It's all a Matter of Taste

Tucked into a little corner of an inside page of the entertainment section of my local paper are a few spare lines about a couple of books. Although print reviews are becoming scarcer, review blogs, like this one, are becoming much more ubiquitous. What do all these reviews have in common? They were placed there by someone the average reader knows nothing about. We don’t know what other books s/he’s read or liked. We don’t know if s/he has the same taste in books as we do. We don’t even know if s/he actually read the book. Most book reviewers have a pile of books to read through, and many of them have deadlines! With over 800 new books published daily, it’s no wonder that so many books get lost in the shuffle. Perhaps some reviewers don’t (or can’t) take the time to read each one cover to cover, so they just skim them. Perhaps that explains why I couldn’t even get through the last book I tried to read, even though it was covered in praise by several prestigious periodicals and the fourth book by an author whose previous three books I highly enjoyed.

It’s all a matter of taste.

Different people like different things. When it comes right down to it, even the name of the author isn’t a guarantee one’s time reading a new book will be enjoyable, although it helps. Chances are, if you enjoyed an author’s first book, you will enjoy their second. If you enjoyed the first two, likely you will enjoy the third. But this isn’t always the case, as I’ve quit authors halfway through the series because it no longer appealed to me for one reason or another. So, when authors no longer entertain us, we must turn to new authors and new books. Trying new authors is always a risk I approach with caution, often re-reading books I’ve previously enjoyed before risking someone new. Even authors who have received the praise of millions may leave me bored. However, we must give new authors a chance, and reviews often help us take these calculated risks with our precious time. Especially if those reviews come from reviewers with whom we’ve built a relationship. Reviewers we have come to trust because their opinions closely match our own.

It’s all a matter of taste.

In the 5 weeks since it’s release, Rowan of the Wood has had overwhelmingly great reviews and has won a National Award! We keep hearing that our readers “couldn’t put it down” or they’re asking when the sequel will be out because they "can't wait" to find out what happens next. Take a look at our review page. Okay, it still is a matter of taste, but could so many diverse people be wrong? ;-) …so…take a chance on these new authors! The book is available now via Amazon (Kindle, too) and wherever books are sold.

Christine and Ethan Rose are the authors of the new YA fantasy novel Rowan of the Wood. They live in Austin, TX with their three dogs and Shadow the Cat.
http://www.christineandethanrose.com/* http://www.rowanofthewood.com/

The Return of the Light

The Return of Light is a great book. Treewing is tree that became a Christmas tree a year early. The Christmas deer said he had a special destiny. When they came for the trees, Treewing was taken. When he got to the lot,he was disappointed because he had been told wonderful stories about becoming a Christmas tree. This was not like the stories at all. Soon he realized he had to be sold to someone first to be able to be part of the wonderful Christmas Stories about becoming a Christmas tree. He waited and waited. He wasn't sold. A young boy named Luke had stopped by every day to see him. He had put an ornaments on Treewing that he had made at school because he didn't have a tree of his own to put it on. A woman named Peacock saw the tree with the ornaments and thought it was a sign that this tree was special. Of course, Lolly, the woman who owned the lot would take the ornaments off. On Christmas Eve, Lolly left the lot to go to the store. While she was gone, Peacock came by with a group of friends and started to decorate Treewing. When Lolly came back she was not very happy with what she saw. Treewing was all decorated for Christmas. Luke persuaded Lolly to join in the decorating fun by giving her a special baseball that his father had given to him. Treewing now knew that this was the special destiny the deer had been talking about. Treewing soon started to light up with a bright glow that everyone was amazed to see. He had brought the return of the light.

The Return of the Light is an awesome book. It has good details. I felt like I could see everything that was happening. It is not sad or scary. It is a very happy book. It is not an action/adventure type of book but it has a great story. It is a book full of surprises. I wish everyone would read it.


Age:12
Leopold, Missouri USA