies about these things.
Jamie says
YES it’s really SO MUCH about the expectations! I mean we know the bar we have set because of how AMAZING their other books have been so it’s hard because probably, especially if they write a ton of books, can’t have each book be at THAT level for me at each time. That would be nice if so. YES so nervous for Isla. It’s like…I TRUST my fave authors but I know sometimes things just don’t resonate in the same way always.
Thanks, as always, for your super thoughtful comment! <3 You are the best!
Lulufrances says
I’ve never quite felt like this as I don’t read that many books by the same author usually (that sounds weird) because my reading range is wide and I want to try many authors. Agh I don’t know how to explain this properly but never mind! However, I do know that an author can kind of be spoiled for me as it happened with Nora Roberts. I got her wedding planner series from the library (forgot the names…man I’m terrible today!) and I quite enjoyed them. Then in summer I got The Witness from the library as well and that was soooo tedious I could hardly finish it but I managed somehow. Now I don’t feel like reading anymore Nora Roberts! xx
Jamie says
You know..now that I think about it..it’s kind of funny because I realized looking at my GR that I don’t read a lot of the same authors. I’m also about variety. A lot of my authors seem to be newer authors who have a few books out but are still coming out with more. Interesting!
That stinks about your Nora experience! I find that I also don’t feel like reading from that author for a bit if their latest disappoints me!
Thanks for sharing your opinion and experience!
Chelsea says
Long time reader, infrequent commenter (trying to remedy!) I love reading your blog 🙂 I’ve tagged you in a get to know you game if you want to play along. http://mynoveladdiction.wordpress.com/2013/02/21/tagged/
Camilla P. says
Hi there! This is my first comment here, so before I get to write it I’d like to say I think your blog is very cute 🙂
Anyway… I have this problem, too, but just sometimes. I try to ignore it and to defeat it by leaving the books on my shelves, resting for a while. In the meantime, my “oh-my-goodness s/he published a NEW BOOK!” fever calms down and I feel like I can approach the book with the right attitude. I have to feel it’s the right momento to read that certain book. So, in my case, it’s just a matter of timing!
(Hope my comment makes sense, English isn’t my first language)
Jamie says
Aw thank you! <3
YES. It really IS about the timing a lot of times! I'm such a mood reader. I need to be in the right mind frame to read certain genres or types of books. Makes total sense and I wouldn't have known English is not your first language 🙂
Camilla P. says
You’re welcome ^__^
I’m so glad I’m not the only one that acts this way 😀
And I’m glad my English is good enough, I’m always afraid I cannot express well what I mean.
Henry Circle says
Actually, I’m the opposite. When a fave author puts out a new book, I expect to love it, and I’m more open to being swept away in the story. I’m more lenient on the authors as a whole because I feel they’ve already proved themselves.
Jamie says
So interesting! I think that is why perhaps, now as a reviewer, that I AM hyper aware of if I’m being lenient or blinded by the fact they are my fave author! I totally wasn’t that way before.
Thanks for your thoughts! Love a different perspective to think about!
Mary @ BookSwarm says
After my own Carlton dance, I’m right there with you, reader friend! I have books on my shelf from Andrea Cremer, John Green and tons more because WHAT IF I DON’T LIKE THE STORY?!? (side note: was recently disappointed by a favorite author and now it’s made me even more wary. *curls up in fetal position*)
Jamie says
Haha we s hould all do gifs of our own Carlton dances 😛
YES I loooove John Green and I haven’t touched TFIOS yet. A lot because of the hype a nd I don’t want to be the only one who couldn’t get into it. hahah. But I’m crazy because HOW do I know that will happen at all??? I will probs love it.
OH NO. *sends chocolate* Hate feeling disappointed by a favorite! Was it that you didn’t connect in the same way? (sometimes I feel bad bc I compare books too much haha) or was it just a dud??
Leah @ The Pretty Good Gatsby says
When it comes to my favorite authors, I have complete faith in them. There’s a reason I keep coming back to them after all!
Admittedly, there have been a few bumps along the way (Coupland’s The Gum Thief didn’t grab me nearly as much as JPod, Anansi Boys, Gaiman’s sort-of sequel to American Gods was nowhere near as fantastic as its predecessor, and when I recently read Moore’s debut Practical Demonkeeping it definitely didn’t live up to his current work, but again, it was a debut and I was far more lenient), but my circle of favorites are always consistent where their writing and I feel confident picking up a new release and knowing I’m in for a good time. 🙂
Jamie says
That’s the hard thing..I SO have faith in my authors but just WHAT IF I don’t connect with a book like I did previously!? That thought KILLS me…despite the utmost faith I have in my fave authors.
I think that is a huge thing –when an author proves consistent. Maybe I feel this way because a few of my favorite authors only have 1 or 2 books out. Hard to gauge that at this point! Though obviously some of my faves have a TON out.
Leah @ The Pretty Good Gatsby says
haha oh man. There were a few debuts I read and immediately hailed the writers as my new favorites. …until their second book came out. I’ve certainly been known to jump the gun a bit early sometimes. But, on the other hand, there are also a few writers I ADORE who only have one or two fantastic books out and I can only hope they get better with age. LIKE WINE MMM.
& speaking of authors with roughly a million books under their belt, James Patterson and Danielle Steele are the bane of my existence. 🙁 WHY. I’m not sure about Danielle, but ol’ Jamesy mentioned once he publishes 12 books a year. A BOOK A MONTH. Now, as a bookseller, this means I’ve got to work some Tetris magic and somehow fit all these books into an itty bitty section. Personally I haven’t read either of their books, but I feel there comes a point where you kind of lose your steam. They can possibly be able to consistently write SUPER AMAZING books when there’s a new one out each month.
Totally rambly, and I kind of lost focus of where I was headed, but it had to do with authors of only one/two books managing to be consistent and great and authors who sell millions upon millions not necessarily being up to par.
Ariel @ One Little Library says
I’m usually super excited to hear of my favorite authors coming out with a new book, but I have been disappointed before. I read a few by David Levithan and was thinking he might be my new favorite author…until I read Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares. BUMMER. That kinda ruined it, and I haven’t been too excited to read anything else of his.
Jamie says
Aw sad! I hate when that happens! I really liked Dash & Lily (curious to know what didn’t work for you!). ALSO..if you are wanting to try him again…Every Day was AMAZING. One of my favorites of last year.
Stormy says
I do this ALL THE TIME. My weighty expectations sometimes actually paralyze me from reading a book. At the moment, I haven’t read Scarlet BECAUSE of this. I know Cinder was Marissa Meyer’s first book, but I loved it so much that it became an instant favorite for me, and even though everyone says Scarlet’s even better, I just can’t stop the running thought process in my mind that says no way, what if it’s not awesome? Reading a book by a favorite author makes me just add all sort of pressure to love a book right away.
Jamie says
YES! I just wrote about this same topic a few weeks ago but with books in a series. I am PARALYZED. That’s such the perfect word that I’m mad I didn’t use it in my post 😛
I still need to read Cinder!!
“reading a book by a favorite author makes me just add all sorts of pressure to love a book right away.” YES THIS. WHY DO WE DO THIS TO OURSELVES??
Christina (A Reader of Fictions) says
You are totally not a neurotic weirdo. There’s always that chance, especially when the bar is set so high. I mean, I’ve read books by authors I love that weren’t BAD but they were four instead of the five I was counting on, so I remember them with disappointment, even though, had I not had such high expectations, I probably would have been telling everyone how awesome the book is. This is basically about how scary expectations are.
Jamie says
Thank you for making me feel less like a crazypants. Will gets all side eyed when I start bringing these things up…which prompts me to write these posts because HE JUST DOESNT UNDERSTAND. I try to say it in terms of like…well what if playstation 4 is just NOT AS AMAZING AS PS3. Or if the new FIFA suuuucks and you built it up all this time? But it doesn’t work..because books are better and make us feel more things 😛
YES. That’s a great point. The ones that don’t achieve that 5 star OMG AMAZING for us do tend to enter our minds as a disappointment and that is how we think of it. I always wonder if that was the first book I read by an author would I have loved it more? Given it higher praise?
Kimberly says
I can so relate to this!
Jamie says
Woo! Glad I’m not the only one!
Brittany @ The Book Addict's Guide says
Ohhh Jamie. I totally know what you mean! And these are healthy, realistic fears. Nothin’ wrong with that haha.
FORTUNATELY it hasn’t happened with any of my favorite authors… yet. But I do fear the day it comes! I’m with you – I WAS SO SCARED ABOUT JUST ONE DAY. I mean, all the love for IIS/WSW was enormous that I was terrified that I wasn’t going to like JOD and I’m FREAKING OUT about Requiem! I’ve heard so many mixed reviews and I’m like please please please let me love it. It’s a great topic and a legit cause for concern!!!
Jamie says
THANK YOU. This is why book people = best ever. You guys get things that Will is just like…why do you overthink things? BECAUSE BOOKS ARE IMPORTANT TO ME, silly!
I am so happy you haven’t experienced that yet! My experience has been pretty positive as well!
Just One Day was def the hardest recently. I mean If I stay and where she went are all time faves. How can you go up from there?? OH but she did and proved versatility in the type of story she could write and the type of characters she could bring to the table.
Sana @ artsy musings of a bibliophile says
You are so right! If I’m reading a book by my favorite author, I’m always hyper-aware of the fact that I might just like it so much because it is my favorite author. You can totally get biased because of this. So it’s like ‘tone it down, dude’ but yes, this is totally a bookish fear which I have and will be surfacing as soon as a book by Kody Keplinger or Simone Elkeles releases.
Sana @ artsy musings of a bibliophile
P.S. That HIMYM gif made me crave the show like anything. Is that weird? LOL =D
Jamie says
It’s SO easy to get biased. especially because I’m normally such a fangirl about my faves. HOW DO I STOP THE FLAILY ARMS FOR AN AUTHOR I LOVE SO MUCH? Even if their latest book doesn’t hit the mark for me.
I LOVE HIMYM. It’s always a good post when I can put slap bet gifs in. 😛 And I don’t even really use gifs all that often haha.
Thanks for your awesome comment!
Natalie says
First things first, I’m loving the fact that you used a HIMYM gif!!! I absolutely loooove that show. And your feelings towards new books by favourite authors mimic mine exactly. In the weeks leading up to one I start to realize that yes, there’s a chance I could not like this book!! The feelings slowly diminish until I get the actual book in my hand. At that point I usually resolve to put the book on my shelf for a day or two where it can stare me down as a freak out and most likely flail about a tad.. And then, when I finally venture to read the book, the majority of the time all of my freaking out was nonsense because the book was actually really good. The worst thing that has happened is that I just haven’t LOVED the new book. Like, it was good, but just not fantastic like the others. I’ve never actually HATED a book by one of my have authors, and have yet to be let down as I always imagine might happen, thank God!!
Jamie says
YAY HIMYM fans!! Slap bet always makes me giggle.
Your process = SO MINE. I don’t know WHY I overthink things like this. Nonsense is right! Hopefully we will never have to downright HATE a book our fave author puts out!
Asheley Tart (@BookwormAsheley) says
OH THIS FEAR IS SO VALID!! However, I find that I’m usually more of the OMG I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT READ THE END OF THIS SERIES I’M SO SCARED HEEELLLPPP ME. And I’m very serious. I wait and wait and wait and pretend to be all excited about the last book (okay, I do excited about the final book) but really, I’m PETRIFIED of what the author will do with the characters and story. Case in point: I’ve had Sever sitting by my bed forever. You KNOW that I love that series probably as close to you do as anybody you know. But I can’t even bring myself to TOUCH the book because I’m TOO SCARED. I have so much emotion involved in the series with the reading and re-reading. It’s silly, I know, but I’m much like you, only with the END of the series rather than the new book coming out. NOW – I know Lauren D is working on a new book and I’m all HOLLA BRING IT I WANT IT NOW NOW NOW!!!! And I’ll probably be embarrassingly excited over it and not at all afraid to pick it up even if it isn’t as emotionally meaningful to me as the Chemical Garden books. So, similar yet not the same on this fear. But I LOVE this about you. We can relate, you see!
Jamie says
YES! I just wrote a post about series and my fear which feel like a completely different issue in it of itself. AH. SO HARD because we are already ATTACHED to a series and characters. I haven’t read Sever either!! EEP.
Love YOU! Thanks, as always, for your thoughtful comment!
Molli says
I love this post so much. I have SO been there. In my case, several of the debut authors I read and LOVED books from last year are coming up on sophomore releases, and I. Am. Terrified. I’m actually sort of intimidated, because I want to have that same AMAZING experience with their second (or in Stephanie Perkin’s case, third) book, but I’m SO afraid I won’t. I guess your fear is more common than you’d think, you know? Because what if I read so-and-so’s new book and hate it? WHAT HAPPENS THEN? All that promoting, all that waiting, and to think of it just meaning nothing? It’s SCARY.
I feel like I need some chocolate now, Jamie. Thanks a lot. (Said in a teasing voice, mind you.)
Anyway, FANTASTIC post, and here’s to hoping that you love every one of those books coming out this year by your favorite authors. I know I’m right there with you, metaphorically biting my nails!
Jamie says
YES YES YES! That’s the thing about when I declare a fave author after one or two books(because WHATEVER sometimes that happens). They could always switch it up and bring something different to the table. They don’t have that consistency yet for us.
IT IS SO SCARY. Because I basically have flaily hands going for all those months.
Let’s go get chocolate 😛 And hear hear! Here’s to hoping all flaily hands towards our fave authors <3
Thanks for your awesome comment, as always. Very appreciated!
Nancy @ Tumbling Books says
I get the same way. It’s always so scary, because you’re expecting an amazing book and that doesn’t always happen. So it’s like, I’m getting my hopes up but at the same time I’m telling myself to TONE IT DOWN because the book could be absolute poop. lol
Jamie says
YES! It’s so hard not to get so excited about a favorite author because you are just craving that AMAZING book experience that you had the first time (or more) around. I need to learn how to chill out and just go into it without all the THINKING AND ANTICIPATING.
Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit says
I don’t think this is a fear for me, exactly, but it’s definitely frustrating…especially when you talk to the author regularly on social media channels. You don’t want to crap all over their parade. I had that feeling with one author last year…I ended up reading again and liking the book better, so it still got a good review from me…but not GREAT. I’ve never been able to capture the utter amazing feeling I had from the first few books in her arsenal and it’s SO frustrating.
The bigger fear for me is not the reading but the reviewing. It is SO hard for me to write a bad review. So much so that I don’t do DNF reviews…I figure I can always come back to books later and then I don’t…=(
Jamie says
YES!! That is what is so hard about this damn techonology and socializing. I mean, most of my fave authors I’m like teenybopper Jamie over and could bedazzle shirts for them and plaster posters on my wall for them. So I don’t know how to NOT be that way for say Stephanie Perkins and Gayle Forman. I’m scared should their books ever disappoint me. HOW WILL I LIVE LIFE?
I do agree with you. The reviewing is the part where it becomes SO HARD. Very good point! And definitely gives me more to think about. I also think about “what if I had read the book first instead of their other ones..would I have loved it more?”
estelle says
I hope you do not fear Carlton’s sweater because I like it oh so much. I must call him and see where he got it… like 15 years ago?
Also, yes. I feel this a lot. And I want to talk about it more… but I can’t. Maybe another time. haha. (I’M SERIOUS.)
Jamie says
Carlton’s sweater = best ever
WE WILL TALK LATER ON THE GCHATS, you woman of mystery!
Candice @ The Grown-Up YA says
Honestly, I don’t ever feel this way. Maybe because I don’t have any favorite authors? Oh geez, that sounds terrible. Lemme ‘splain. I DO have favorite authors, but not in a “I will read ANYTHING they write” kind of way. Or, at least, not many that I’m like that with. I think I get this fear more with series. If I LOOOOVVVVEEE the first book in the series, I go through all those gifs when I’m waiting for the second one. Then I pick it up and panic sets in – what if this is a terrible sequel? What if the characters change so much that I can’t stand them anymore? WHY??? I think I’ve learned my lesson with authors before that not everything they write will appeal to me, that I won’t adore their newest book like I adored their previous one. But I like to think that because I loved something they produced and that it meant something to me, I will support them even if all they end up writing for the rest of their career is a menu for that dive down the street. I kind of like when I don’t like something by one of my favorite authors. I think it shows that they’re willing to take chances with their writing and not writing the same thing over and over trying to appeal to a small margin. Like maybe this one just didn’t work for me, but it worked for you. That, to me, makes an author my favorite.
Jamie says
I love that you bring a different perspective to the table here to the discussion! SO interesting to think about! “I think it shows that they are willing to take chances with their writing and not writing the same thing over and over trying to appeal to a small margin” ….so true!! It’s always a little sad because you want to proclaim your 5 star love from the rooftops because you love them but maybe they can reach a new audience!
I will say that Gayle Forman proved that for me (which solidifies her fave author status)..I love If I Stay and WSW obviously and LOVED Just One Day..but they were VERY different for me. She proved she could write a different kind of story and different kinds of characters that I can relate to in different ways. I actually think I LOVED JOD more than IIS and WSW…I connected more..though I know others who didn’t connect at all or feel that same spark they felt with IIS and WSW. I loved them all in such different ways but not really more or less in the grand scheme. Def a mark of a fave author!
Really awesome food for thought!
Melissa @ Writer Grrl Reads says
YES! I think we’ve all felt this. My biggest one was reading Janet Fitch’s second novel. I loved White Oleander so much that I immediately started reading page one after I finished it because I couldn’t bear for it to be over. And when I picked up Paint it Black, there was SO MUCH ANTICIPATION that I was so disappointed :(. And now I’m kind of scared of her eventual third book 🙁
Rachelwrites007 says
Jamie I TOTALLY feel ya! I LOVED BEFORE I FALL by Lauren Oliver so much that I absolutely refused to read her Delirium series when it came out. I tried to read the first one after a few months (everybody was raving about it) and I thought Delirium was the. stupidest. idea. ever. The worldbuilding was dumb, the characters passive, nobody and nothing would hold up to Sam and Kent for me!!! Then I picked Delirium up AGAIN this December and fell in love. So much love that I read the book in an hour, picked up Pandemonium and read that in an hour and then looked up and realized I’d been reading in a bookstore – LOL….the same bookstore that KNOWS I’m coming in at 8AM for the last book 😉
On the OTHER hand I love Sarah Dessen. Mostly I love her older older work and feel meh about her new work. In fact I find her so…mechanical these days (ie I know exactly the set up or basic plot of every book of hers) I don’t want to read her stuff. I hate that feeling BUT I also know I can ALWAYS go back to her older work and revel in how much I love Remy and Hallie and Macy. 🙂
Christin says
I do the same thing, especially with spinoff series. One of my favorite authors is Terry Goodkind. His epic fantasy Sword of Truth series is my favorite series of all time. The last book came out years ago, but about one year ago he released another companion book. I just had to read it, of course, but I had this suspicion that it wouldn’t live up to the main series, and it didn’t. I also worry about series like JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood. It’s another favorite series, and because I love her writing, expectations are high. I fully intend to read the next book the day it comes out, but there’s still a nagging worry that it might not be as good as the previous book. When a book has been awesome, how can you follow it, really? And then trilogy conclusions – what if the characters don’t end up the way I want them to? What if the girl picks the “wrong” guy? As much as I want to know the ending, knowing that things will be over sometimes makes me nervous.
On the other hand, I wonder how much pressure authors feel when writing sequels/spinoffs/conclusions. Especially big authors. They have to feel pressure to live up to hype/reader expectations from their first (or most recent) book. I wonder if it gets harder for them to write like it does for us to read, or if the pressure inspires them to be even better.
Allison L says
You’re not alone in feeling like this, Jamie. For me, Jennifer Donnelly is an author that I’m ALWAYS anticipating new books from but usually have to wait a pretty long time for them because there is usually a pretty big span of time between her books. Thus, there is alot of time for me to anticipate, and imagine what the new book will be like. Luckily, I have yet to be disappointed by what I’ve read by her but, the anticipation is killer. Also, I haven’t reviewed any of the books that I’ve read by her yet but I do wonder what it would be like if I did because there would be so much hype involved. I know I would have to take a step back, and make sure that judgement wasn’t being clouded by personal bias. It would be an interesting book blogging experience, for sure. 😉
Victor Redman says
You are not alone, sister! I’ve been really lucky with my favorite authors so far, but I’m that way with movies and directors. As a teen, I spent hours trying to convince myself I liked STAR WARS – EPISODE II, a movie I’d been anticipating for years. Being disappointed after such a long wait was kind of a downer. I was seriously worried about the future of Quentin Tarantino after the borefest that was the extended cut of DEATH PROOF, too. I’m currently worried about Tim Burton after the mediocre ALICE and the very lackluster DARK SHADOWS.
What bothers me is the idea that a creator’s (or a franchise’s) best days might be behind them. The notion that it may be all downhill from here irks me. Personally, I want my favorite creators to ride off into the sunset on their own terms, with their legacy untarnished and their hearts full of pride. Silly, I know, but that’s the way I tick.
Ashley says
I know I tell you this a lot on twitter (I’m _ash) but I swear I feel something and it’s like you know and post about it. I have this fear a lot actually. Or when an author finishes a series and starts a new one. It’s scary! I mean, they’re your favorite author AND WHAT IF YOU HATE IT?! *sigh*
Anny says
ALL of this. I thought I was alone in the world with this problem! See a while ago J.K. Rowling released a new book. I’m ridiculously fond of her Harry Potter books, yet I still haven’t read “A Casual Vacancy” because I’m terrified. I do the same things with sequels, I LOVED “If I stay” by Gayle Forman, but when I was to read “Where she went” I was so scared it took me months to do it. I don’t LIKE being terrified of it, but it’s difficult because, especially if you base the favourite author status on one book, what if this new book is enough to erase that status? What if they’re not your favourite anymore?
Terrifying.
Mary @ Travels with Mary says
hahaha I should have read your comment before I posted– Casual Vacancy is the scariest book out there! It’s been sitting on my dresser for months now.
Chantelle says
It is so waaaaay different from the HP series. Like Lord Voldemort and Colin Crevey different. Casual Vacancy has perspective changes and swear words and all kinds of things. I admit to being scared of reading it too because the HP books were my childhood. You can still sort of tell it’s J.K. Rowling – she’s just got a style of storytelling uniquely hers.
Mary @ Travels with Mary says
YES. I STILL HAVEN’T READ CASUAL VACANCY. Absolutely terrified.
Michelle says
I know so many others feel like you do but I can’t say that I fall prey to this mindset. I tend to take each book as it comes, judging it not on the author’s previous works but rather on the book itself. The only time I don’t do this is with series, in which comparing the recent book to previous books in the series is a given. Otherwise, I might read a favorite author sooner than new authors, but their latest books don’t scare me.
April Books & Wine says
Hmmm. I don’t really get nervous about new books by favorite authors. I get more excited than anything else and I don’t ever consider the whole WHAT IF THIS IS AWFUL, like it never ever crosses my mind. Afterward though, if it’s a dud, I still don’t cross the author off my list but just chalk it up as a one-off.
Alexa Y. says
Oh my goodness Jamie, your posts are ALWAYS spot on! I always get nervous reading books by “favorite” authors, especially if it’s only their second or third book. I never know what to expect, and usually panic that my feelings of positivity toward them will get overturned. Thankfully, I have yet to be proven wrong about the authors I really love, so I’m grateful for that!
It’s different though, of course, if it’s the author’s sixth, seventh or eighth or so on book. I feel like I’ve experienced enough of their writing beforehand to know that I’ll probably love the new books they release no matter what.
In the end, I will usually prefer one book over another – but I’ll always be able to see that special “thing” that had me loving the author and declaring them a favorite in the first place.
Alexia @ Adventures in Reading says
I went through this about a year ago with two of Jodi Picoult’s books. Lone Wolf & The Storyteller. I had loved every single one of her previous books so when Lone Wolf & The Storyteller came out, I was stoked and i could not wait to read then. Yet, I DNF”ed The Storyteller and forced myself through Lone Wolf. She’s an amazing writer & storyteller but it was the worst feeling in the world, to be disappointed by those two books.