The ReadThisNext Blog

A few weeks ago, I was messing around on Snapchat. I had used the face swap setting with friends before but not on my own phone. Because I was the only face in the frame, the app suggested I face swap with the photos on my camera roll. 

Being a dedicated #bookstagrammer, it’s not uncommon for me to have photos of books on my phone. So, in chronological order, the options that popped up were a selfie, a photo of my mom, and ... a book with a face on it. Snapchat’s fancy face-recognition technology was good, quite good, but not good enough. So, I swapped faces with awesome read of the summer, The Girls by Emma Cline.

One thing led to another and I decided to see what other books I could swap faces with. I only had one other book on hand with a face in it, but found a few more online. In the end, Snapchat would only accept three books as faces. Here they are. (And, here is how I look normally.)

1.  The Book Thief

I’ve actually not read this one, but I remember it making the rounds a few years back. Any book that is about a book, or about people who read books, is all good to me. Snapchat also approved of this very realistic face, as you can see: 

2. The Girls 

When I first read the synopsis for this book, I thought, “Gahh, that sounds depressing.” But then one day I was headed to Silent Book Club after work and realized I didn’t have a book on me, so I went by Target to see what they had. 

I picked up The Girls and realized it was exactly what I needed. A coming-of-age, sort-of dark but extremely well-written drama to get completely lost in. What an excellent choice. 

3. A Little Life 

I only just finished reading A Little Life last week. It blew me away. The one thing I will say about this book is that it’s best if you read it during a time when you don’t have a lot of social outings planned. Because books draw you in and allow you to empathize so deeply with the characters, this book can actually leave you in a depressed funk. Thus, I would not recommend reading it, say, before a job interview. 

But, it is an excellent deep dive into what it’s like to live in New York City, especially as a creative professional, and what friendship can be, and how much luck plays a part in all of our lives. 

Not my best look, though. 

As a review, here is what my books and I look like when we face swap: 

Blurbs:

“Nothing short of a masterpiece. Elegantly structured and beautifully told, it recounts the story of Teddy Todd, the brother of the protagonist of Atkinson's 2013 novel, Life After Life, in his attempt to live a 'good, quiet life' in the 20th century. Characteristically perceptive and poignant, like its predecessor it also gives a vivid and often thrilling account of life during the second world war--seen this time from the air rather than the streets of London.” ―Paula Hawkins, Author of The Girl on the Train

Review:

When I was handed a copy of A God in Ruins, I was told to go read Life After Life first. So, I borrowed if from a friend and did just that. I. LOVED. It. 

Life After Life — I tell people when I recommend it — is like Groundhog Day, but in post-World War I England. It’s a fascinating exploration of life’s big questions, like, what happens when we die? What would happen if you could do things over again? And, a big one recently — given the chance, would you kill baby Hitler?

But I digress. Since A God in Ruins was a companion novel, and follows the story of another character, I expected it might have a similar timeline and structure, and I hope I’m not giving too much away when I say it did not. 

Teddy is a World War II fighter pilot and the novel jumps back and forth through time and reaches up to the present day at points, from the perspective of his grandchildren. It’s sometimes said that we don’t find books, they find us. This book was strong on themes of death and family. Recently, my aunt passed away, only a few short years after my grandma, and yet her dad is still in relatively good health. It seems like things have happened out of order, and we all lose. 

“It’s best not to think morbid thoughts,” Ursula tells Teddy when they visit their father’s grave. 

When one character is in her 60s, she stumbles and falls in London, surrounded by kids out for bachelorette parties, and mumbles, “I want my mom.” Another character, in old age, thinks, there’s nowhere he’d rather be than in his childhood home, where his dad would be sipping scotch in the study. 

If you were to cram an entire lifetime into a moment, I expect you’d see it as a series of losses, failures, mistakes. And then by stretching it out again, you’re able to see the riches, the wins and the meaning. 

—Dani

What I love about indie books is how authors are able to take risks that they may not be able to do with a traditional publisher. Sometimes that means a new kind of story structure, sometimes that means an unexpected ending or a character that doesn’t conform to expectations.

Especially in the fantasy genre, it’s great to see so many authors creating new worlds and characters.

Here is a selection of some recent debuts and indie releases, and reviews from some of our favorite book bloggers and Goodreads friends. What are you reading right now? Download the ReadThisNext app and tell us about it!

Heroes of the Dustbin, 5th book in the Janitors series, by Tyler Whitesides, published by Shadow Mountain Publishing

“This book had some pretty interesting twists and the ending was not what I was expecting.” — Indie Book Blogger

The World, by Robin Wildt Hansen

“The use of the Tarot deck to frame and structure the story is interesting.” — Marian L. Thorpe

All Our Tomorrows, volume 2 of Z is for Zombies, by Peter Cawdron

“I mean how could you go on without knowing what happens to Hazel in the zombie apocalypse? I know I couldn’t.” — TJ’s New Book Blog

The Vagrant, by Peter Newman, published by HarperCollins

“Everything about the book — the strong moody atmosphere, the mysterious characters and setting, the subdued coming-of-age story, the terse yet beautiful writing, and the compelling plot — is phenomenal.” — Best Fantasy Books

An Untoward Induction, by Michael McGuire

“It’s Hunger Games meets Harry Potter, with elaborate worlds within worlds that had me in the book, Inception-style.” — Viviana on Goodreads

Sevara: Dawn of Hope, by Damian Wampler

“I have always thought I had a good imagination, but Damian Wampler pushed it to the limits.” — A Drop of Ink Reviews

When you’re looking for an adventure but perhaps not to be swept out of this world entirely, a memoir is a good place to be. Generally, a memoir is about ain interesting or unique event, or something incredibly relatable, told in an interesting or unique way. 

Sometimes the draw is the author — Red from Orange Is the New Black, whose memoir is coming this year, or Carrie Brownstein (who I had no idea was in a band before Portlandia until her memoir came out ...). But what’s cool about memoirs is that some of the best ones — my personal favorite is The Glass Castle — come frome “regular” people who choose to share their story and do so in a way we can all relate to. 

If you’re thinking of writing a memoir, you don’t need to despair that your life hasn’t been interesting enough. Pick an adventure, and take notes. Or pick an experience, and look at old pictures, or listen to the music you used to listen to in that time period. 

And if you need inspiration, check out the following!

1. I Swear I'll Make It Up to You by Mishka Shubaly: If you're looking for a turnaround.

A photo posted by @perseusbooksgroup on Dec 29, 2015 at 6:13am PST

2. Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein: If you're yearning for belonging.

A photo posted by Meghan Milligan (@meghan.milligan) on Jan 3, 2016 at 8:23am PST

3. The Most Fun You’ll Have at a Cage Fight by Rory Douglas: If you're not too sure about the whole extreme sport thing.

A photo posted by Books are for sharing 📚 (@readthisnext) on Jan 3, 2016 at 10:04pm PST

4. Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham: If you're intent on being immersed in today's feminism.

A photo posted by Olivia Wicks (@stumpylivy) on Jan 3, 2016 at 10:33am PST

5. Born with Teeth by Kate Mulgrew: If you loved Red in OITNB, watched Star Trek, or by some crazy Venn diagram of interests, were into both.

A photo posted by Sarah Elumba-Hill (@sarah.elumbahill) on Dec 31, 2015 at 11:35am PST

6. Dear Mr. You by Mary-Louise Parker: If you like books that follow a type of order or format.

A photo posted by Jonathan Hadley (@jhadny) on Dec 11, 2015 at 7:07am PST

7. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls: If you're fascinated by the moment a child discovers that her parents are bad.

A photo posted by Amaris & Analicia (@vmivnv) on Jan 3, 2016 at 2:54pm PST

8. Girl in Glass by Deanna Fei: If you follow tech news and remember that time the AOL CEO got called out for blaming employees' family's health problems (namely, one small child) for corporate decisions.

A photo posted by Gabi Kelley (@gabiruth) on Nov 28, 2015 at 6:48pm PST

9. The Sound of Gravel by Ruth Wariner: If you've wondered what it's like to grow up in an extreme religious environment.

A photo posted by Jo Anderson (@lastingjo) on Dec 29, 2015 at 6:35pm PST

10. H Is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald: If you just want to read a really, really good book. 

A photo posted by Kate Sims (@ladykatherine) on Jan 2, 2016 at 6:17am PST

11. Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes: If you love Thursday nigh television.

A photo posted by Anika (@richgirl_xo) on Jan 3, 2016 at 8:11pm PST

12. Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs: If you're ever tempted to think you had a hard life, or want to learn how to laugh about the hard things.

A photo posted by @tazzjs on Dec 25, 2015 at 1:19am PST

13. Coming Clean by Kimberly Rae Miller: If you fancy re-invention and respecting your roots, and learning to entertwine it all.

When I think of memoirs, I think of the celebrities — Carrie Brownstein’s Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl, or Tori Spelling’s cleverly titled Stori Telling. Sometimes these books are substantial on their own while others seem to be almost a vanity project for the writer and a safe bet for the publisher. 

A topical memoir is something different. It’s not a life story, like something a presidential candidate might write, which I guess would technically be an autobiography. It would be more like Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat Pray Love, which she’s described as being one take in the massive category of travel memoirs, yet it happened to strike a common chord with a lot of people. 

That’s why I’m so fascinated by Rory Douglas’ book, The Most Fun You’ll Have at a Cage Fight, which is about his experience observing his brother’s mixed martial arts (MMA) career. My only personal experience with MMA was having neighbors who were aspiring UFC fighters, and could often be found barbecuing chicken on the balcony for their favorite meal, Chicken Spaghetti, which was spaghetti with chicken and a lot of hot sauce. Until reading Rory’s book, though, I had no idea that MMA was a recently created sport and newer than, say, the NFL. 

We asked Rory about his writing process, how writing memoir is different than writing fiction, and what it feels like to get your authors’ copies in the mail.

How do you get in the frame of mind to write?

Sometimes it just happens, but if I don't feel like I'm in the right frame of mind I'll usually spend a few minutes reading something that's in the sort of style of whatever I'm trying to write. Since this book is funny non-fiction, I'd usually read something like David Sedaris or Dave Eggers or something off Grantland or Deadspin.

Do your writing sessions last a certain length, or number of words, and how do you know when its time to stop?

They usually last until a) I feel like I ran out of steam or enthusiasm for whatever section I was working on or (more likely) b) something else needs my attention, e.g. the baby is crying or the dog needs to go out or I need to cook dinner or answer a work email.

Do you drink, eat or snack while writing? Any fuel of choice?

All of the above. Like most writers, I drink coffee, but I take lots of snack and water breaks as well. I usually need to stand up every few minutes to think about what I'm writing, so going down to get a refill is usually a good excuse. 

Do you have a job in addition to writing?

I work as a web developer at a community college in Washington. It's something totally different from writing, but I really enjoy it.

Writing vs. editing?

For this book in particular I probably spent 10% of my time actually writing and 90% editing what I'd written. Since it's nonfiction, I didn't have to spend much time dreaming up the actual content, so the editing process was where the real magic happened, which made it much more satisfying than the actual writing and research. I feel sort of the opposite about writing fiction, though — for me the fun in fiction writing is in coming up with stuff, and the editing process is a little less satisfying.

What does it feel like to see your book go on sale?

Pretty much since I was a kid I'd dreamed of the day when a box of books that I'd written would show up at my house. So I was thrilled a few weeks ago when my author's copies arrived at my doorstep. But when I was younger the dream pretty much amounted to being able to say "ooooh look at me I'm Mr. Big Time Fancy Published Author." That part's still great, but I'm more excited about the actual book itself and seeing people read it and hearing their responses to it. 

What’s your most recent book, and what was the biggest surprise for you while you were writing it?

One of my earliest experiences with fantasy was The Princess Bride — the movie, not the book. I only recently discovered the actress who plays Buttercup is also in House of Cards — two characters who could *not* be more different! I’m a fan of fantasy worlds, and especially the kind created by J.R.R. Tolkien, where there are maps and other resources either created to embellish the book or just for the author to keep things straight and sorted out while he’s writing. 

The first creative writing class I took was on narrative non-fiction, which made a lot of sense, because one could focus on story structure and writing itself without also creating characters and settings. If non-fiction is a good place to start, I imagine fantasy being at the opposite end — only for experts. 

So when I heard about Michael McGuire’s An Untoward Induction, which is set to be the first in a series, I was really curious how organized the fantasy setting needed to be before one could begin writing. I was relieved to learn that it does indeed require a lot of revising to get it to work. Read on to hear more about how Michael writes and edits his books.

How do you get in the frame of mind to write?

I don’t get in the frame of mind to write. While it is true that I will have creative bursts (usually when there is no possibility of sitting down to write, of course!) typically I just sit down and start typing. If you wait for inspiration you’ll never write anything. If I really can’t put together anything interesting in a particular writing session, usually I’ll work on something else and that will get me going. I never get writer’s block, but sometimes I find my mind thinking about a different project and need to follow that rather than force myself to work on what I am “supposed to be working on.” That is, in fact, how I find myself writing the sequel to my first book, when I had already half-completed the sequel to my second but found myself getting nowhere with it.

Do your writing sessions last a certain length, or number of words, and how do you know when its time to stop?

No, it is always time constraints that force me to stop. Picking up my son from school, meetings related to my day job, etc.

Do you drink, eat or snack while writing? Any fuel of choice?

I drink tea, preferable mate. I cannot stand coffee and try not to drink soda. I cannot eat and write at the same time, eating is for breaks.

Do you have an job in addition to writing?

Yes, I am a project manager. I would love to write full time.

Writing vs. editing?

For me, these are two entirely different things. Writing is dumping the plot down and not worrying if there are mistakes, loose ends, long boring passages, missing character descriptions, or any other problems. Once that is done, I will let it sit for a week or two at least, read a few books, work on a different project, etc. Then I’ll start revising. That is where the book is truly written. There will be a few passes where I just focus on making sure the plot is complete, and makes sense. Then I’ll start working on it in 3-5 page bunches, really focusing on each paragraph, each sentence, ensuring that everything is up to my standards. Finally, I let it sit again, before giving it a few more read throughs and then sending it to my editor. I was the editor of my college newspaper, and it is impossible to treat your own work as someone else’s. Everyone needs an editor.

What does it feel like to see your book go on sale?

It is a relief but also somewhat strange because I am trying to promote one book while at the same time writing an entirely different book. Given that I am living in two worlds, writing two different series, I sometimes have to pause and think about which book I am being asked about!

What’s your most recent book, and what was the biggest surprise for you while you were writing it?

My most recent book is called An Untoward Induction. It is a Fantasy novel, the first in an open-ended series. My other project required some very heavy lifting, ensuring that many characters and intersecting plot lines all flowed properly. So while writing that series, I wanted to balance it with something light, so I came up with this, a mystery set in a Fantasy realm. But I underestimated myself, or overestimated my tolerance for “light” material, because I ended up with a fairly complex format for the stories. I did not expect to come up with two entirely different stories and telling them as present and past within the same novel (which I am now committed to for each novel in the series!). It ended up requiring just as much effort to write, and revise, and pull together, but I think it is my best work to date. It was also fun!

The holidays are a great time to spend with family, but if you're like my family, you go through a set of regular phases. First, you have the enthusiastic greeting, where everyone hugs, and tells each other you look great, and makes sure the flight/drive wasn't too painful. Then, you move on to catching up on everything that's happened since you last talked, and fill in details on things that have happened since you last saw each other. Finally, you start making small talk like a pair of strangers, or perhaps discuss current events.

One thing I loved about my family when I was young was that we were all readers and could just sit around and read together — it was a different sort of quality time. Whenever we've run out of things to say, we know it's ok to pick up a book (and all of us probably have one handy.

If you just got a new Kindle, Kobo or other sort of e-reader for Christmas, you are most likely faced with a big decision: What to read first? Anything on your TBR list, as long as it's been released, can be downloaded in seconds. If you're looking for somethign you may very well stay up to finish tonight after everyone else is in bed, check out the page-turners below.

Bonus: All of these books have been made into movies, or have sold rights to do so. That's how you know just about anyone can get hooked, and you're promised to get caught up in a really good story. Enjoy!

1. City on Fire

This is the story of a shooting in Central Park on New Year's Eve, and a historical blackout.

“City on Fire is a spectacular debut.” —Emily St. John Mandel, author of Station Eleven

A photo posted by Erica of Subtle Acts (@subtleacts) on Dec 10, 2015 at 10:25am PST

2. Food Whore

A story of an aspiring food writer who steps in for an increasingly irrelevant food writer in New York City.

"Jessica Tom’s debut both satisfies completely, and makes you hungry for more—she’s definitely one to watch!" - Stacey Ballis

A photo posted by Gina Truong (@gina_truon9) on Dec 22, 2015 at 5:06am PST

3. Never Let Me Go

A story about English schoolmates who reconnect later in life.

"A page turner and a heartbreaker, a tour de force of knotted tension and buried anguish.” —Time

A photo posted by Monica Arone (@monserati) on Dec 23, 2015 at 5:42am PST

4. The Shining Girls

The story of a serial killer survivor set in Chicago.

"Intriguing...Beukes deals with slightly surreal things in very real ways. I'm all over it." — Gillian Flynn

A photo posted by @thepralinelibrary on Nov 27, 2015 at 10:19am PST

5. The Girl on the Train

The story of an everyday commuter who isn't what she seems, but neither is anything else.

“Be ready to be spellbound, ready to become as obsessed. . . . The Girl on the Train is the kind of book you’ll want to press into the hands of everyone you know, just so they can share your obsession and you can relive it.”—Laura Kasischke, author of The Raising

A photo posted by Anna (@annasoyoung) on Dec 22, 2015 at 4:11pm PST

6. Wool

The story of a dystopian underworld on the verge of irreversible change.

"In WOOL, Hugh Howey delivers the key elements of great science fiction: an authentic and detailed future-world; realistic, relatable characters to live in it; and a taut, thoughtful story. Howey’s supple, muscular writing is the icing on the cake." - Jonathan Hayes

A photo posted by Nika (@ninokunireads) on Aug 27, 2015 at 8:51am PDT

7. The Martian

The story of an astronaut stuck on Mars who refuses to give up.

"The Martian kicked my ass! Weir has crafted a relentlessly entertaining and inventive survival thriller, a MacGyver-trapped-on-Mars tale that feels just as real and harrowing as the true story of Apollo 13."- Ernest Cline

Jessica Tom’s debut novel makes me want to go back in time and move to New York City all over again. Living in the city was great, but entering as a nobody with never-ending aspirations is an experience all in itself. 

In Food Whore, we get to do just that. Tia is someone you’d want to be best friends with and puts the rest of us to shame with how she chases down her dream job. 

Luckily, this is one story that won’t end once you finish the book. We can look forward to seeing Tia in theaters sometime soon via Dreamworks.

We talked with Jessica about her writing process and how Food Whore came together. Bon appétit!

How do you get in the frame of mind to write?

I try to write no matter what. Sometimes the act of just typing, getting words out, is what gets you in the right frame of mind.  

That being said, sometimes I give myself an inspiration boost if I’m looking for a very specific sensory or emotional reaction in the reader. If I’m writing a food scene, I might brush up on some restaurant menus or food blogs, or even go out to eat. If I’m writing a heartbreak scene, I’ll listen to my very potent “Super Sad Songs” playlist. And if I’m writing about embarrassment, then … I have a lot of personal experience to tap.

Do your writing sessions last a certain length, or number of words, and how do you know when it’s time to stop?

I give myself a quota every day. During the work week, it was 500 words a day. On the weekends, it was 1,000 words. Once I meet that quota, I stop when the “moment” ends. That could be as clear-cut as a chapter or scene end. Or it can be after an emotional moment is complete. That way, when I come back to the text, I don’t have to rev myself up about that existing scene. I can rev myself up over a new scene.

Do you drink, eat or snack while writing? Any fuel of choice?

When I’m early in the process and it’s an appropriate hour, I like to have a cocktail on hand. The words flow more freely, without that self-editing that can choke creation. I also love air-popped popcorn with powdered salt and spice mixes I make. And of course, coffee at all times.

Do you have a job in addition to writing?

I wrote Food Whore while I had a full-time job and wrote nights, weekends, and on the commute. Now that the book is out, I’m focusing full-time on getting the word out and making sure the book has my full attention. After all, you only get one chance to launch your first book.

Writing vs. editing?

Writing is where the life is. The key to editing is to shape and sharpen your raw writing without sapping its life.

What does it feel like to see your book go on sale?

Surreal, happy, relieved...and warmed by the enthusiasm of readers.

What’s your most recent book, and what was the biggest surprise for you while you were writing it?

In our series “On Writing,” we interview authors about their creative process. Writing a book is one of the most lengthy, independent creative acts there is and making it happen requires a bit of magic that can inspire all of us. 

This week, we hear from Jackie Copleton, whose first novel “A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding” was recently published. After living in Nagasaki herself, she was able to bring the setting to life through the eyes of someone who grew up there but left after the atomic bombing. Read on to hear more about what it’s like to see your book in its final form and how imagination is turned into chapters. 

How do you get in the frame of mind to write?

I like to write in the mornings when I'm at my most energetic and my imagination is fired up. Scenes tend to take up residence in my head overnight and it almost feels like a purging of them when I put them down on paper. I can clear brain space for the next chapter or plot development to take shape as I lie in bed that following night.

Do your writing sessions last a certain length, or number of words, and how do you know when it's time to stop?

I like to write in spurts of 1,000 words so I have something substantial at the end of a session. But if it isn't flowing then I just have to be a martyr to my muse. I probably wouldn't write for more than four hours, unless a big, whacking deadline is galloping towards me or the words are tumbling out.

Do you drink, eat or snack while writing? Any fuel of choice?

At the moment, I'm trying to be healthy so I'm responding to this Q&A with a bright pink fruit smoothie perched on my desk. Normally I drink gallons of tea. And if I find myself writing at night, a gin and tonic might appear, but I'm not convinced it helps with the creative flow!

Do you have a job in addition to writing?

I have a full-time job as a newspaper subeditor, which leaves my mornings free to write. In essence, I've been working two jobs for a couple of years now. It's hectic but I've learned to improve my time-management skills. Although I'm always going to be a bit of a dreamer.

Writing vs. editing?

Editing has been my professional job for more than fifteen years so I'd say writing. That's where the magic happens. Nothing beats that moment when you conjure up a sentence that makes you sit back and smile. The editor in me is the stern schoolmistress who says, 'Stop smiling and get back to work.'

What does it feel like to see your book go on sale?

Wonderful, surreal, surprising. I had thought I'd be weirdly anxious about it being in that final, definitive form – but no, it's just great. There are times in the writing process that are horrendous, so to see that the book become an actual physical entity is both fabulous and a relief.

What was the biggest surprise for you while you were writing A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding?

We all know the popular story of the Titanic, but that’s just the beginning. We learn in generalities who the players were in various wars but not what it was like to be caught in the way or on the outskirts of a conflict that was not really your own.

Some of the worst tragedies in the world are taught in history books, while others are glossed over or forgotten. As we face present-day tragedies it becomes more relevant to think of what it was like to survive some of the worst disasters in history. 

These novels bring history to life in new ways, teaching a bit of culture alongside capturing the timeless experience of being human. Whether you have a curiosity for a particular event in history or just want an immersive, deep story, one of these novels is for you.

Experience Nazi occupation on an English Channel island - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society 

Experience the aftermath — and life before — the Nagasaki bombing - A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding

Experience Soviet camps through the eyes of a displaced Lithuanian girl - Between Shades of Gray 

Imagine seeing Auschwitz from the safe side of the fence as a young child - The Boy in the Striped Pajamas  

Experience the aftermath of the sinking of the Titanic, and the generations beyond - The Girl Who Came Home: A Titanic Novel

Imagine conspiracy theories surrounding the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln - The Lincoln Deception 

Experience tragedies across a century, the Triangle Shirtwaist fire and 9/11 - A Fall of Marigolds 

Experience the aftermath of Halifax Explosion amid a complicated story of love, politics and religion in WWI Nova Scotia - Burden of Desire  

Experience the trauma and faith of a child during the 1980s El Salvador civil war - The Weight of All Things 

Experience pre- and post-war Sierra Leone, and the psychological aftermath for the survivors - The Memory of Love 

Explore the Bubonic Plague in a twist on the typical time-traveling sci-fi novel - Doomsday Book

Dive into the Biafran War, a failed attempt at independence amid tensions between people groups in Nigeria - Half of a Yellow Sun 

Imagine the lopsided but epic battle of Thermopylae during the second Persian invasion of Greece - Gates of Fire 

How did an aspiring fiction writer end up building and launching an iOS app? Simple, learning to code was easier than getting words on a page. But wait, let’s go back to how this all started. 

In the spring of 2008, I was getting ready to graduate from college with a business degree and little desire to sit in an office as I had during business internships. I contacted every literary agent I could find in San Diego, thinking I would learn about the industry before starting to write books. For several months I commuted up to North County and read manuscript pitches out of an agent’s bedroom while listening to her make calls and discuss edits with writers. 

I wound up going to graduate school for journalism, deciding I needed professional experience writing before I could make it as an author. When I moved to New York City after stints at a magazine and a news startup, I could have started on my novel (”The Coffee Shop,” about five 20something coffee shop employees who dream of going off to the faraway places their regular customers do each day after coming through) but instead I started doing online coding tutorials. 

It’s because when working as an agent, I saw countless manuscripts that weren’t going to make it to print but would be enjoyable, cathartic, wonderful reads for the right type of person, if those readers could be found. When I sat down to write, I knew it could take two years or longer to get the story out, and then I would have to spend another year pitching it to agents, then even longer for agents to pitch it to publishers. There had to be a better way, and as an aspiring author, I wanted to make it.

ReadThisNext gives readers a simple place to find a good book, and give authors more control over how their books are discovered. We’re using author blurbs, or endorsements, to connect people to books they may want to read. This is just the beginning — we’re excited to build more tools for authors, and optimize the book recommendations as more people use ReadThisNext.

It’s been 3.5 years since I started on ReadThisNext (and back then it was called Coverlist). It became what it is today because I partnered with the right people and funded it in the most sustainable way, Kickstarter. We’re incredibly thankful for our Kickstarter supporters who have tested the app for the past month to get it ready and for being the start of what will be an amazing community of fiction lovers!

- Dani, co-founder & ceo, ReadThisNext

Here’s some stats from our private beta: 

63 book posts

252 authors followed

276 books favorited

49 monthly active users

And here’s how our beta users describe ReadThisNext: 

“Great app to help you pick your next book or share your thoughts about one you're currently reading.”

“Useful tool to quickly decide what to read”

“My book recommendations on crack”

“ReadThisNext is like book lovers the potato chip: you can NEVER look at just one book. One will lead you to more and more books. Suddenly, 3 hours have gone by and you have to stop eating potato chips (even though the bag is still magically full).”

“Cool app to see what people are reading and get suggestions”

“An insider view of your favorite authors book recommendations in a super user friendly App”

“Simple app to know what your favorite writers are reading.”

“The truest evocation of a complex and lifelong friendship between women I’ve ever read.” —Emily Gould, author of Friendship

“The Neapolitan novel cycle is an unconditional masterpiece . . . I read all the books in a state of immersion; I was totally enthralled. There was nothing else I wanted to do except follow the lives of Lila and Lenù to the end.”—Jhumpa Lahiri, Pulitzer-prize winning author of The Lowland

“Reading Ferrante reminded me of that child-like excitement when you can’t look up from the page, when your eyes seem to be popping from your head, when you think: I didn’t know books could do this!”—Elizabeth Strout, Pulitzer-prize winning author of The Burgess Boys

In true millennial fashion, I decided to read The Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante because I kept seeing them pop up on Instagram. At first, the old-fashioned covers threw me, I didn't think I'd be interested in them -- but they just kept popping up everywhere, so I decided to buy the first one to give it a shot. 

The four novels (My Brilliant Friend, The Story of a New Name, For Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay, and The Story of the Lost Child) follow the friendship of Lila and Elena as they grow up in Naples during the 1950s. I immediately fell in love with their friendship because of how true it is. Ferrante dives deep into the complications of female friendship, and follows its course from childhood into old age. From jealousies to insecurities, manipulation and absolute loyalty -- Ferrante depicts a nuanced and intense friendship that is hard to ignore (and at times, tough to read.)

I read all four novels in a row, because I wanted to feel fully immersed in their world -- and I recommend this course for anyone who is interested in giving them a shot. She tackles issues of motherhood, and the complicated feelings women can have when they bring a child into the world and lose their autonomy. She also tackles issues of nationhood, revolution, abuse and how the expectations we have for ourselves shape the course of our lives. Although the novels are largely about the relationship between Lila and Elena, it is such a pleasure to watch the other characters grow as well -- the family members, crushes, husbands, ex-husbands and friends from the neighborhood in Naples. 

By the time I finished all four, it was all but impossible to pick up another book because I wasn't ready to leave these characters. I highly recommend them to anyone. 

Ann Marie Meyers' writing process begins with an idea and compulsion, rather than a strict outline-to-draft. A key discovery she made while writing her first children's book was: "Facing your fears is key to being able to accept and keep your dream."

Ann Marie grew up in Trinidad and Tobago in the West Indies, is a translator from French and Spanish into English and now lives in Toronto. We spoke with Ann Marie about how she plans (or doesn't plan) a book, her ideal writing snacks, and the differences between editing and writing. 

Check out Ann Marie Meyers's books on ReadThisNext.

How do you get in the frame of mind to write?

In most cases, this is not something I do deliberately. When an idea is inside me, I get this compulsion, this strong desire, to create and shape the story. Then I go to my computer and start typing. It’s true that there are times when I’m not ‘in the mood’ to write. But often, once I start thinking of the story and what I need to do to fix it (if I’m revising) or to continue with the plot (in the case of the first draft), then the desire to write kicks in, and I’m ready.

Do your writing sessions last a certain length, or number of words, and how do you know when its time to stop?

I don’t limit myself in this way. Depending on the day, I write for about an hour or up to four or more hours. It also depends on if I’m busy. I’m a freelance translator and when I get a large job, usually with a tight deadline, then completing the job has to have priority over writing. At times this can be difficult, as it means ‘turning off’ the flow of ideas in order to translate. The ideal, of course, would be to spend up to an hour or so writing and then spend the rest of the time translating. Somehow though, this is hard for me to do, so I ‘switch hats’ when appropriate.

Do you drink, eat or snack while writing? Any fuel of choice?

Definitely. Coffee and chocolate are my ‘fuel of choice’.

Do you have an job in addition to writing?

As I said, I’m a translator. I translate mainly legal documents from French and Spanish into English. Prior to translating I worked with the Trinidad and Tobago Tourist Board (initially in Trinidad, where I’m from, and then in Manhattan). After this I spent 4 ½ years working at the United Nations in NYC.

Writing vs. editing?

Like night and day.

I love the creation process of shaping a new story. I don’t do initial outlines but ‘go with the flow’ as I write this first draft. I find that I get that ‘feeling tone’ much easier, and am able to get into the head of the characters from the gut level. There comes a point though, when I get stuck and have to stop and plot the story, delve a bit more into the characters, before continuing.

Editing can be painful and extremely rewarding. Painful because it’s a question of feeling my way around what works and what doesn’t. The fun part is in finding the core of the story and then building on this, adding the subplots, the twists, the drama, the passion… and seeing the characters and the plot metamorphose into what they were meant to be all along.

What does it feel like to see your book go on sale?

Amazing! Wonderful! Rewarding! Fulfilling!

Followed by panic and a lot of ‘what if’s’!

What if no one likes my book. What if no one buys it. What if! What if!

Gradually, of course, I invariably let go. The book is ‘out there’ and it’s time to move on. ☺

What author blurb were you most excited to get?

Here is a blurb from author Lehua Parker:

Up in the Air by Ann Marie Meyers is one of those rare books for children that accurately portrays the reality of being a child without making adults look like stumbling idiots or children seem uber-smart, successful, lucky, or treacle-y sweet versions of grown-ups.

What's your most recent book, and what was the biggest surprise for you while you were writing it?

Up In The Air is my first children’s book. This is a fantasy for children ages 9 – 14. The idea for the book came to me one morning when I was meditating (that in itself is a story). My initial thoughts were: “Wow. What a cool idea.” I figured this would be a book that kids could enjoy and simply be entertained.

Jo Ann Schneider is the author of two novels and is a mechanical designer. Like many authors, her writing magic happens all places — on trains, in airports, and with Diet Coke in reach. She blogs about writing, YA, and books on her website.

We spoke to Jo Ann about the differences between writing and editing, and what it feels like to see your book go on sale.

Check out Jo Ann Schneider's books on ReadThisNext.

How do you get in the frame of mind to write?

I can write pretty much anytime, anywhere. Some of my more brilliant work has been penned (or typed) in waiting rooms, at airports or in train stations. My secret is headphones. Once I pop those ear buds in and hunker down, a little man in my brain says “engage” and I’m in writing mode.

The funny bit is that there doesn’t even have to be music playing. As a matter of fact, after an hour or so my album or playlist ends, and over half of the time I never get around to starting another one.

At home I toss Pandora on and just let it go. No, that was not meant to be a Frozen reference. I promise.

Do your writing sessions last a certain length, or number of words, and how do you know when its time to stop?

I’m overly obsessed with goals. I kind of feel bad for my husband, but he knew what he was getting into before we got married.

Anyway, I always have a long-term writing goal that I’m working on. For instance, right now my goal is to finish my manuscript in process as well as have the rough draft for part 2 completed before the end of the month. I will look at how many chapters I need to get through to make my insane delusion happen, break it down into weeks and days, figure out how many writing sessions I’m likely to get in before then, and that’s where my daily or sessionly goals come from.

I know it’s time to stop when I start adding the last letter of one word to the beginning of the next. That means my brain is twitching and my fingers are trying to type on their own.

Or if I fall asleep. That’s usually a sign … to go get more Diet Coke.

Do you drink, eat or snack while writing? Any fuel of choice?

No. No snacks. If there is food within reach, I will type maybe twenty words, pause, retrieve said snack, eat it, re-read the twenty words I just wrote, re-type ten of them, type ten more then get another bite of yummy-ness.

Water and soda are the exceptions. Dirty Diet Coke. With the pebble ice. I’ve got my husband convinced that he is the one who wants to go to Sonic and get a bag of the pebble ice. Go me.

Do you have an job in addition to writing?

I’ve been a mechanical designer for a handful of lighting companies for fifteen-ish years. That means that we get a crazy sketch from either our designer or a customer, and my job is to figure out if we can actually build it. Metal parts have to touch one another in order to stay together—customers don’t always understand this concept—and it’s not advisable for glass to be the primary support in any light. Once we figure out if we can build it, I put drawings together for our shop. This is what I tell people, I don’t make things pretty, I make the pretty happen. Within reason.

I wrote my first six books—don’t ask about them, they’re craptastic—and published my first two traditionally with this job. In the summer of 2014 I got to go part time, so now I get to write for 20 hours a week. Which still isn’t enough time, by the way.

Writing vs. editing?

Creating a story is like trying to do my Kempo forms in the dark with a 25 pound weight vest on as well as ankle and wrist weights. With my instructor tossing things—and possibly people—at me for fun.

Editing is like driving on the freeway on one of those days with the perfect combination of sunshine and cool weather, with the windows down, my sunglasses on and the wind flipping my hair everywhere. In my mind I look like Cameron Diaz. No one is allowed to tell me otherwise.

What does it feel like to see your book go on sale? 

You know that part in the movie Elf, when the guy in the store tells Buddy that Santa is coming and he totally freaks out? Yeah, that’s pretty much how it feels.

What's your most recent book, and what was the biggest surprise for you while you were writing it?

Right now I’m really living the dream. The story I’m working on is the story I’ve had in my head for more than twenty years. It is a YA post-apocalyptic Sci-Fi series about a girl who loses everyone she knows and then has to face her worst fears to keep it from happening again.

For Janet Kay Jensen, editing and writing are equally appealing — and part of her process includes sending her writing to beta readers, who she expects to be tough, so the resulting prose is as tight as it can be.

We spoke with Janet about books, blurbs,  her favorite endorsement — and how she's glad people still listen to NPR.

"When one bookstore owner in Florida said she didn’t cook but loved our book and then quoted from it, I was stunned. That night I went to a basketball game at Utah State University and several people stopped me to tell me they’d heard about our book on NPR," she says.

Janet co-wrote The Book Lover's Cookbook and her second novel was released in January 2015.

Check out Janet Kay Jensen's books on ReadThisNext.

How do you get in the frame of mind to write?

It’s always on my mind, actually. I work out plot issues, etc. while I’m doing other things, or I see or hear something that resonates with me, and somehow it works its way into the book.

Do your writing sessions last a certain length, or number of words, and how do you know when its time to stop?

I’m not that structured. It seems to come in bursts. How do I know it’s time to stop? Two a.m. is a good time to stop. Actually, I haven’t stayed up that late to write for several years.

Do you drink, eat or snack while writing? Any fuel of choice?

Lots of ice water in non-spill mugs, nuts, M&Ms. Chocolate goes with everything.

Do you have an job in addition to writing?

My first job was at Lady Lovely Lingerie Factory in Salt Lake City, Utah, the summer after high school graduation. You wouldn’t find any of their designs at Victoria’s Secret; they were quite conservative and have been out of business for some time. In college I worked in the dormitory cafeteria and one summer I worked at Hertz Rent-a-Car at the Salt Lake City International Airport.

After graduate school I began my career as a speech-language pathologist at a center for developmentally disabled children in Chicago. Then I worked for the Cache (Utah) School District. For a few years I was a busy mom (three boys in six years) and then I worked part time in the Logan (Utah) school district, Utah State University’s Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education, and USU’s Center for Persons with Disabilities. About ten years ago I retired from that profession and began full-time writing. I am also a volunteer literacy tutor for Bridgerland Literacy in Logan, Utah.

Writing vs. editing?

James Michener once said he didn’t think he was a great writer but he was a great rewriter. I enjoy both writing and editing. It’s really helpful to put something away for a few weeks and then return to it with fresh eyes. When I self-edit, the voice of the late writer Ken Rand whispers: “Take out all those unnecessary adjectives and adverbs! Cut the manuscript by ten per cent! You are a writer!” I have some beta readers I expect to be tough, too. I want to send out the cleanest, tightest manuscript I can produce.

What does it feel like to see your book go on sale?

The Borders store in my adopted home town of Logan, Utah displayed about twenty copies of The Book Lover’s Cookbook on the wall above the checkstand. I looked up and whoa! That was a dizzying sight. It has such a beautiful cover, and for them to spotlight local authors (I was a co-author with Shaunda Wenger) was so kind. Whenever my husband would walk into a bookstore and see that book or my first novel, Don’t You Marry the Mormon Boys, he’d always pull it out and display it so you could see the whole cover instead of just the spine.

What author blurb were you most excited to get?

National Public Radio interviewed independent bookstore owners shortly after The Book Lover’s Cookbook was released, asking for their Christmas gift recommendations. When one bookstore owner in Florida said she didn’t cook but loved our book and then quoted from it, I was stunned. That night I went to a basketball game at Utah State University and several people stopped me to tell me they’d heard about our book on NPR. They said the bookstore owner was from half a dozen different cities, which made me laugh. But it was great to know people listen to NPR, and thrilling that our book was mentioned.

What's your most recent book, and what was the biggest surprise for you while you were writing it?

Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, would be a great book if it covered race alone. As a white person, blind to racism, I found that discussion fascinating. 

But I grasped onto what I could relate to, the underlying love story, like a suspense thriller, reading it on the edge of my seat. The love was like what we read in fairy tales, life-long and magical. 

Would the lovers end up together? Can you make a fatal mistake in or around the relationship, and never recover? Is shameless pursuit of this love guaranteed to work?

Like in most books, I waited for the characters to answer these deep questions so I would know what to expect out of my own life. Like Ifemelu, I want a career, some years of fun and independence and discovery before settling down with a soulmate type.

Like Ifemelu, I've had good jobs I wasn't satisfied with, and kept searching. But like Kosi,  believe in marriage, commitment. Honesty. 

There was no right way for this book to end, except maybe a plane crash and someone finally being able to peacefully settle for second best. 

For April Lindner, the life of a writer and writing professor means being able to post pictures of poets and poems around her desk (something she didn't get to do working at a bank), and even better — working from a treadmill desk, or sometimes, in bed.

Having a window long enough to lose herself in her writing is integral to her process. 

"I do almost all of my writing on days when I can start at nine and end at about three," she says.

April is the author of three novels and a professor of English at Saint Joseph’s University. We talked to April about her writing process, favorite snacks, and the joys of seeing your book on display at the bookstore.

"The cover [of Catherine] is so gorgeous that it’s almost incandescent, especially when it’s set up to face forward on a dark wooden bookshelf," she says.

April's latest, Love, Lucy, was released on Jan. 27. 

See all April Lindner’s books on ReadThisNext.

How do you get in the frame of mind to write?

I get up, have breakfast, brew a pot of coffee, and get down to work as soon as possible. I need as much of the day as I can get to stretch out in. If I’ve got to go anywhere — to work or a doctor’s appointment — I can’t really lose myself in the story the way I need to really get rolling. So I do almost all of my writing on days when I can start at nine and end at about three. I have a treadmill desk, and writing on it gets my blood pumping and loosens me up; it’s hard to feel tight and anxious when you’re writing at 3 miles per hour. But to be honest I still do most of my writing in bed with my dogs because I love the feeling of having my cockapoo Nico curled up on my feet.

Do you drink, eat or snack while writing? Any fuel of choice?

Coffee is absolutely my fuel of choice! When I take a break for lunch, I like to keep it simple and healthy. Almond butter on whole wheat toast is easy and good, as is hummus on pita. For snacks, I’m big on roasted nori seaweed, the kind you get at a Japanese or Korean grocery store. It’s salty and crispy—and it’s technically a vegetable so I can eat a lot of it. And I try to eat most of a red pepper every day, mostly because Nico loves to share those with me.

Do you have a job in addition to writing, or what was your first job?

I’m an English professor at Saint Joseph’s University, where I’ve been teaching for thirteen years. I teach all kinds of writing classes — young adult fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and freshman composition. It’s a pretty good gig, really; I get to spend most of my work hours thinking about writing — other people’s, and sometimes my own. And I can tack up poems and pictures of poets on my office walls without any of my coworkers thinking I’m weird — which wasn’t the case when I worked at a bank.

Writing vs. editing?

Writing a rough draft — facing the blank page — is always terrifying, but when it’s going well and my characters are really speaking to me it can be exhilarating — one of the best feelings imaginable. Rewriting can be just as terrifying, maybe even more so, since it can involve stripping out whole scenes or chapters and coming up with whole new ones. But when I’m at the editing stage, I’m really in my element. There’s nothing I love more than tinkering with words and making the prose sing.

What does it feel like to see your book go on sale?

It’s tremendously exciting to walk into a bookstore and see your book on a shelf, especially if it happens to be facing forward. Catherine, my second novel, came out a few months ago in paperback, and the cover is so gorgeous that it’s almost incandescent, especially when it’s set up to face forward on a dark wooden bookshelf. I’m always tempted to walk around the store, grab any shoppers I can find, and bring them over to where my books are, but so far I’ve managed to resist.

What author blurb were you most excited to get?

The wonderful Meg Cabot, author of The Princess Diaries, wrote a blurb for Love, Lucy. I love her work so much, and her blurb is incredibly generous. It makes me very happy!

What's your most recent book, and what was the biggest surprise for you while you were writing it?