Category: Bookish Question

What is the perfect number of pages in a book?

Bookish Question #357 | What is the perfect number of pages in a book?

As many as it takes to tell the story, and no more.

I have read stories that have gone on too long, and they leave me disinclined to read books by  that author again.

I’ve also read stories that have ended too quickly. With those, I am only too keen to read something else by the author.

The too-long stories are generally bogged down by  too much irrelevant detail—too many subplots that don’t related to the main characters, or too many characters. I remember one that was over 500 pages, and kept introducing more and more characters, including the hero’s grandparents, and how they met and fell in love and … I think I skipped the next sixty years/pages because I wanted to get back to the actual plot.

The too-short stories are complete stories but leave me wishing there had been some more subplots, just so the story would last longer. When these stories are part of a series, I’m usually quick to buy or preorder the next book in the series so I can spend more time with characters who feel like they’ve become friends.

A story can be too short, however, and that comes down to reading time. I’m a fast reader, and I prefer stories that take me at least two hours to finish. That means at least 50,000 words … particularly  if it’s a story I’ve paid for. I’m more forgiving of free or 99 cent novellas, or novellas that are part of an anthology.

I sometimes see the analogy that we happily pay $5 for a coffee, yet won’t pay $5 for a book. Well, if I can read a $5 book in less time that it takes me to drink the $5 coffee, it’s too short.

My ideal story length is three to five hours of reading time, which is 200-300 pages (about 50,000 words to 100,000 words), although I have read and enjoyed longer stories. And shorter stories.

What about you? What do you think is the perfect length of a novel?

What country do you want to travel to because you read about it in a book?

Bookish Question #356 | What country do you want to travel to because you read about it in a book?

A good novel that integrates the setting into the story is like taking a mini holiday to that place, and is one of the joys of reading fiction.

I’ve “travelled” to many states and countries through fiction, and have visited many of those locations in real life (either before or after reading about them).

I visited Berlin after reading The Secret of the Rose series by Michael Phillips, and was disappointed to find the graveyard was fictional (but I did get to visit Checkpoint Charlie and many other locations in the story).

I read The Russians series by Michael Philips and Judith Pella, and later travelled to Moscow and St Petersburg. There I visited The Winter Palace and other locations from the stories.

I’ve visited many countries in Europe in real life, then again in fiction thanks to authors such as Elizabeth Musser and Milla Holt.

I’ve visited Israel, Egypt, and Jordan, the locations of many Biblical fiction stories, including The Esther Paradigm by Sarah Monzon and The Light of Nations series by Christine Dillon.

I’ve visited around half the states of the USA, but not Alaska (the setting for the Alaskan Courage series by Dani Pettrey) or Texas (a popular setting for cowboy romance). I’d like to visit both.

There is one country I’d like to visit that I’ve visited in fiction—India, through reading Linda Chaikin’s old Silk series. However, that’s set in 1800s India, and the only way I’ll be able to visit that version is through a time machine 🙂

What about you? What country do you want to travel to because you read about it in a book?

What's the best setting: small town or big city?

Bookish Question #355 | What’s the best setting: small town or big city?

I grew up in a small town but have spent my adult years living in cities (because that is where the work is).

I enjoy living in cities. I currently live in an apartment in the middle of New Zealand’s capital city, and I love it. I love being able to walk most of the places I want or need to go—to work, the library, the supermarket, the shops, the theatres. There are inexpensive buses and trains if I’m going a little further afield. I love that there are so many things to do—shows, plays, exhibitions.

Okay, so the weather isn’t always great, but the apartment is cozy and I’ve yet to be drenched in rain.

It’s all very different from the small town I grew up in.

It was small enough that I knew most of the kids in my school by name. I knew many of their siblings and parents by sight. I didn’t necessarily know the names of the shop owners, but certainly recognised them. Walking down the main street and not seeing anyone I recognised was the exception. Here in the city, it’s the norm.

Maybe that’s why readers like me like small town stories, because they remind us of a different time, a simpler time, a time when we knew our neighbours and our friend’s neighbours. When we knew the town gossip, when reading the newspaper was about people we knew.

Are small towns still like that in real life? I don’t know, but they certainly  are in fiction. That’s why I love small-town stories.

What about you: do you prefer: small towns or big cities?

What's a favourite book quote?

Bookish Question #354 | What’s a favourite book quote?

I try and find at least one great quote from every book I read and review, and post that in my book review.

I’ve also been posting the first lines from books as part of #FirstLineFriday for many years.

My favourite quotes fall into three main categories:
  • Quotes that amuse me (which don’t always make great standalone quotes as they rely on the surrounding context)
  • Quotes that speak to me
  • Favourite Bible verses (of course)

Here are a few of my favourites from the last two years … starting with the funny ones.

All she could fine was toilet paper, but it would have to do

In my opinion, children ought to be able to choose their own names.

Then moving onto the more serious quotes …

Sheltering us from the world doesn’t spare our eyes from seeing evil—it spares evil from the light that would reveal it. It provides the cover it seeks.

You’ve got to be willing to step out of that safe zone, to find out who you really are, not just what you think everyone expects you to be.

Why can't we grow closer to God without going through hard times? Isn't there another way?

 

When God calls you to something, He is not always calling you to succeed. He's calling you to obey. The success of the calling is up to Him, the obedience is up to you.

What about you? Do you have any favourite book quotes? Share one in the comments.

What's the longest book you've ever read?

Bookish Question #353 | What’s the longest book you’ve ever read?

Probably one of the multi-book anthologies I’ve bought on Kindle. Some of them have included 20 books. However, I think that’s 20 books in one volume, not a single book.

On that basis, the longest single title I’ve read is probably War and Peace. I checked a couple of “longest book” lists online, and War and Peace is apparently 1225 pages long, or 587,000 words.

The longest Christian book I can think of reading is Glastonbury by Donna Fletcher Crowe, which is 1134 pages long. That may or may not be longer than War and Peace: bigger fonts make for longer books regardless of word count.

What about you? What’s the longest book you’ve ever read?

Have you ever stopped reading a series before the end?

Bookish Question #352 | Have you ever stopped reading a series of novels?

I’d like to say I finish every series I start. I’d like to say I finish every book I start, but neither statement is true.

There are three main reasons I don’t finish a series:

1. The Publisher

Sometimes, a publisher decides not to complete publishing a series. I’ve had this happen a couple of times, and it’s really frustrating as a reader. In one I remember, the second book in the series ended just as the Berlin Wall went up, leaving the hero and heroine on opposite sides of the wall. I was so annoyed that I stopped buying fiction from that publisher unless the complete series was already available. They stopped publishing fiction soon after.

I know some readers prefer not to buy books in a series, especially a trilogy, until all the books have been published so they know they’ll get the full story arc. I also know this can become a self-fulfilling prophesy: if a publisher doesn’t see sufficient sales for the first book in a series, they might cancel the contract and not publish the full series.

While I can see the publisher’s point (they need to make a profit), their actions are counter-productive: every time a publisher cancels an incomplete series, they increase the number of readers who won’t buy books in an incomplete series.

(But that’s only for traditional publishers: self-published authors will probably finish the series because they know a book is forever, and they will increase their readthrough and their profits when the series is complete).

2. Boredom

There are, unfortunately, series I’ve stopped reading because of boredom—usually because the series has gone on so long that it’s no longer about the characters who originally caught my interest.

3. Lack of Knowledge

The other reason I don’t complete reading a series is because I didn’t see a new book was available.

An easy way to make sure this doesn’t happen is to sign up for an author’s email newsletter – most authors have a newsletter now, especially self-published authors. Yes, some email too often, but it does make sure I don’t miss out on a book I wanted to read.

What about you? Have you ever stopped reading a series of novels before the end?

Do you remember why?

Have you ever read a series of novels from start to finish?

Bookish Question #351 | Have you ever read a series of novels from start to finish?

This question could be read two ways:

  1. Have I ever read an entire series of novels from start to finish i.e. read all the novels in a series? or
  2. Have I ever read an entire series of novels from start to finish i.e. back to back without reading anything else in between?

I’ve read a lot of trilogies and longer series as they have released.

The longest single series I can remember reading is Karen Kingsbury’s Baxter series, which might not count because it was actually divided multiple series. I stopped reading around halfway through the second four-book series because the story was straying away from the original characters.

Back when I used to buy lots of paperbacks, I would often reread a series from the start every time a new book was released, partly to remind me of where the story was up to, but mostly because I enjoyed reading but was on a budget so couldn’t buy endless paperbacks (there was also the small problem of storage). I don’t have the cost or storage problems so much now I read ebooks, so reread less.

What about you? Have you ever read a full series of books? What series?

Do you ever re-read books?

Bookish Question #350 | Do you ever re-read books?

I do re-read books, although not as much as I used to.

Sometimes I’ll re-read a book because I enjoyed it so much the first time. This is often because I found myself so engaged in an uncommon plot point (for example, Gabrielle Meyer’s Timeless series, which I mentioned last week).

Sometimes I’ll re-read a review copy because I don’t write the review immediately, so have to re-read part of the book to remind myself what to write.

Very occasionally, I will accidentally re-read a book because I forgot reading it the first time.

And while I used to re-read my favourite books regularly, I don’t do that nearly as much as I used to.

What about you? Do you ever re-read books?

Who are your favourite historical fiction authors and why

Bookish Question #349 | Who are your favourite historical fiction authors and why?

I am so glad this question is phrased as a plural, because that means I can have more than one favourite historical fiction author.

There’s no way I could choose just one!

So I have chosen five. I’ve also chosen a favourite book I think you should start with if you haven’t read their work before.

Elizabeth Camden

Elizabeth Camden’s novels are mostly set in the USA during the Gilded Age. I enjoy Elizabeth Camden’s novels because she tends to write intelligent heroines who can think for themselves, and who often have an unusual career for the time.

If you haven’t read any of Elizabeth Camden’s novels, I recommend With Every Breath, in which the characters are trying to find the cure for tuberculosis.

Christine Dillon

Christine Dillon’s first published books were contemporary Christian fiction, starting with Grace in Strange Disguise. She’s now moved to Biblical fiction, which is what she started writing. I love her books because of their depth in terms of plot, character, and Christian principles.

If you haven’t read any of Christine Dillon’s books, I recommend Plagues and Papyrus, a unique take on the familiar story of the ten plagues of Egypt.

Gabrielle Meyer

Gabrielle Meyer is a prolific author who is probably best known for her many Love Inspired titles or her American Brides series. But I discovered her through the absolutely brilliant Timeless series, featuring women who live in two (or three) times at once …

This is a series that’s best read in order, so you will want to start with When the Day Comes.

Carolyn Miller

I have always had a soft spot for Regency Romance (blame Georgette Heyer!), but there were many years where it was difficult to find any good Christian titles. There are a lot more choices now, but Carolyn Miller remains my favourite because her novels have a strong Christian thread.

If you haven’t read any of Carolyn’s Christian Regency Romances, I recommend starting at the beginning with The Ellusive Miss Ellison, the first in her A Legacy of Grace series.

Roseanna M White

Finally, I have always had a fascination for codes and investigations, so I’ve loved all Roseanna M White’s spy and cypher stories, especially The Number of Love, the first in her Codebreakers series.

However, my latest favourite Roseanna M White series is A Beautiful Disguise, the first in her Imposters series.

What about you? Who is your favourite historical fiction author, and why?

Do you like to read retellings of famous novels?

Bookish Question #348 | Do you like to read retellings of famous novels?

Retellings of famous novels, fairytale retellings, and allegory all have the same challenges for authors: ensuring the story sticks closely enough to the original plot to satisfy readers without becoming predictable (or, worse, without having the characters act out of character in order to fit the prescribed plot elements).

The other challenge with retellings of famous novels is that readers are unlikely to read a retelling of a novel they didn’t enjoy.

Perhaps that’s why Jane Austen retellings are so popular: most romance readers enjoy Austen’s stories. The flip side is that makes many of Austen’s tropes overused, and it makes it harder for authors to find that unique twist.

I don’t read a lot of novels that are specifically signaled as retellings.

One I remember reading and enjoying was Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay, a retelling of Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster, which I read and loved as a teen.

I think this book illustrated one secret to a good retelling: choose a story that has stood the test of time, but not one that is so well known that the author can’t find the original twist. I picked up the story was Daddy Long Legs early on, but read a number of reviews commenting on the “original” plot and the unexpected plot twist at the end, which suggests I was in the minority for knowing the story.

What about you? Do you like to read retellings of famous novels? Which stories do you recommend?