Well, that comment I made above about “nerds of my age” is one reason. While it’s set in the near future, a major plot point has to do with a familiarity with pop culture of the 1980s. And you know who gets that? Not teenagers now who weren’t born until the 1990s, but adults, particularly those born in the 70s for whom the 80s were their formative teenage years.

This ties in with my comment from a couple of weeks ago about “historical” books as well. Often, if you’re setting a book at a time when you, as the writer, were a teen, it won’t feel like YA to teens today. A gross generalization, of course, but common.

Anyway, if you WERE a nerd or a pop culture junkie in the 80s, I highly recommend Ready Player One. I can’t wait to read more!

But in any case, I thought I’d throw up a little pimp thread here for you guys to talk about the books that made you stand up and take notice this year. Feel free to mention kt literary clients, of course — I wouldn’t want you to forget those! — but I’m most interested in hearing about titles that I otherwise might not know about, or that, while I know about them, might not yet have made it to my hot little hands.

For instance, just this morning I read this review of The Iron Duke, and I immediately put it on reserve at the library to read. So — what other recommendations have you got for me? And what’s on YOUR holiday reading list?

Speaking of reading, that’s one of the things I *do* expect to get done on my break. I’m stocking my Kindle with your romances, your paranormals, your mysteries and thrillers. I’ve got drafts of new novels by several of my clients (lucky me!) and a couple of fulls I’m hoping live up to the promise of the early chapters.

But never fear! Even while I’m gone, I wouldn’t dream of leaving you stranded without something to read (and shoes to swoon over). All next week I’ll be featuring guest posts on the blog from my authors, as well as one from Intern Jenny herself, with her thoughts on the query process.

But I’m also curious — so many of you are writers building your web presences. How do you handle blog vacations? Do you schedule posts in advance? Let the blog be silent while you’re gone? Post by phone, just to keep your hand in? It’s not just vacations either — when your deadline is hard and fast upon you, do you let your blog get dusty, or is that when you’re MORE inclined to post, as a form of procrastination? How do you handle enforced time away from the internet? Do you celebrate?

May the comments be lively!

In the meantime, one of the most popular requests was for reviews of books I read for pleasure. I’ve been somewhat leery about this in the past, because I have to work in this industry, and I don’t want a lukewarm review of a book to make an author think twice about blurbing one of my client’s books, for instance. (You’d think it was self-explanatory that my reviews of books are merely my own personal opinion, but in an industry about relationships, personal opinions can come back at you. Anyway…)

I use a reading list on Amazon and Visual Bookshelf on Facebook to keep track of books I read, but I will try to be better about putting up some thoughts here as well — with the understanding that the books I’m likely to be posting about will be the ones I liked and enjoyed.

So I hit the library this afternoon and picked up a few titles I’ve been looking forward to, and the picture above is my to-read pile next to my bed (not to be confused by the to-read pile in my office, which covers about two bookcases). I look forward to getting back to you about them!

If you sent a query, partial or full already (or hope to do so before midnight on Friday), I’m going to do my best to respond to everyone by the end of the year. Will I get to everyone? I hope so. If not, I’ll be in touch with my reaction in the New Year. I do want to read for pleasure over the holidays, though — I just got a copy of the 2010 William C. Morris finalist Ash by Malinda Lo, and I can’t wait to read it!

I’ll be scheduling some special About My Query posts for Christmas and New Year’s though, and I hope you’ll come check them out.

Otherwise, I’m curious — what books are on your Christmas wish list? Or what titles do you hope or plan to read over the break? Please give your suggestions in the comments!

Still, I think back to snow days of yore, when school would get canceled, but I’d still bundle up in all my snow gear to go play outside and make a fort. The corners of our driveway, where snow would get piled up both from the street plow and from my dad shoveling the driveway, would turn into towers, and I remember storms after which several people could easily sit in one of our homemade igloos.

Then there were NYC snowstorms, which would blanket the city in a clean coat of white, and cars would cede the broad avenues and cross streets to kids pulling sleds towards Central Park.

Now, I get to watch the puppies bound through snow up to their chests (and clean up after them when they come back inside). And aside from not making my usual trip to the bank or post office, it’s pretty much like a normal work day.

What’s your favorite part of snow days, past or present?

As you’ll recall from my original post, you too can participate for a chance to win a copy of Band Geeked Out by Josie Bloss. All you have to do is also read Catching Fire or any one of the Mortal Instruments books (and just so my clients don’t feel left out) OR any book by a kt literary client, and post a review on your site or somewhere linkable (i.e. GoodReads totally counts). After Labor Day, I’ll put up a “Recent Reads” post, and anyone who comments there with a link to their review of one of the above books will be entered to randomly win Band Geeked Out.

Ready? Set? Read!

What are you reading?

Share your reading plans and recommendations in the comments!

So, if you were bedridden for a few days, or could be, what would you do? And if you say “read,” do you want to read new stuff, or pull out an old standard?