Book Blogger Appreciation Week 2010

Today’s Book Blogger Appreciation Week topic is Unexpected Treasures:

We invite you to share with us a book or genre you tried due to the influence of another blogger. What made you cave in to try something new and what was the experience like?

I’m not opposed trying any book or genre in theory, but limited time usually means I go for books similar to ones I’ve liked in the past. It’s definitely due to book bloggers that I’ve even heard of a lot of books that normally wouldn’t have crossed my path.

The Thieves of Manhattan by Adam Langer (cover)I’ve been reading / listening to Books on the Nightstand for a while now. It’s a blog / podcast by Ann Kingman and Michael Kindness that features book discussions, reader news, and all sorts of tidbits from the book world. Ann and Michael always manage to make their highlighted books sound irresistible, and many of their picks have ended up on my TBR list, even though they are far outside my usual reading comfort zone.

One of their recommendations that I’ve actually gotten around to reading is Adam Langer’s The Thieves of Manhattan. I picked up a galley at work because the cover, then the first few pages, caught my attention, but it didn’t feel like a very “Erin” book, so it sat on my shelf until I heart the BOTNS podcast.

The Thieves of Manhattan is a little too cutting edge, a little too crime-y, a little too riddled with obscure and not-so-obscure literary references for my typical taste. I’ve yet to post my review of the book, but it turns out I quite enjoyed it! It wasn’t actually too any-of-those-things for me. The experience of picking up a different sort of book, even if it’s not too much of a stretch beyond what I usually read, was a positive one. I think that, with all the great blogs I’m finding through Book Blogger Appreciation Week, I’ll be reading a lot more books that take me out of my usual reading zone!

Check back for my thoughts on The Thieves of Manhattan. My review is forthcoming!

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4 Comments

  1. Hi Erin,

    I’m very interested in your review of “The Thieves of Manhattan” because I read Adam Lamger’s first novel “Crossing California” which I really enjoyed. I’ve read a couple of very brief write-ups about Thieves but no complete reviews.

    I’m glad you liked it more than you expected!
    ~ Amy

    1. I’m planning to post my review next week, so stay tuned! I definitely liked “Thieves” enough to check out Langer’s other book, about which I have heard only great things!

    1. Ann and Michael do great podcasts, then post a summary that they call the “show notes”. They are amazing about involving listeners / readers, which I love. They always recommend at least a book each, plus they cover all kinds of other book-related topics. I hope you enjoy their site!

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