It shows.

Have you ever started reading a book and then paused because one of the characters did something entirely out of character?

Don’t get me wrong, a good story will challenge a well-established character to step outside her normal boundaries and push the limits, yes, but that changed behavior rarely has an Invasion of the Body Snatchers feel to it. You’ll see the character is being tested and her actions will typically be in line with her personality.

For an example, I was reading a book (which shall remain nameless) wherein the main character was said to be independent, strong-willed, and an honour student. And every single one of her actions throughout the story contradicted these established personality traits. Every single one.

It was as though the author was trying to wedge the character into a mould which simply didn’t suit her. What it really boiled down to was the character having no motives for her actions and it screamed this author doesn’t know the first thing about who I am. And it made for painful reading.

This is something I see more of in contemporary Young Adult literature and I have to wonder if it’s because the authors believe they can “get away with it” because the young are less inclined to look beneath the surface? It also plagues some contemporary mainstream adult fiction and I have to wonder if it’s because the masses in general are less inclined to look beneath the surface, too.

Then again, maybe I’m the only one to notice this, or care. Maybe it is only all about the plot. Maybe characters don’t matter. Maybe I’m asking too much when I ask for both good characters and an entertaining plot. (But I believe strong character development can make a weak plot better and a good plot great. I could be wrong about that, too.)

OK, rant finished.

Happy Tuesday! It’s time again for another edition of Teaser Tuesdays…

Here are the rules:

• Grab your current read
• Let the book fall open to a random page
• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• You also need to share the title of the book where you get your teaser from…that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given
• Please avoid spoilers

This week’s teaser:

"And then it happened again–my mother gasped. Gasped and pressed her hands flat against her chest and smiled her most gorgeous smile, reserved only for fireworks with my father, my blonde hair, and Jesus." pg. 149

I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan

I’m not sure what to think yet. I just started this book, and I’ll admit the opening has thrown me for a loop, but the description just makes it sound like it will be hilarious and poignant and that’s something I can’t resist. Here’s hoping it lives up to expectations.

(Before I start this week’s Sunday Salon, I want to wish all my U.S. readers a happy 4th of July…may your barbeque be extra delicious and your fireworks extra sparkly!)

This is something I’ve been curious about for a while, but never actually gotten around to discussing.

At the end of a book I was reading, the author had published a playlist.

Interesting, I thought, but wouldn’t the music distract from the reading experience?

Of course, this thought process comes from my own desire to read in silence or with light (usually classical) music since lyrics tend to distract me.

Then I realized it’s probably because I imagine how each of the  words sound as I read (aka subvocalize). This gives me a feel for the rhythm and flow and tone of the prose. Listening to music, especially if there are lyrics, interferes with that. It’s like listening to two sometimes incongruent songs at the same time.

Now writing is a different story. While I sometimes prefer to write in silence, I almost always require music while editing or rewriting. A particular song can even inspire an entire scene. In that vein, I can certainly see the usefulness in a playlist.

But it still comes back to the original question…as a reader, how inclined are you to listen to music (or the author’s designated playlist) while reading a book?

In the interest a being more organized about my reviewing, I’ve decided to start publishing my monthly reading schedule. Right now, I just have a ginormous calendar which sits on my desk and I slot in books based on their release date.

For the month of July, there are about nine books I definitely want to read. Also, I’ll mention that I won’t actually give them a specific date since I tend to read based on mood. Instead, this post will most likely resemble a book pool.

The holdovers from June:

Strange Neighbors by Ashlyn Chase • I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan • Everlasting by Angie Frazier

…And then there are the books I initially planned to read in July:

Life, After by Sarah Darer Litman • The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson • Sell Out by Ebony Joy Wilkins • One Night That Changes Everything by Lauren Barnholdt • Spirit by Andrew Feder • Stories (edited) by Neil Gaiman & Al Sarrantonio

Since books pass through here on an almost daily basis, this list may change through the month, but my goal is to finish (and review) all the books listed above.

Curious: Do you currently have a monthly reading schedule? If so, how do you organize it? If not, how do you manage your TBR stack? (I’m looking for ideas because my current system is a system-in-progress and improvements would be gladly appreciated.)

This is just a quick post letting everyone know that for 24 hours, the book cataloging software called All My Books can be downloaded for free from the Giveaway of the Day website.

After spending days cataloging my books into MS Excel (and I’m still not finished) I’m going to download this software and take it for a test spin myself. Thank goodness it has an import feature.

[The deal, unfortunately, has ended. It might be offered again sometime in the future, though.]