http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/blog/wicked-intentions
It’s an awesome review that entertains and informs. Okay, it’s a little on the lengthy side, but when a writer is on a roll, you let ‘em roll.
The review gets extra points for introducing me to what I suspect will be my new favorite word for a while: crazysauce. Yes, it sounds like something Tina Fey would say, but I checked and nope. Wonderful word.
Of course, we shouldn’t forget the inspiration for the review, which is Elizabeth Hoyt’s “Wicked Intentions.” I haven’t read it yet, but the review moves it to the front of the line. A book and an author definitely worth checking out.
Random thing I found while googling “crazysauce”: there’s a really nifty short film (like 3 minutes) at crazysauce.com. A tongue-in-cheek hipster showdown with very high production values. Worth a gander.
There’s a fascinating list posted on Nathan Bransford’s excellent blog: the annual bestseller in fiction in the USA for each year from 1900 to 2012. http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2013/09/bestselling-novels-by-year.html
Some of my thoughts on it …
It’s John Grisham’s World, We’re Just Living In It: A Grisham title was the bestseller in 11 different years, 7 of them in a row (1994-200). All of them are different titles, and The Firm (to me, the best of the bunch) wasn’t one of them. Stephen King, in contrast, got the top spot in “only” 4 years, JK Rowling in 2 years.
Attention Peter Jackson: The only Tolkein novel to grab a yearly top spot was … The Silmarillion!? (1977). I would’ve lost that bet.
What Happened to Adults in the Early 80s?: The top seller in 1982 was an E.T. storybook, and for 1983 it was a Return of the Jedi storybook.
The Last Back-To-Back Chart Topper?: 1972 and 1973, both topped by Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull.
Who?: The authors most likely to surprise modern mainstream readers are Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye, who co-wrote the bestseller (Desecration) for 2001. It’s volume 9 of the “Left Behind” series.
It’s All About the Follow-Through: Most authors on the list got there not with their first big hit, but with a subsequent book. Clancy’s on there twice, but not for Hunt For Red October, Jean Auel made it twice, but not with Clan of the Cave Bear, Stephen King’s first appearance was with The Talisman, and Rowling made it with the fifth book in her Harry Potter series.
A very interesting list, and kudos to Bransford for sharing it.
This is my first blog post. It makes me wonder what my first written sentence was. And I mean written of my own accord, instead of simply following what the teacher told me.
My guess: “Lisa is a writer.”
Time to get back to that.