12 Authors and Bloggers to Follow on Twitter

This post has been created to mark the addition of my twitter sidebar. It's right over there! >>>>

I joined Twitter about a week ago, and I LOVE it! You can write randomly about anything you like, add links to your blog posts for people to find (I'm @otherteenreader, by the way), and, the best of all, follow your favourite authors and bloggers. Here are a list of people I love to read tweets from - they're funny, sarcastic and awesome.

#1 - John Green (@johngreen)

Website: www.johngreenbooks.com

Author of Looking for Alaska, The Fault in our Stars, and An Abundance of Katherines, among others, Green is a pretty prolific tweeter. A lot of his stuff is about events and promo for his books, but the articles he links to are pretty interesting, as are his retweets. Give it a go.

#2 - Rainbow Rowell (@rainbowrowell)

Website: http://www.rainbowrowell.com/

Rowell's feed is good, good, GOOD! What else would you expect from someone who wrote both Fangirl and Eleanor and Park? Part of the reason I joined twitter is because one of my favourite YA bloggers said I should follow Rainbow Rowell. You should too.

#3 - Lucy Powrie (@LucyTheReader)

Blog: http://queenofcontemporary.com/

I found Lucy's blog through twitter, and, as you can see from my "Favourite Blogs" tab, I am very glad I did. She shares a lot of my book opinions, so if you agree with the stuff on this blog, then you'll probably like her stuff too.

#4 - Sarah J. Maas (@SJMaas)
Website: http://sarahjmaas.com/ (link to blog there).

Sarah J. Maas is my all-time favourite fantasy author. She wrote Throne of Glass, which is such an epically awesome series that I can't even begin to describe it, and her latest book, A Court of Thorns and Roses, is on tour right now. Read about the crazy journey of post-publishing - and the writing world in general - with her twitter feed.

#5 - Go Teen Writers (@GoTeenWriters)
Blog: http://www.goteenwriters.blogspot.co.uk/

As the name suggests, Go Teen Writers is a practical treasure-trove of writing advice for teens and almost-teens, and I love it to pieces. Go Teen Writers was my entry into the book blogging world. It's mostly run by Stephanie Morill (@StephMorill) and Jill Williamson (@JillWilliamson), but Shannon Dittemore (@ShanDitty) also helps out, so if you like Go Teen Writers, I'd check out their stuff too.

#6 - Kate I. Foley (@Magic_Violinist)
Blog: http://themagicviolinist.blogspot.co.uk/

You've probably heard me go on about the awesomeness of The Magic Violinist before. Well, Kate is the crazy-awesome genius behind it. She mostly retweets stuff about Doctor Who and Harry Potter, so, if that's what you like, be prepared for your online reading material to double in quantity. Who doesn't want that?

#7 - Corey Ann Haydu (@CoreyAnnHaydu)
Website: http://www.coreyannhaydu.com/2012/

Corey Ann Haydu is the author of the incredible Life By Committee, which I just finished (my mind will not stop being blown) and has some brilliant things to say about life. Her feed makes me smile.

#8 - Alison Cherry (@alison_cherry)
Blog: http://alisoncherrybooks.com/

I was really sad when Alison stopped posting regularly in her blog, so finding her twitter feed made me very happy. I don't think I've ever laughed out loud reading anyone else's feed, but it happens when I read hers. She also wrote Red and For Real, which are perfect little-known books you should definitely check out.

#9 - Stephanie Perkins (@naturallysteph)
Blog: http://naturalartificial.blogspot.co.uk/

This feed is a new discovery for me, and I like it. I like it a lot. It's full of sugar-sweet posts with equally sweet photos, plus the odd dusting of goofball sarcasm. Very fun.

#10 - Shannon Hale (@haleshannon)
Website: http://shannonhale.com

I am rather embarrassed to admit that I've never read a single one of Shannon's books, but I probably should, seeing as I love her feed so much. It's often the first thing I see when I log into twitter, and is simple sassy brilliance.

#11 - Meg Cabot (@megcabot)
Website: http://www.megcabot.com/

If you've read The Princess Diaries, then you can expect similar things in tweet form. Sarcasm, wit, and general appreciation of the writing life.

and finally. . . 

#12 - J.K Rowling (@jk_rowling)
Website: http://www.jkrowling.com/

She is Queen of the Potterheads, and Queen of the Twitter Slapdown. Just read the brilliance.

Plus, upon occasion, she answers questions about Harry Potter. I live for the day she will tell me what Neville's middle name is (I don't think it was canon)...

These are my favourite bloggers and authors - do you have anyone to add to the list? If so, share in the comments.

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Why I Love Reading

There are many, many reasons why I love reading.

I love the way a character can hide in your head, influencing your thoughts at the strangest moments.

I love it when I lose track of time because I'm 'in a book'.

I love the way books smell when they're new, and I love that smell even more when they're old.

I love how I can have the longest debates with my bookworm friends, arguing about which characters should get together or how to pronounce the names in Fantasy books.

I love the feeling when I find a new bookshop, and when I'm allowed to stay in there for hours.

(Yes, I really have been here. It's Old Pier Books in Morecambe, England.)

I love the way my bookshelves look, like they're holding old friends.

(That really is my bedroom, in case you were wondering.)

I love meeting my favourite authors, or even just reading their Twitter feeds, because it feels like I've found their books all over again.

I love recommending books to anyone who'll listen.

I love hiding in my school library, no matter how nice the weather is outside.

But most of all, I love how reading gives me a thousand different lives to live. I can choose which characters to love and which to hate, which book worlds to rest in and which to run away from. So, what I'd like to say is that I pity those who don't read. I mean, it's their choice, and no-one can force somebody else to love a book (trust me, I've tried). But it still seems unfortunate - why just live in the real world when you can have a million more?

We all have different reasons to love reading - what are yours? And what do you have to say to those who don't?

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How to tell if you're a Teen Reader

Look, I know it's worrying. But some of your friends and family think you might be expressing some symptoms of . . . teen readership. Please don't panic, it's perfectly normal, but if you do experience positive diagnosis, you'll need to change your lifestyle a little.

The first thing worth remembering is that those with teen reader syndrome do not just like and read books. They have a tendency to write or talk about them endlessly, and often refer to the characters and plots as if they are real. In addition, they often browse social media, exchanging little-known facts about the books with other sufferers, as well as reading and writing "Fan Fiction".

Now, it's entirely possible that we're wrong. I just need you to answer a few questions, so that we can know for sure what's happening:

Think back to the last time you read a book. Did you read it for pleasure?
Okay, fine. A lot of those who are unaffected read 'because they feel like it'. It's just an indicator, that's all.

Do you 'ship' characters that didn't get together in the real books, films or TV shows (such as Luna / Neville from Harry Potter), or create alternate endings for yourself if you didn't like what really happened?

Ah. It might be worse than I thought. Never mind - there's no need to panic!

When shipping characters, do you use relationship names? Examples include Luneville (Luna / Neville) and Sherlolly (Sherlock / Molly from Sherlock).

Maybe we might need to panic now.

Okay, I'm going to be straight with you. All your answers to these questions were teen reader positive.

WELCOME TO THE COMMUNITY!

I'm a teen reader too - the clue's in the blog name. In fact, most of the people who read this it are. Reading is awesome - why shouldn't you start the obsession young?

Can any of you think of any other 'teen reader indicators'? Share in the comments!

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Books versus eBooks

Finally! It's finished!

eBooks hit the big time almost a decade ago, when Amazon released the Kindle in 2007. Since then, a whole host of eReaders have become available, including the Nook and Kobo. However, the debate still goes on: which is better? Print or electronic books?

To work out which comes on top, we're going to play. . .

Are you ready? Each of these reading situations is easier to get round using either Books or eBooks, and at the end we'll add up which medium is more convenient. Let's go!

#1 - Reading in bed when you're supposed to be asleep
Mum, Dad, if you're reading this. I have . . . um . . . never done this. I . . . promise?

Are they gone then? Because I do this all the time. And I have to say that the eBook wins hands down. You can get these cases with lights in, so you can hide under the covers without having to hold a torch or risk having the bedside light on. Not to mention that eBooks are much lighter than most print ones. It's basically more convenient, and you're less likely to get caught.

#2 - Reference books
By reference books, I mean the kind that don't have to be read in order. The kind you flick through or have to keep looking at the contents page. For this kind of thing, the traditional book wins every time. They're much easier for bit-by-bit, scatty reading.

#3 - Pictures!
Yes, I know you can get Kindles (and probably other eBooks) with colour screens now, but books are still better. The pictures are glossy when printed in books. You can see them in detail without having to click on them, zoom in and lose the text you were reading. Not to mention that most eBooks are still black and white, which is incredibly annoying.

#4 Bringing a book on holiday
There is only one annoying part about taking an eBook on holiday with you - the section of plane take-off when you have to turn off all devices. However, most airlines are stopping doing that now, because they've realised that they don't actually need to. At last.

Taking an eBook on holiday is absolutely brilliant. It fits in your pocket, there's no glare on the screen, and, as long as there's WiFi, you have a literally limitless supply of books. Even if you don't, it only takes a bit of foresight to download as many as you need before you set off, and then they can be accessed anytime. There's no massive debate with your parents about how many books are permitted, and it's much lighter.

Just don't. Forget. The charger. The battery might last eight weeks, but only if you remember to plug it in, which you won't with the whole holiday excitement. Not if you're like me, anyway...

#5 Lending a book to someone else
When I got my Kindle in 2011, I was really excited about the so-called 'Kindle Owner's Lending Library'. It would never replace a true library, of course, but still.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work unless you're an Amazon Prime member. And even if it did, are we really going to give up going to the library?

Books win on this one.

#6 Running out of room
We've all been in the situation where our already-creaking bookshelf refuses to take any more books. There are stacks around most of our bedrooms, and eventually, eBooks are more convenient. A Nook can hold up to 1,000 books, and that's one of the smaller memory sizes.

In short, eBooks could save you from the ever-imminent danger of bookshelf collapse. And they're cheaper than a new bookshelf.

#7 No WiFi. I repeat, no WiFi.
No-one should have to live without WiFi. This picture shows what I mean:

But, in the probably rare instance that you have to live without WiFi for a while, then an eBook isn't really going to help you. It shouldn't be true, but unfortunately. . .

#8 Being caught without a book
One of the worst bookworm problems is finishing a book unexpectedly quickly. You might be bored on a train, have nothing to read during English class, or be stuck having to talk to the people you'd brought a book to avoid in the first place.

For this, eBooks are perfect. You can buy a new book, if WiFi is available, and if not, you can dig into your stocks of unread books, or re-read an old one. That's why I always keep the complete adventures of Sherlock Holmes on my eBook just in case - they're pretty good, actually.

THE OVERALL WINNER - DRUMROLL PLEASE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Is neither, because they both scored four. I'm not being very helpful here, am I?

So, the definitive answer on which media you should use is both.

Ah, well.

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In Which I Apologise

I know, I know. I've abandoned you over the last month or so, and I'm sorry. I just dropped by to let you know that I am working on something, and it should be done soon.

In the meantime, keep smiling. And don't forget to keep checking for the new post!

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