What Do You Think (7): Book Trailers Revisited!

About a month ago, I asked What Do You Think: Book Trailers...Do You Watch Them? I don't very often and was curious if I was out of touch. I was shocked to see that a majority of the responses were not so pro-book trailer, it wasn't just me. It made me question the point of book trailers, how they can add value and who their target audience is.

Let's say this pie represents readers in general, and according to responses, the missing piece is how many people are devouring the awesomeness that is book trailers...only a slice! (and it was delicious)

Now look at that huge section still left untouched. This is not to say the trailers aren't working, it's just that maybe they are still relatively new and we need to find a way to get them TO the people. My small sample of responses were basically from book lovers, and I think it's safe to assume we seek out bookish things all the time, so if we aren't watching often, how do you expect others to?

I am still in love with the idea of TV commercials (a commercial for Fallen by Lauren Kate was shown during a Vampire Diaries episode) and the pre-movie promos at theatres...but I also assume they are super pricey. Thanks to my bookish friend Karoline, last week I discovered Getglue.com. Now for those of you who have not found this cool site, you seriosuly need to check it out. It's a resource for all things entertainment (books, movies, music, TV and video games)...and a light bulb went off. Here I was watching movie trailers (which I don't normally do) because I saw that a 'friend' of mine 'liked' it. I also glanced at the Suggestions (based on what I have previously liked) and New Releases section, scrolling through to see what there was. This is an untapped goldmine for book trailers! Many books are already listed, and like goodreads.com, you can read people's reviews. What makes this a better place for book trailers is the fact that you have a captive audience of people seeking different mediums of entertainment all in one shop. Users who do not frequent bookish websites  may stumble upon a book easily here. An exciting benefit for users is the ability to earn stickers. While this may sound small, they are unique and something you can't get anywhere else...you can't buy them so they are like a collectable to cherish. I jumped for joy when I earned this Hush, Hush sticker and I'm, well, not a teen. The business freak in me loves Get Glue's ability to data mine and promote!

Another idea I would love to see come into fruition is having TV's in book stores showcasing book trailers. We need to embrace the various mediums books are now in. Front and centre in stores you will find Best Sellers and a table of new releases. How cool would that be, if on a table full of books there was also a flat screen TV 'showing' you what the book is all about? How about in the kids section as kids flock to see the TV. I don't mean for the kids to stay and watch the whole time they are instore, they have limited attention spans anyhow, but they may be excited to discover new books this way. Think of all the kids who normally aren't readers, they saw the Harry Potter movies, and have since read the Harry Potter series over and over again. I can't see my son Googling book trailers but when we visit a book store, we are there to buy a book and I could guarantee this would grab his attention.

My friend at Savvy Reader linked me the book trailer for Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children after reading my original book trailer post and I was sold. I am now the proud owner of the book...proof they work, they just need to get out there!

An Interview With Scott Westerfeld, The End Of The Leviathan Trilogy and a Giveaway

Leviathan was the first steampunk book so it will always have a special place in my heart.  I'm not a huge fantasy reader but did enjoy reading this series. I loved the alternate universe, and with the added pictures, I was in awe at how cool the machines were...they blew my mind. The fact that Deryn was a kick butt character,  may have also have won me over ;) I had a chance to ask Scott a few question, enjoy!

Mel: Hey Scott! Thanks for taking the time to chat about Goliath, the last book in your Leviathan trilogy!

The series is steampunk mixed with an alternate WWI setting. While researching for the book, what was the most interesting fact you found and wanted to include?

Scott: I knew from the beginning that one of my characters would be the son of the Archduke Ferdinand, a teenager who would feel somewhat responsible for this huge war that his own family tragedy started. But I didn't realize when I began the book that Alek's parents had a morganatic marriage. (In other words, his mother wasn't royal enough for any offspring to inherit his father's titles.) When I discovered that, it was clearly a great YA hook: a teenager calling into question his identity and place in the world, and perhaps realizing that the whole notion of royalty that he's grown up with is at its core a bit arbitrary.

M: One of the things I loved about this series is the illustrations, something not often found in YA books. Was this something you envisioned being part of your book while writing it OR added after?

S: Keith and I worked together from the beginning. I would send him a few chapters at a time, and he would respond with sketches, and often I would rewrite based on the way he drew the events. Also, beasties or machines would often wind up with more screentime than I had planned for them, just because I'd fallen in love with how they looked. So it really was a collaboration, with Keith's visualizations influencing the flow and content of every scene.

M: When creating your own world, you also have the pleasure of making up new words & using different slang. I loved Deryn's use of barking, what was your favorite and how did they come about?

S: Most of the slang in the series is historical. My favorite is certainly "clart" for poo. It has a wonderfully Scottish lilt to it. Of my made-up terms, I think I like "monkey Luddites" the best, referring to the people who are against Darwini's fabricated creatures on principle, because it combines the historical anti-technology movement with the word "monkey," a term that makes everything more amusing. (Of course, being from the US, I'm used to having to defend Darwin from neo-Luddites as well.)

M: With Alek finding out about Deryn's true identity, how did that change your writing of her character? What things could you do/show now that you had to hold back on before?

S: Hiding the fact that she was a girl meant that Deryn could hide a lot of her own feelings as well. But once she doesn't have being a boy to hide behind, she has to face the way she feels about Alek. So in a funny way, Deryn was more comfortable pretending to be someone else than facing what she really wants. Any time you get to take character out of her comfort zone, it's a wonderful challenge.

M: Now that the series has come to an end, what character will you miss the most being inside your head?

S: Probably Deryn. She has such a joyful and practical approach to everything. She's very no-nonsense, and doesn't spend a lot of time in her own head. After writing Alek's rather brooding point of view, I was always glad to get back to her. Plus, I love writing in Scottish.

Thanks Scott, I really enjoyed this series and am sad to see it end.

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Thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada, one lucky reader can win a copy of Goliath! To enter, be a blog follower, leave a comment , then enter the form below.  For your viewing pleasure, I'll leave you with the  awesomeness of Leviathan:

BBAW Blogger Swap

One of my favorite weeks of the year! Thanks to the BBAW interview swap, I met Amanda from On a Book Bender! As you will see, she is newish to the blogging scene but comes with some great experience behind her. She has a number of great features you should check out!

Me: Why did you start blogging?

Amanda: I've always loved reading, and I've been a blogger on and off for a long time.  But I never thought to combine the two.  Two years ago I was blogging about completing 101 goals in 1,001 days (I failed this challenge, but that is beside the point) and met a couple people who were doing the same.  They eventually started their own book blog as part of their challenge, and I decided I wanted one, too.  I love books and I love blogging so combining the two seemed like a no-brainer to me.  The only problem was that I was enrolled in grad school at the time and knew that there was no way I could run a book blog and go to school.  So for a while I blogged for Tara at 25 Hour Books occasionally, and then when my schooling wound down in May of this year, I took the leap and created On a Book Bender.  It has been a total blast.

M: What is a typical week like on your blog?

A: I'm pretty organized, so I have a set schedule:

• Monday: book review
• Tuesday: Top Off Tuesday (a meme that I helped create)
• Wednesday: book review
• Thursday: free or off-topic
• Friday: book review/blogging feature/giveaway/whatever strikes me at the moment
• Saturday: free or off-topic
• Sunday: Clock Rewinders on a Book Binge (my weekly wrap-up post)

M: Name your favorite book this year and a future one you are most eager for.

A: This one is tough because I just started reading a lot more than I have in the past two years and have played "catch-up" with a lot of popular books.  It's probably a toss up between the Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost because it got me into reading paranormal or Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison because her writing is phenomenal and her characters are even better.  To that end, I am really looking forward to Thea Harrison's third book in her Elder Races series -- Serpent's Kiss -- which comes out on October 4th.

M: Share a piece of advice you wish you were told when you started blogging.

A: I think I have been incredibly lucky, because I had some amazing book bloggers help me with my start.  I received a ton of advice right from the beginning.  I also watched and followed blogs before I started blogging myself, so I had a little time to decide what I thought worked and what didn't.  I think the best advice I could have gotten (or maybe I did and I ignored it) was that building relationships with other bloggers and building followers takes time, so just relax and have fun because in the end, that's most important.

M: What is your favorite aspect of blogging?

A: There is no contest on this: my favorite aspect of blogging is the book blogging community.  Technically, I have only been blogging for about five months, but everyone has been so welcoming that it feels like I've been doing this forever.  Not only are they welcoming, but they are also giving and supportive.  If I had known the book blogging community was that awesome, I probably would have started blogging a lot sooner.  I've met so many amazing people through book blogging (authors included) that have made my experience blogging what it is.

You can find Amanda on her blog On a Book Bender and twitter @BookBender

Review: Fateful by Claudia Gray

Hardcover, 336 pages

To be released: September 13, 2011

Publisher: HarperTeen

Author website:  claudiagray.com

Other places to find the book:
Amazon.com
Bookdepository.com
Chapters.ca
Goodreads.com

In Fateful, eighteen-year-old maid Tess Davies is determined to escape the wealthy, overbearing family she works for. Once the ship they’re sailing on reaches the United States, she’ll strike out on her own. Then she meets Alec, a handsome first-class passenger who captivates her instantly. But Alec has secrets....

Soon Tess will learn just how dark Alec’s past truly is. The danger they face is no ordinary enemy: werewolves are real and they’re stalking him—and now Tess, too. Her growing love for Alec will put Tess in mortal peril, and fate will do the same before their journey on the Titanic is over.

Featuring the opulent backdrop of the Titanic, Fateful’s publication is poised to coincide with the 100-year anniversary of the ship’s doomed maiden voyage. It is sure to be a hit among Titanic buffs and fans of paranormal romance alike.

My Rating:  3.5 / 5

My Thoughts:

I have to admit that I was super excited to read this solely because I loved Claudia Gray's Evernight series, but I was not sold on the premise. I was nervous to see Titanic and werewolves together. Thie idea of these two things together reminded me of a mashup, and to be honest I'm being picky on reading weres/vamps these days (overkill?).

This is the story of two people, on their way to American for a better life. Tess and Alec are leaving very different different lives behind: the one Tess was born into and the one forced upon Alec. Tess is a servant with the American dream, she hoped to quit her job and stay in America, having saved up money to start her new life. Alec, on the other hand, is the son of a millionaire, heir to an American steel company run by his father, who was bitten and turns werewolf every night. After possibly killing his friend one night as a wolf, he wants to hide away in America and live a quiet life where he won't harm anyone. There is another way that could change all this, with the help of a Brotherhood, but it's basically selling his soul.

Tess and Alec meet for the first time in England, where he saves her from being attacked in an alley. They notice each other again after boarding the Titanic, but she never suspected anything would come of them. This is, afterall, a time when wealth and class meant everything and she was only third class, Alec was first...but he was different. Aboard the ship, Tess also sees her attacker, whom she comes to know as Mikhail. It becomes apparent that it was not a random attack, there was something he wants from the family she works for and he'll stop at nothing to get it. She see's the hate between Alec and Mikhail and when she discovers what Alec is, the pieces fall together.

I enjoyed being transported back in time, when you either had it or you didn't; money and power were everything. Mixed in with this is the werewolf story. Although he could have everything, that was taken away when Alec was bitten. It was his circumstance and yes there was some action, but nothing too intense. Rather, I found myself wondering how Alec and Tess would make it, what they would do so that they could be together causing the werewolf angle to become more of a background story. I think the idea of power, as shown by Mikhail and the Brotherhood, was undeveloped. This could have been great if expanded on, I mean, who doesn't like a secret society?

The Titanic was a great setting for this story. We see the good life, dreams and we know how it ends. I wish we got to see more of the ship in all it's glory. For a majority of the book,  this story could have taken place on any ship. It was not until the end, with 50 pages to go that we are reminded we are on the Titanic. It was this anticipation of the dreaded iceberg that had me flipping the pages eager for more, hoping that after all they had been through they would be amongst the few survivors and finally be together. A story of power struggles, secrets, and love with an unbelievable ending that sadly fell short for me.

Buy the book:

Amazon.com  ~  Bookdepository.com  ~  Chapters.ca

In My Mailbox - September 11, 2011

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren where we show what books have found a new home with us!

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger - Kody's debut, The DUFF, was a favorite of mine last year and so I've been eager to read this ever since she announced it was coming!

Miss Peregrines's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - I had heard great buzz about this book but I wasn't sure if this would be something I would like. After making a post last month about book trailers, Shannon mentioned how fantastic this book trailer was and I was sold! (Click here to see it for yourself)

Also, congrats to Chey for winning my Back to the Books giveaway, she picked Beauty Queens by Libba Bray!

What goodies did you get?

(Today my thoughts are with everyone affected by 9/11 - I will never forget)